There's something in JURASSIC WORLD that really bothers me. Up to now, in my sleeptime, i always fall into insomniac mode just for thinking about it. And the morning after, i'll instantly regret my sleepless night. And by writing this post, i invite you to this rollercoaster. Here we go.
The dilemma started by a question: why in the world did Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) thinking that its okay for her to wear high heels when she's herding a damn T-Rex? It's a fucking T-Rex and she was like, Beyonce 'who runs the world'-ing it.
The characteristic of the fool
Before we judge whether Claire is foolish or on her drugs (because that's where i'll directing you), let's consider the character building of Claire throughout the story. Claire, as naive as she might be, represents an independent woman, perfectionist, control freak, and somehow her workaholic self managed to place herself on the top position of Jurassic Park v2.0 management. So by logic alone, its safe to say that a highly educated and intelligent woman such as Claire is nearly-to-almost impossible to conclude, even on a whim, that its okay to wear high heels in the life and death situation. And yet, she magically did.
The semiotics analysis
The semiotics by Ferdinand Saussure stated that every action is a sign. And in each case, the sign can be broken into two parts, the signifier and the signified. The signifier is the thing, item, or code that we ‘read’. And each signifier has a signified, the idea or meaning being expressed by that signifier. So, the scene where Claire confronted a T-Rex on her high heels, is signifier, thus, there must be a meaning of why Colin Trevorrow (the director of the fourth installment of Jurassic World), thought 'okay Claire, wear your heels to look fabulous in life and death situation'.
Well, high heels by its very existence, is signifying something bigger. It is the queen of footwear that only women could wear. It is the symbol of pride, high skill, and tenacity. I mean, walking in high heels is something, but running with high heels? it is beyond of this world. Anyone inexperienced will only snap their ankle just for trying. So yeah, there must be a signified from the powerful scene where Claire fabulously challenging T-Rex on her high heels. But what is it? Help me guessing.
For all that matter, the existence of semiotics itself is emphasizing that there are something encoded and there are something decoded. There are something that the director want to convey, and there are something that the audience will receive. I'd call this type of relationship as C2V (Character to Viewer). Whenever any film directors are trying to establish C2V by cramming their idealism using semiotics, they tend to forget that there are another shits that really matter too. It is C2C (Character to Character) relationship. Claire should be aware that the character she'll be confronting is an almighty T-Rex that could one-hit-KO-ing her, thus prompted her to take off her heels. Yet, the director did not make her. He might be thinking that it would set a very powerful scene to the audience. So, in my opinion, Claire decision in using high heels is purely a C2V decision, not based on C2C decision. Badass but stupid. Yeah, it might be looks badass to the audience, but it looks stupid to the T-Rex.
And that's why this installment of Jurassic Park fell flat to me. Because too much C2V: badass character, badass technology, and badass dinosaurs, is prompting me to be aware that i am watching a movie, when it should be ...
Film is all about creating the basis for believability, the illusion of reality... (Vic Alexander, Filmmaking A to Z)
Thus, it sums up that JURASSIC WORLD had a superbly great plot, badass character, but failed in believability.
Image: Jackie Pataki Tumblr
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