Humanities
Name __________________________
Why Man Creates
Discussion Questions
Background
Why Man Creates, a film by Saul Bass, was released in 1968 by Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation.
It received many accolades, the most prestigious of which was the Academy Award in the category of
Documentary-Short Subject. The question that Bass attempts to address is “what does creativity mean?”
and “what makes people creative?” Bass comes to many conclusions, but a key concept is the notion that
it’s OK to fool with ideas. That it’s all right to fail, to start something and then evaluate it, which may
result in revision or abandonment. Learning to not fear failure is part of the creative process and that
whatever is produced in all areas of our lives is their own creation.
The film is divided into seven segments. As you view each section of the film, consider the following
questions and take notes in response to each. You can earn up to forty points for thoughtful and
insightful responses.
The Edifice
1.
What does the edifice represent?
2.
What aspects of progress do you recognize in the scene? List as many as possible.
3.
What does this section say about man’s progress and creativity?
4.
Do the makers of the film believe all creativity has been beneficial? Support your response with
specific details from the scene.
5.
Is the man at the top better off than the man at the bottom? Are they similar? Explain.
6.
If the edifice were extended to today, who/what would be added in the following areas:
English:
History:
Science:
Art:
Music:
7.
What three creations or inventions do you think have been most beneficial to mankind? Explain
your choices.
a.
b.
c.
Fooling Around
1.
What do you think is symbolized by each of the three eggs?
a.
the regular yolk:
b. the black inky substance:
c.
the butterfly:
2.
In the stoplight scene, what do you think the filmmaker may be trying to say about conformity?
3.
How can “fooling around” lead to ideas?
4.
Discuss what is meant by “looking at one thing but seeing another.”
5.
What is the relationship of this section to the previous one (“The Edifice”)?
The Process
1.
What do the blocks represent?
2.
What was the attitude of the creator when the blocks fell down the first time?
What happened after the blocks fell down the second time?
3.
What is this section saying about the creative process?
4.
What is the relationship between this section and “Fooling Around”?
The Judgment
1.
Who joins the creator at this point?
What reactions are expressed?
What do you think the people are looking at?
2.
Why does the “artist” shoot at the people?
3.
What finally destroys him?
Does he stay “destroyed”? What happens?
What is the significance of this event?
4.
What public events can you think of that parallel this section of the film? What creative people
have been treated in the same harsh way as the artist in the film?
5.
Saul Bass, the creator of this film, has stated that “A creative person can accept criticism much
more easily than being ignored…Indifference is the most serious and most difficult thing for
artists to live with.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
Do you think that the sentiment applies only to artists? In other words, would you agree or
disagree with the statement if the word “creative” was removed and the word “artists” was
replaced with “people”? Explain.
6.
Does the government have the right to censor art, music or literature? Why or why not?
A Parable
1.
What does the ping-pong ball that bounces high represent?
2.
What does the machine that rejects the ping-pong ball represent?
3.
What do the other ping-pong balls represent?
4.
How does the ball react to being rejected?
5.
In the park scene, how do the other balls react to the ball that bounces high?
6.
The following statements appear on the screen. What do you think each one means?
7.
a.
There are some who say that he’s coming back but we have only to wait…
b.
There are some who say that he burst up there because the ball was not meant to fly…
c.
And there are some who maintain he landed safely in a place where balls bounce high…
Can you think of some people whom you consider to be creative who are not accepted by society?
Explain. How do these people (or person) react to their rejection?
A Digression
The following is the statement made by one snail to another:
“Have you ever thought that radical ideas threaten institutions,
then become institutions and in turn reject radical ideas
which threaten institutions?”
1.
What does the statement mean?
2.
Why do you think snails were used?
3.
Why do you think this section is titled “A Digression”?
4.
Think of something that is part of today’s society that once was considered a radical idea that
threatened the good of society. Why do you think people felt that way at the time?
5.
What current ideas are considered radical ones that threaten the good of society? Why do you
think these ideas are shunned?
The Search
1.
How does each scientist view failure?
a.
Dr. Renato Dulbecco (the Salk Institute) was working on how healthy cells become cancerous.
At the time of the film, he had been working on the project for twenty years and hoped to
have the answer within five more (by 1973) :
b. Dr. James Bonner (California Institute of Technology) was working on developing strains of
tomatoes, peas and cereals that might ease the world’s food problem. At the time of the film,
he had been working on the project for twenty years and hoped to realize success within
another fifteen to twenty years (by 1983 or 1988) :
c.
Dr. Jesse Greenstein (California Institute of Technology) was working on the “Big Bang
Theory” of the origin of the universe, concerned at the time with helium. At the time of the
film, he had been working on the project for a little over twenty years. :
d. Dr. Paul Saltman (University of California at San Diego)—called Dr. Wheeler in the movie--was
working on a project for seven years and has hit a blank wall. :
2.
How do these men feel about the relationship of time to the creative process?
3.
How do the scientists’ attitudes toward their work relate to the ideas in this film? Give examples
of specific scenes to support your opinion.
4.
If creativity is indeed at times so frustrating and so seemingly hopeless, why do some people keep
on trying?
Summary
1.
How does this section summarize all the other sections?
2.
How does this section specifically relate to “The Edifice”?
3.
Why do you think people write graffiti?
Do you think laws should be passed making graffiti illegal? Why or why not?
4.
Discuss the meaning and value of constructive criticism.
When does constructive criticism become destructive criticism?
6.
Consider the following quote from this section: “Yet among all the variety of human expression, a
thread of connection, a common mark can be seen: that urge to look into oneself and out at the
world and say, ‘This is what I am. I am unique. I am here. I am.’”
What does the quote suggest about human nature?
Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Explain your response.