‘Minority Report’ Essay Plan
Introduction
Title and director of the film
Date of release and genre
Brief summary of the plot
Key characters
Explanation of focus
Checklist
REMEMBER include enough information
for a reader who has not seen the film!
Include key words from the question
Paragraph 1 – main body
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Focus on the start of the film. You need to explain how important it is that
Spielberg convinces the audience that Precrime works, that the precogs
really do ‘see’ the future and Precrime can prevent murder.
Flashing distorted images at start. What is the effect on the audience?
Audience see the murder taking place and then the extreme close up on
Agatha’s face: ‘Murder’. Explain what the audience quickly realise is
happening.
Close up on the wooden ball of victim’s name followed by the name of the
perpetrator. Explain the effect on the audience and their understanding.
Follow protagonist (John Anderton) into Precrime – explain what the
audience is lead to understand
Flashing between Precrime and the victim and perpetrator in real time –
explain what effect this has. (time)
See John Anderton then sorting the images, classical music, graceful,
expert – explain the effect on the audience.
When the Precrime team realises they have a problem with the location of
the crime, music changes and speeds up - little time left to stop the crime.
Anderton realises where the location is and the team get there just in time.
What does the audience feel about this? Why?
Medium shot of the perpetrator saying to Anderton while arrested: ‘No I
didn’t do anything’ – explain that the audience are on Anderton and
Precrime’s side as it was clear he would have stabbed his wife with the
scissors, just as the precogs saw it.
Explain that it is important that the audience see that Precrime works and
that John Anderton (the hero) is key to its success.
Explain that Spielberg wants the audience to have the same faith in
Precrime as Anderton does himself.
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Discuss that Spielberg then quickly switches from the Precrime unit to an
advert for Precrime – explain why. Mention the fact that it is like the
audience itself that the propaganda advert is aimed at as well as Americans.
Focus on the significant details of the advert and explain their effect on
the audience: real life saved victims, statistics for the success of Precrime
(not a single murder in six years).
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Explain that the advert is being used to persuade Americans to vote in
favour of using Precrime nationally. The voice over says: ‘It seemed that
only a miracle could stop the bloodshed. But instead of one miracle, we were
given three. The Precognatives.’ Explain why the voiceover is effective.
Shot of dark figure running while the advert continues on the building
flashing up words from the Declaration of Independence: ‘Life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness.’ Explain what the advert is suggesting Precrime will
give Americans.
High angle shot looking down on running figure – shows clearly the advert
running in a poor/dangerous area of the city – highlighting the need for
Precrime to keep everyone safe.
Discuss the functions of the advert – to convince the audience further in
the credibility of Precrime. The audience now believes that there is a real
need for Precime - protection
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Explain that Spielberg has effectively convinced the audience that Precrime
is real in this future, it works and there is a need for it. As a result, the
audience now is suspicious of Witwer who clearly has a problem with the
legal implications of arresting someone based on a vision of the future
Witwer says: ‘let’s not kid ourselves…we’re arresting individuals who have
broken no law’. Explain that the audience now believe that they will and are
on Precrime’s side.
The Precrime team claim that: ‘The precogs see the future and they’re
never wrong’ – the audience agree – we have seen it work!
Even when Witwer says: ‘It’s not the future if you stop it. Isn’t that a
fundamental paradox’, Anderton is able to challenge Witwer: ‘Yes it is.
You’re talking about predetermination, which happens all the time.’
Anderton demonstrates his point using the wooden ball. ‘It didn’t fall…you
caught it…The fact that you prevented it from happening doesn’t change the
fact that it was going to happen’. Does the audience agree? Why?
Explain that the audience has been manipulated by Spielberg into believing
what Anderton says, even though Witwer has a point. The audience is
pleased that Anderton has been able to discount Witwer’s argument – even
though it removes the idea that as humans, we like to believe in freewill.
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Explain that Anderton is then predicted to murder. Does the audience
believe this? Why not?
Explain that Spielberg then works on breaking the audience’s faith in
Precrime and start to suggest why this is – think about whether Spielberg
believes in Precrime or not. What does he want the audience to think?
Anderton goes to Hineman’s house (explain who this is). Explain he is looking
for answers – he does not believe he will kill, but at the same time believes
Precrime works. Explain that when he talks with Hineman she refers to
Precrime as a ‘series of genetic mistakes and science gone haywire’ and that
she is not proud: ‘she was trying to heal them [the precogs] not turn them
into something else.’ How does the audience feel about this? Think about
the appearance of Hineman – she looks like a kind old lady. We want to
believe her, but what will believing her do to our faith in Precrime?
Hineman does not believe that Anderton can escape his future: ‘a chain of
events has started, a chain that will lead you inexorably to his murder’. How
does the audience feel about this statement? Is the audience confused?
Hineman also says: ‘I can’t help you. Nobody can. The precogs are never
wrong. But occasionally they disagree.’ Explain what the significance of
minority reports has on the audience and their faith in Precrime.
She then concludes with: ‘even those so often accused of a Precrime, just
might have an alternative future.’ What is the audience’s reaction to this
and Anderton’s problem?
What do you think Spielberg is saying about the future at this point? Is it
fixed, or is there more than one possibility? What is Spielberg trying to
point out about Precrime at this point?
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Explain that the audience’s faith in Precrime is totally lost when we realise
that Anderton is being set up by Burgess – who murdered Agatha’s mother
to keep her from getting back her child and preventing Precrime.
Explain that although Anderton does end up being with Crow (as predicted),
Close up on Anderton’s face to show how difficult it is not to kill Crow but
he manages it – the alarm breaks his focus. Therefore Crow’s death is not
murder – explain why. Anderton had a choice and changed the future. Now
Anderton has lost his faith in Precrime like us.
At the climax of the film Anderton confronts Burgess (after his wife has
shown the party the truth about Burgess and Anne Lively): ‘If you don’t kill
me, precogs were wrong and Precrime is over. If you do kill me, you go away,
but it proves the system works, precogs were right.’ Does the audience
agree?
The audience sees Anderton take off his hood (which suggests he is a
fugitive and no longer part of Precrime) to reveal a shaved head. Was this
in the precogs vision? What effect does this have? Is he the same person
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with the same beliefs as at the start of the film or different.
Anderton tells Burgess: ‘You know your own future, which means you can
change it if you want to. You still have a choice.’ What does this mean for
Precrime?
Explain what the audience is left feeling about Precrime at the end of the
film. Does the audience still believe in it, or is it flawed? What are these
flaws?
Conclusion
Explain again why Spielberg needs to convince the audience of the credibility of
Precrime.
Explain why he then works on breaking this belief and how he does it.
Finally, explain what the audience (you) is left thinking about using a predicted
future to prevent murder and arresting the perpetrators. Do you think it is
right? Why?