Film Journal 11

Frontrunners

One of my initial realizations while watching the movie was not only the need to concern one's self with race in a political race such as shown but the cognizance of these students that it is in fact an issue to be dealt with.

I was also struck with the intense desire to compete. Especially on the part of the boy who lost the first round but seemed to want to "win" even when he wasn't that interested in the prize. It was when he started to notice the competition that he really took charge to compete. His partner however seemed more driven from the start. This boy seemed to take the process of one from a typical high school that turns into a popularity contest. These students however seemed very interested in what the candidate could actually achieve. It made me realize that the identification and understanding of one's audience is a skill better learned early in life.

The last think I was very interested in was the representation of space in the film. Public transportation and distances and time seem so very different in that urban setting than in the suburban setting I live in. I would never dream of letting my son travel alone for hours on public transporation at odd hours of the day! Additionally, I noticed that space was "claimed" in the movie by the candidates when they were campaigning. Even though the entrance right into the school was an obvious best choice no other candidate was willing to encroach upon that space.