Parker 1

Chakera Parker Professor Bolton English 101 11 February 2014 Dj vu: A Trick of the Mind? Dj vu is a feeling that you have already experienced the current situation that you are in. In the movie Dj vu, a group of special agents accidentally discover a device, nicknamed Snow White, that gives them the ability to travel back in time. A terrorist, Carroll Oerstadt, plants a bomb on a ferry holding over 500 Navy men and their loved ones. ATF agent, Doug Carlin, is hired by the agency to find the terrorist, prevent the explosion from happening, and save innocent lives. Carlins job usually requires him to catch a bad guy after he does something horrible, but this time he gets to catch the criminal beforehand. Dj Vu is a phenomenal film because of its emotional investment, realistic acting, and combination of genres. The first thing that makes Dj Vu an excellent movie is the way it captures its viewers. For instance, when the movie opens, we see all of the passengers of the ferry enjoying themselves, but then the ferry explodes, immediately dragging the audience into the film wondering who or what caused it. Another example is when Claire Kuchever is first introduced in the film. Carlin gets a call that a womans burnt body washed up on shore two hours before the explosion happened. He goes to the morgue to view the body and the woman is Claire. The viewers feel for her, wanting to know what she did to deserve such a harsh death, why she was found before the explosion, and how can she help lead Carlin to the killer. We later find out that

Parker 2

Oerstadt needed an unidentifiable truck to hold the bomb, Claires truck. As the film goes on and Carlin is introduced to Snow White, we get to see their first interaction. It seems like there is a connection between them. Its apparent that he has feelings for this woman, and he just saw her lying in a morgue. The audience then feels sorry for him because the possible love of his life has been taken away from him, for such a sick reason. It is nearly impossible to not get emotionally attached to the characters in this film. In addition to the emotional investment, the film is good because of the realistic acting. Denzel Washington is one of the most well-known actors around the world, and his role as Doug Carlin gave even more validation to his credentials. His reaction to Snow White is what anyones would be, if they were shown something from the past and told it was the present. Carlin isnt afraid to ask questions, and when he feels like the other agents are tip toeing around the truth, he does not stand for it. The final straw is when he points the laser at the screen, and Claire turns and looks directly at it. This is when he knows that the footage he is watching is from right then and there. He demands answers and does not settle for anything less than the whole truth. His actions are a very good representation of how someone would react if this was a real life situation. When Claire, played by Paula Patton, is being attacked, it is very believable. She is fighting to get away from Oerstadt, and when Carlin comes to rescue her, she panics and tries to fight him off because she thinks that he is her attacker. He assures her that he is an ATF agent there to save her. They arrive at Claires house, and she starts having doubts about Carlin being an agent. She pulls a gun out on him and questions him. She then calls the ATF office to verify that he is indeed an agent, and then they are off to stop the explosion. She doesnt automatically believe what Carlin tells her. She has her doubts and will not stand to be deceived again. Patton plays the victim role very well. Another person, who has an effective role in the

Parker 3

film without having very many lines, is Carroll Oerstadt, played by Jim Caviezel. After Carlin reveals that the explosion was a terrorist attack, viewers automatically have built up animosity towards Oerstadt even though he hasnt even been introduced yet. Hes the antagonist in the film, and the reason all of those innocent people are dead. The next scene that adds even more fuel to the fire is when we see Oerstadt kill Minuti. The audience actually witnesses the murder. Caviezel plays a decent terrorist, not feeling any remorse whatsoever. Later on after he is caught, Carlin goes to the jail and interviews him. He talks as if life is a game, and in some weird, twisted way he wins because the fate of those people is in his hands. He has an awful role in the movie, but he plays a huge part in unfolding the plot. Washington, Patton, and Caviezel all portray their characters effectively. The final thing that makes the movie great is its combination of genres such as thriller, action, sci-fi, and romance. Most of the movie is thriller because the plot is exciting and suspenseful. It keeps the audience intrigued the entire time, making you rethink earlier scenes and connect them to things that happen later in the film. The use of the chase scene where Carlin is chasing Oerstadt down the highway and causes a car accident incorporates action into the film. Another action scene is when Oerstadt kills Minuti and tries to kill Claire. The whole concept of Snow White is a use of sci-fi. They use science to create something that we accept as being impossible. The final genre that is in the mix is romance. The love between Claire and Agent Carlin is apparent but hidden at the same time. We know there is something there, we just dont know all the details. Its sort of like theyre in love but they dont know it yet. It isnt your typical use of romance, but this isnt your typical sort of film, so it fits well with the plot. The plot of the movie ties these four genres together effortlessly, making it appeal to more than one type of viewer.

Parker 4

In conclusion, Dj Vu is a must see film. It keeps viewers emotionally involved, it has realistic characters, and it offers a plot that identifies with different genres, making it enjoyable for many groups of viewers. You walk into a place where you have never been, but it feels familiar. You look into the eyes of a stranger, but it feels like you have known them your whole life. Dj vu is a phenomenon believed to be a feeling, a trick of the mind. But if you go back and look again, the truth is far more extraordinary. Is it impossible to go back in time and change the past, or have we just not figured out how to do it yet?

Parker 5

Works Cited Dj Vu. Dir. Tony Scott. Perf. Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Jim Caviezel, and Matt Craven. Touchstone Pictures, 2006. Film.