Once again an amazing video. I've seen this movie since I was a kid, but the way you explain it puts it totally in another more deeper perspective. I love your content and it makes me want to rewatch everything you touch. Cheers!
Great job with this. Your observations about the two female ends of the seatbelt and the symbolism inherent in passing along the handkerchief were next level.
Great example of how good analysis doesn’t have to be dry and abstract. I kept expecting the obligatory attention to Ian’s challenge to Grant’s manhood, but this essay has a much bigger (and bigger-hearted) agenda. Thank you!
Oh man, what the heck. I just noticed youtube must have unsubbed me (or maybe I misclicked something), thankfully I still got this upload in my recommends. Anyway, I'm also noticing some symbols you covered in Ellie and Grant which Tim has as well. Tim has a blue bandana around his neck and a shirt with pink and blue stripes. Tim keeps his pink and blue shirt, but by the end it's so stained with mud the colors are obscured, similar to how Grant and Ellie lose those respective colors. I haven't watched the film in a decade probably, so I'll need to sit down and watch it again to see if I can draw out any conclusions from that, but it is some interesting color and object symbolism which relates a child to two growing adult characters. Congratulations on 1,500+ subs! I'm gonna sub to your patreon cause your shit is too good to not support, plus I gotta make sure I don't get unsubbed again!
Thank you so much poop4brains, I truly means so much!!! I wanna hear what you think, but one way to read the colour symbolism in Jurassic is that it's about gender. Baby colours: blue for boy, pink for girl... As the crisis begins they get covered in mud and the hues get desaturated and they lose parts of their wardrobe, signifying the fact that the distinction between genders matters less during a crisis/ out in the jungle. As Ellie says: "We can discuss sexism in survival situations when I get back..." It's also a mythological motif in Hero w/ a thousand Faces. Campbell mentions the Sumerian myth of Innana being initiated into the underworld. She has to cast off a piece of clothing as she passes each of the 7 gates. The conclusion of this motif according to Campbell is "The hero, whether man or woman, discovers and assimilated their opposite..." Page 108
@@josh_from_xboxlive I sat down to enjoy the film today and I came away with much more than the last time I viewed it. This is a bit of an essay, but it was a fun thing to sit and write out. Like you said, Jurassic Park's symbolism is timeless. Analyzing Jurassic Park's use of gender symbolism in the current cultural climate, where we face a violent and reactionary fear of gender exploration and transition, is poignant. As someone who identifies as non-binary, I found the exploration of gender fascinating and particularly relevant. As you pointed out, color symbolism in Jurassic Park can be read as representing gender. Using the interpretation that Grant and Ellie develop their opposite aspects through the course of the film, symbolized by color obscuration and the shedding of symbolic colors, I thought about extending that to other characters. In regards to the children, Tim is wearing a blue shirt and bandana, and like the child Grant instructed through fear, they both wear red hued stripes. I think those stripes indicate less a possession of the feminine side, but a symbol for the need to be nurtured. His character starts innocent and curious, characteristics which invite care and nurturing. Timmy's bandana mirrors Grant's, it unites them but both bandanas represent opposite gendered aspects. Tim wants a teacher to develop his the masculine career aspects, something Grant possesses, but Grant must embrace his feminine aspects to do that. As the gender motif is developed, the children's colors are obscured. Tim loses his bandana after the Tyrannosaurus attack. We first see him without it while he is inside the remains of the tour vehicle. In losing his blue bandana, Tim loses the focus on intellectualism and the spectacle of the park. He enters reality, his knowledge becomes applied. Grant's red bandana becomes a symbol of sacrifice, something he loses for Tim to gain. It becomes a literal symbol of protection for Tim, bandages. Lex is also notable for her purple shirt and hat. Purple is a synthesis of the feminine red or pink and masculine blue. She's a vegetarian and a "hacker." She has an innate respect for life and the understanding of the tools which preserve it. She has already synthesized career and her nurturing side. Her challenge is to grow from needing protection to helping protect others. I think it's also notable that mud and dust not only obscure gender roles, but act as a symbol of death. Grant's introduction to Hammond establishes mud and dust as a symbol of death. Hammond just got out of the same helicopter that blasted Grant with (grave) dust, however Hammond is pristine. Grant's saving a bottle of Champaign to commemorate death, while Hammond pops it to celebrate life. As Hammond is a symbol for life, Malcolm is a messenger for death, Eros and Thanatos. Their colors are in contrast, their outlooks are in contradiction. Hammond's idealism clashes with Malcolm's realism; realism that ultimately wins out forcing Hammond to confront death. Hammond's frustration with Malcolm's truth reinforces this contradiction. Hammond and Malcolm both possess love and a respect for life, but in "life find(ing) a way" it brings death. Malcolm forces Hammond to see this. In facing down death in Jurassic Park, the cast partially buried. The tyrannosaurus attack buries Lex and Tim as mud fills the vehicle, mud that moves the same way as the mud which buries the Barbasol can. The vehicle is a grave. In emerging from the grave, the vehicle becomes a symbol of birth, but also rebirth. The children are reborn for Grant to protect. Life, death, and gender are all intertwined. These aspects pull at each other as the characters develop and change. It's a wonderful script to contemplate. On a personal note, I also appreciate the invitation to sit down and contemplate the film. It brought back some good childhood memories, one of the few times I felt nurtured by my father, who passed away two years ago. I was 6 when Jurassic Park 2 came out, and my dad was so excited to share the original film with me in preparation for the second film. Regardless of the quality of "Lost World", the experience of seeing it was great. My dad picked me up early from school and we had a double feature, watching the original at home and then going to the theater. I haven't thought about that in years. I don't have a lot of good memories of my father, so it's nice to remember one. Maybe the film brought out some more nurturing aspects in him. Like Tim inviting Grant to share interests and bond, my dad's child like excitement was an invitation to share an experience and bond. It was one of the few instances where I was given attention specifically too, and got to feel special. My brother was too young for that experience, so it was just me and my dad. I love that films can speak directly to us like that. The themes and symbols escaping the screen to touch you personally.
This is such a wonderful mini-essay. I really appreciate this perspective. You definitely don't have poop for brains. Have you considered making videos of your own? I also really appreciate hearing about how the movie facilitated that connection with your father. I totally relate to that. Jurassic Park was the first VHS my dad ever bought and we often watched it... When media and art is working at a higher level, it facilitates that kind of relationship. Parenthood is such a common theme in cinema and mythology because it's universal. We all have complicated relationships with our ancestors.
@@josh_from_xboxlive It's funny, I chose this name because commenting on the vast majority of youtube videos is a waste of time and I used the name to remind myself of it. You referring to me as such in the first reply gave me a laugh. Thank you for the compliments. I haven't considered videos, no, but people tell me I need to start a podcast all the time. I have all the equipment even, I just need the motivation and to keep in mind that my own words add something to the world. I got my degree in history and have read a lot of philosophy in my short time here, so that's where my knowledge base is. However your work is making me want to study story telling more, I appreciate how it translates complex ideas in more universally understandable ways. One of the reasons I've not started producing work is because I still need to find ways to translate the ideas I appreciate and observe in my day to day life. However, the application of theory and practice is how we learn and test our knowledge, so perhaps the best way is to learn how to translate is by just doing it. I genuinely miss writing, despite still being a voracious reader. I also want to find ways to share the ideas I appreciate because of how negative my relationship with my parents is. It was hard to engage with the idea of family and parenthood until very recently, to be honest. I currently can't imagine myself starting a family, but I do believe that we are family as a species, and thus have a duty to one another. It takes a village to raise a kid, and I know that deeply. I'm so indebted to friends and the adults who gave me positive examples growing up. It's nice to have realized Jurassic Park speaks to that universal truth of human connection. Looking at the themes from this perspective, it's quite literally about that experience of non-family having a hand in a child's development, protecting them, and sharing incredible experiences with them.
I didnt understand the story of jurassic park until i read the book. Since I read the book ive been frustrated that the movie cut out so much of the thematic underpinnings but now youre convincing me they did a lot better than i thought.
you create content that is worthy of a channel of, what feels liek, 50k subscribers at the moment. i hope i dont make you feel like you gotta chase numbers for bad reasons. i can relate to the fact well, that you dont wanna work, though. but your thoughts from the videos i have watched so far worth knowing (the star wars ones). and i feel like there are thousands of more people browsing youtube out there love stories so much too, that would like to know your perspective on things. i just like good stories and like to know more. i mean thats one big way how people learn about stuff. im looking forward to more!
I can just about understand putting any two videos out in a month’s time (that’s a lot of work there), but what I dont get is that his video’s scripting is always insightful, profound and simply perfect - it’s crazy that one can make videos about such ubiquitous franchises like Star Wars and Jurassic Park, and still find new angles to discuss in 2023 and not just repeat the same old tired talking points. Bravo!
I can't believe I never noticed this before, but I'm pretty sure both of those kids could have fit through the holes in that fence no problem. Grant maybe no, but he's the only one who needed to climb that thing lol
You know how the very last part of production is music? The movie must be in its final cut before music can be added, right? And the composer's first concern is the underlying emotion of each scene. So, from a music POV, the whole movie experience is one long emotional flow, and fiction is a stroll down a path of preconceived emotional moments. Maybe, if one is a screenwriter, it would be a good exercise to figure out your emotional flow first to inform the details of the rest. Just a thought...
Thanks for watching! Find me on Letterboxd letterboxd.com/jeshuam/ Instagram instagram.com/josh_from_xboxlive Patreon patreon.com/Josh_from_xbolive Twitter twitter.com/josh_from_xbox
This was incredible to watch… but… to be honest (and somewhat vulnerable)… it’s a little dismaying to see this amount of depth, specificity, and intentionality in what I always considered to be a blockbuster movie (a sensational blockbuster movie, without a doubt, but a blockbuster movie nonetheless). I love storytelling, and I’m trying to complete a short story of my own, but a lot of my storytelling is just me putting things I like into a world I made up. Connecting big and small details to unifying themes is often the last thing on my mind when I dream up stories, but I still hope the stories will interest and entertain more people than just myself. I love the idea of creating a story, but I definitely feel overwhelmed by the creation process sometimes.
Would you ever be interested in doing a video on Snyder's DC work? If you can tackle and accurately assess a director as misunderstood as Lucas, I'm sure you could do the same for Snyder.
Tbf the book version. Jon was a cheapskate in the book and the park failed cuz he relied on an unpaid intern to make the security system. In the movie "spared no expense" he said like 40 times. This theme was meant to showcase corporate greed and cutting corners to maximize profit in the most dangerous setting. Like the oceangate debacle dude was proud he was using a logitech blue tooth controller and 3d printed plastic toggles for the analog sticks. 💀
I was thinking on sending you a Email for info on The Talent, but I figured commenting here will help the algorithm. Is your novel published? I did not find any info on that on your page.
I swear after watching this I have 3 more wrinkles in my brain. Wow.
Once again an amazing video. I've seen this movie since I was a kid, but the way you explain it puts it totally in another more deeper perspective. I love your content and it makes me want to rewatch everything you touch. Cheers!
Great job with this. Your observations about the two female ends of the seatbelt and the symbolism inherent in passing along the handkerchief were next level.
Dr. Grant is a heroic cowboy in my mind
Great example of how good analysis doesn’t have to be dry and abstract. I kept expecting the obligatory attention to Ian’s challenge to Grant’s manhood, but this essay has a much bigger (and bigger-hearted) agenda. Thank you!
another banger from the guy who called me a racial slur in the COD MW2 lobby!
seriously though, great vid.
Oh man, what the heck. I just noticed youtube must have unsubbed me (or maybe I misclicked something), thankfully I still got this upload in my recommends.
Anyway, I'm also noticing some symbols you covered in Ellie and Grant which Tim has as well. Tim has a blue bandana around his neck and a shirt with pink and blue stripes. Tim keeps his pink and blue shirt, but by the end it's so stained with mud the colors are obscured, similar to how Grant and Ellie lose those respective colors. I haven't watched the film in a decade probably, so I'll need to sit down and watch it again to see if I can draw out any conclusions from that, but it is some interesting color and object symbolism which relates a child to two growing adult characters.
Congratulations on 1,500+ subs! I'm gonna sub to your patreon cause your shit is too good to not support, plus I gotta make sure I don't get unsubbed again!
Thank you so much poop4brains, I truly means so much!!!
I wanna hear what you think, but one way to read the colour symbolism in Jurassic is that it's about gender. Baby colours: blue for boy, pink for girl... As the crisis begins they get covered in mud and the hues get desaturated and they lose parts of their wardrobe, signifying the fact that the distinction between genders matters less during a crisis/ out in the jungle. As Ellie says: "We can discuss sexism in survival situations when I get back..."
It's also a mythological motif in Hero w/ a thousand Faces. Campbell mentions the Sumerian myth of Innana being initiated into the underworld. She has to cast off a piece of clothing as she passes each of the 7 gates. The conclusion of this motif according to Campbell is "The hero, whether man or woman, discovers and assimilated their opposite..." Page 108
@@josh_from_xboxlive
I sat down to enjoy the film today and I came away with much more than the last time I viewed it. This is a bit of an essay, but it was a fun thing to sit and write out.
Like you said, Jurassic Park's symbolism is timeless. Analyzing Jurassic Park's use of gender symbolism in the current cultural climate, where we face a violent and reactionary fear of gender exploration and transition, is poignant. As someone who identifies as non-binary, I found the exploration of gender fascinating and particularly relevant.
As you pointed out, color symbolism in Jurassic Park can be read as representing gender. Using the interpretation that Grant and Ellie develop their opposite aspects through the course of the film, symbolized by color obscuration and the shedding of symbolic colors, I thought about extending that to other characters.
In regards to the children, Tim is wearing a blue shirt and bandana, and like the child Grant instructed through fear, they both wear red hued stripes. I think those stripes indicate less a possession of the feminine side, but a symbol for the need to be nurtured. His character starts innocent and curious, characteristics which invite care and nurturing. Timmy's bandana mirrors Grant's, it unites them but both bandanas represent opposite gendered aspects. Tim wants a teacher to develop his the masculine career aspects, something Grant possesses, but Grant must embrace his feminine aspects to do that.
As the gender motif is developed, the children's colors are obscured. Tim loses his bandana after the Tyrannosaurus attack. We first see him without it while he is inside the remains of the tour vehicle. In losing his blue bandana, Tim loses the focus on intellectualism and the spectacle of the park. He enters reality, his knowledge becomes applied. Grant's red bandana becomes a symbol of sacrifice, something he loses for Tim to gain. It becomes a literal symbol of protection for Tim, bandages.
Lex is also notable for her purple shirt and hat. Purple is a synthesis of the feminine red or pink and masculine blue. She's a vegetarian and a "hacker." She has an innate respect for life and the understanding of the tools which preserve it. She has already synthesized career and her nurturing side. Her challenge is to grow from needing protection to helping protect others.
I think it's also notable that mud and dust not only obscure gender roles, but act as a symbol of death. Grant's introduction to Hammond establishes mud and dust as a symbol of death. Hammond just got out of the same helicopter that blasted Grant with (grave) dust, however Hammond is pristine. Grant's saving a bottle of Champaign to commemorate death, while Hammond pops it to celebrate life.
As Hammond is a symbol for life, Malcolm is a messenger for death, Eros and Thanatos. Their colors are in contrast, their outlooks are in contradiction. Hammond's idealism clashes with Malcolm's realism; realism that ultimately wins out forcing Hammond to confront death. Hammond's frustration with Malcolm's truth reinforces this contradiction. Hammond and Malcolm both possess love and a respect for life, but in "life find(ing) a way" it brings death. Malcolm forces Hammond to see this.
In facing down death in Jurassic Park, the cast partially buried. The tyrannosaurus attack buries Lex and Tim as mud fills the vehicle, mud that moves the same way as the mud which buries the Barbasol can. The vehicle is a grave. In emerging from the grave, the vehicle becomes a symbol of birth, but also rebirth. The children are reborn for Grant to protect.
Life, death, and gender are all intertwined. These aspects pull at each other as the characters develop and change. It's a wonderful script to contemplate.
On a personal note, I also appreciate the invitation to sit down and contemplate the film.
It brought back some good childhood memories, one of the few times I felt nurtured by my father, who passed away two years ago. I was 6 when Jurassic Park 2 came out, and my dad was so excited to share the original film with me in preparation for the second film. Regardless of the quality of "Lost World", the experience of seeing it was great. My dad picked me up early from school and we had a double feature, watching the original at home and then going to the theater.
I haven't thought about that in years. I don't have a lot of good memories of my father, so it's nice to remember one. Maybe the film brought out some more nurturing aspects in him. Like Tim inviting Grant to share interests and bond, my dad's child like excitement was an invitation to share an experience and bond. It was one of the few instances where I was given attention specifically too, and got to feel special. My brother was too young for that experience, so it was just me and my dad. I love that films can speak directly to us like that. The themes and symbols escaping the screen to touch you personally.
This is such a wonderful mini-essay. I really appreciate this perspective. You definitely don't have poop for brains. Have you considered making videos of your own?
I also really appreciate hearing about how the movie facilitated that connection with your father. I totally relate to that. Jurassic Park was the first VHS my dad ever bought and we often watched it...
When media and art is working at a higher level, it facilitates that kind of relationship. Parenthood is such a common theme in cinema and mythology because it's universal. We all have complicated relationships with our ancestors.
@@josh_from_xboxlive
It's funny, I chose this name because commenting on the vast majority of youtube videos is a waste of time and I used the name to remind myself of it. You referring to me as such in the first reply gave me a laugh. Thank you for the compliments.
I haven't considered videos, no, but people tell me I need to start a podcast all the time. I have all the equipment even, I just need the motivation and to keep in mind that my own words add something to the world. I got my degree in history and have read a lot of philosophy in my short time here, so that's where my knowledge base is. However your work is making me want to study story telling more, I appreciate how it translates complex ideas in more universally understandable ways. One of the reasons I've not started producing work is because I still need to find ways to translate the ideas I appreciate and observe in my day to day life. However, the application of theory and practice is how we learn and test our knowledge, so perhaps the best way is to learn how to translate is by just doing it. I genuinely miss writing, despite still being a voracious reader.
I also want to find ways to share the ideas I appreciate because of how negative my relationship with my parents is. It was hard to engage with the idea of family and parenthood until very recently, to be honest. I currently can't imagine myself starting a family, but I do believe that we are family as a species, and thus have a duty to one another. It takes a village to raise a kid, and I know that deeply. I'm so indebted to friends and the adults who gave me positive examples growing up.
It's nice to have realized Jurassic Park speaks to that universal truth of human connection. Looking at the themes from this perspective, it's quite literally about that experience of non-family having a hand in a child's development, protecting them, and sharing incredible experiences with them.
Watched I again today with your essay in mind. Mind blowing:D
I didnt understand the story of jurassic park until i read the book. Since I read the book ive been frustrated that the movie cut out so much of the thematic underpinnings but now youre convincing me they did a lot better than i thought.
you create content that is worthy of a channel of, what feels liek, 50k subscribers at the moment. i hope i dont make you feel like you gotta chase numbers for bad reasons. i can relate to the fact well, that you dont wanna work, though.
but your thoughts from the videos i have watched so far worth knowing (the star wars ones). and i feel like there are thousands of more people browsing youtube out there love stories so much too, that would like to know your perspective on things.
i just like good stories and like to know more. i mean thats one big way how people learn about stuff. im looking forward to more!
This movie is a fun scary movie where dinosaurs chase people.
Could you possibly make an analysis video on a ghibli film? Like spirited away or the wind rises?🥺
Absolutely :)
Lovely essay. Like the movie; this analysis brings tears to my eye. Emotion on multiple levels is brilliant filmmaking. Sharing this one.👍
How do you make so many great videos so quickly?
step 1, work freelance. step 2, don't work.
I can just about understand putting any two videos out in a month’s time (that’s a lot of work there), but what I dont get is that his video’s scripting is always insightful, profound and simply perfect - it’s crazy that one can make videos about such ubiquitous franchises like Star Wars and Jurassic Park, and still find new angles to discuss in 2023 and not just repeat the same old tired talking points. Bravo!
How does this only have 1k views
I can't believe I never noticed this before, but I'm pretty sure both of those kids could have fit through the holes in that fence no problem. Grant maybe no, but he's the only one who needed to climb that thing lol
You know how the very last part of production is music? The movie must be in its final cut before music can be added, right? And the composer's first concern is the underlying emotion of each scene.
So, from a music POV, the whole movie experience is one long emotional flow, and fiction is a stroll down a path of preconceived emotional moments.
Maybe, if one is a screenwriter, it would be a good exercise to figure out your emotional flow first to inform the details of the rest.
Just a thought...
Holy mackerel this is a good video essay...!
Thanks for watching! Find me on
Letterboxd letterboxd.com/jeshuam/
Instagram instagram.com/josh_from_xboxlive
Patreon patreon.com/Josh_from_xbolive
Twitter twitter.com/josh_from_xbox
Solid work man!
This was incredible to watch… but… to be honest (and somewhat vulnerable)… it’s a little dismaying to see this amount of depth, specificity, and intentionality in what I always considered to be a blockbuster movie (a sensational blockbuster movie, without a doubt, but a blockbuster movie nonetheless). I love storytelling, and I’m trying to complete a short story of my own, but a lot of my storytelling is just me putting things I like into a world I made up. Connecting big and small details to unifying themes is often the last thing on my mind when I dream up stories, but I still hope the stories will interest and entertain more people than just myself. I love the idea of creating a story, but I definitely feel overwhelmed by the creation process sometimes.
Would you ever be interested in doing a video on Snyder's DC work? If you can tackle and accurately assess a director as misunderstood as Lucas, I'm sure you could do the same for Snyder.
Amazing video and insight, thankyou.
Tbf the book version. Jon was a cheapskate in the book and the park failed cuz he relied on an unpaid intern to make the security system. In the movie "spared no expense" he said like 40 times. This theme was meant to showcase corporate greed and cutting corners to maximize profit in the most dangerous setting. Like the oceangate debacle dude was proud he was using a logitech blue tooth controller and 3d printed plastic toggles for the analog sticks. 💀
brilliant
HOLY SHIT THE SEATBELT
What is a seat belt?
Like if u cried
I was thinking on sending you a Email for info on The Talent, but I figured commenting here will help the algorithm.
Is your novel published? I did not find any info on that on your page.
Send me an email
💯
wow so you smart smart huh
So he grows from toxic make to healthy fatehr