Ask a Dork: Untouched Topics

What’s a topic/field that you feel movies/games don’t cover that you would like to see (or  feel would be important)?

There’s a bit of a double-edged sword that comes along with answering this question. When it comes to multi-media like video games and feature film, the few concepts that haven’t been covered (or covered less-than-often) are usually ignored because of their difficulty to properly convey under the typical restraints of their medium. Being visual and sometimes interactive, games and film have to follow a consistent pace in order to properly convey a narrative without boring the audience – typically leaving insufficient time to detail the gravity of certain situations.

Allow me to illustrate this principle using ‘rape’ in feature film as an example. Rape isn’t typically central to most narratives, although it has been the subplot of several feature films. This can mostly be attributed to the neigh impossibility of properly conveying the gravity of such a traumatic event without oodles of pace-shattering exposition. When it is utilized, there are dozens of ways that such a life-altering occurrence like rape can be misused for dramatic effect or cheapened into an emotionally driven plot device – making the entire film seem tremendously insensitive and lazy in its dramatic execution. I’ve only seen one film (of the few that actually attempt) utilize such a powerful and traumatic event to better its narrative.

Therein lies the problem. When it comes to topics and fields that *could* be covered, all of the visually feasible ones have already been done. At this point, all we have left to attempt are the near impossible topics that will only serve to piss off social rights groups and/or make the content’s tone spiral out of control.

If there was one thing that I wish was more prevalent in film/gaming, it would be complex symbolism. Again, being a visual mediums, obvious bits of symbolism that are central to the narrative are usually in your face as much as humanly possible. I’d like to see more films and video games like Jacob’s Ladder and Silent Hill, where the symbolism of the set-pieces, environments, and characters can continue to be deconstructed and debated long after the credits roll.