Values & Ideology: Since both films are attempting to capture a ‘real life’ feeling, the language is colloquial, and often littered with swear words. However, behind their language lies the narrative the two respective directors wanted us to see: a person coping with immense stress. Crowe’s portrayal of a man under stress is exquisite, from the tone of the voice to the way he sits; he raises the intensity of the film to an almost unbearable level. Considering the difference between his character in Gladiator, Crowe does excellently in adjusting to the unheroic but determined family man he plays in Wigand. Julia Roberts sets out with nothing to lose, but ultimately gains everything she could ask for (including a six-month relationship with a man who adores her children). It’s inspiring to watch, and gives the audience something to take away from the experience.
Representation: Both directors use certain conventions to escalate the idea that we are watching true stories. From the way Erin smokes her cigarette after her failed interview, to the tense posture of Wigand in the hotel room as Bergman uncontrollably screams down the phone as he fears for his subject’s sanity and perhaps his life. Contrasts are made throughout Erin which are used to prove the necessity of PG & E’s water monopoly to the people of Hinckley – the scenery is barren, desolate. From the parched terrain of Hinckley to the courtroom saturated in red tape the respective corporations in each film are represented as overpowering, manipulative and even corrupt.
Representation: The sheer financial power of PG & E is shown in Erin Brockovich when they are quoted as being a $30 billion corporation, but their manipulative yet inconsiderate representative offers $250’000 as a settlement which Erin comically discards.
Institutions: Both films provide what’s expected of characters with immense responsibilities whilst coping with enormous stress. Despite her professed aversion for lawyers ("I hate lawyers!"), she incarnates many of the skills a lawyer needs to make a case go. As Erin tells us in the beginning of the film, she is "good with people": a lawyerly skill just as important as legal research. Her ability to relate to the clients’ pain sets up the dynamic which allows the lawsuit against the giant utility to get off the ground. At the beginning of ‘The Insider’, Wigand becomes a rock under the pressure, and copes rather well before the corporate giants he faces at his dismissal. He is a family man, worrying about health benefits being lost after his redundancy because his daughter suffers from asthma. One of my favourite scenes in the film is when he comforts her:
“So what's what's happening to you now is... cells called mast cells told your lungs "don't breathe any more of that dust in."...and the airways in your lungs are like branches. And when the branches close up, you get an asthmatic attack. And, we give you medicine, and you get better. Huh? Okay? You're better already, aren't you?”
By portraying both characters as loving and compassionate in their homes, yet determined, unwavering individuals against the outside world, the directors provided a perfect model for the real-life stories involved.
Language: The scripts used for each protagonist involves a lot of swearing, which in my opinion is justified because it portrays the torment and anxiety they are facing. Erin is brash, upfront and is reluctant to authority. Wigand on the other hand is rather submissive to his past employers, but soon comes out of his shell when faced with the crisis affecting his family. The forceful speech in each text creates a sense of urgency and pressure, yet whilst in the home they are caring and benevolent, providing further contrasts to their character.
