MovieChat Forums > Pleasantville (1998) Discussion > When did the characters become conscious...

When did the characters become conscious?

posted 8 years ago by thulk01
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I know this isn't the point of the movie but am just curious when the show's characters actually became conscious. Presumably they weren't when they were just characters in a show being watched. But as soon as David goes into their world, would it become a new universe and all the people in it suddenly become aware? Or are they still just characters (basically unaware robots) until they start to exercise free will (become colored) and that's the point at which they become conscious? What do you think?

[–] TxMike 8 years ago

Deep question. I hadn't actually thought of that angle.

Have you seen Woody Allen's "Purple Rose of Cairo"? There is a similar theme, but a B&W character steps out of the movie theater screen and interacts with real people. But he continues to be a character.

Without giving more thought to it I'd say the characters of Pleasantville remain characters, although they become enlightened characters. They become aware that there are knowledge and experiences beyond the confines of the show's scripts. If they actually became real people then they would have the ability to leave Pleasantville and travel anywhere they wanted.

Anyway that is my immediate thought, I will be happy to modify my view of things as others come up with valid alternative points.

Good question!

..*.. TxMike ..*..

[–] thulk01 8 years ago

I haven't seen that, but I'll check it out.

If they actually became real people then they would have the ability to leave Pleasantville and travel anywhere they wanted.

I'm not sure about this. If you treat Pleasantville as its own universe, and it's structured in a way that Pleasantville is the entirety of it, then even if the people living there are "real" they still wouldn't be able to leave it, nor would they be able to move into other universes at will (ex. the world David came from).

In regards to their awareness, I wonder if awareness itself would be more of a spectrum than a yes-or-no thing, so when it's just a show they have no awareness whatsoever, then when David starts interacting with them they start developing perhaps at the level of plants or smaller animals, and their awareness grows from there. (when I say "awareness" I'm using that interchangeably with the idea of consciousness, perception, etc)