First cool, at last, a fool! : " Shattered Glass" (He'd do anything to get a great story)

-By Rupa Mainali

Ever heard!

"Images are deceiving. Salt and sugar look exactly the same but taste very different." - Suzy Kassem

Well, similar case can be observed in the movie "Shattered Glass", which is based on a 1998 Vanity Fair article by H. G. Bissinger. If you've ever wondered what happens when you pursue a career of your choice and you would do anything to fit in it then, this may be the movie for you.

 


Stephen Glass, "the cool guy" in the newsroom with his colleagues.

About the movie:
Written and directed by Billy Ray. 
Genre: Thriller/drama
Released year: 2003
This biographical moral drama presents the downfall of a rising journalist exposed for fabricating stories.

Summary:
The plot of the film is easy to understand, the film itself is easy to understand. Stephen Glass is presented as a cool character of this movie. He is the youngest reporter (24 years old) working for The New  Republic and expert in buttering others. Michael Kelly, the editor of the magazine always supports him and defend him when he makes mistake in his articles. 
Later, when Chuck Lane takes the place of Michael, Glass gets caught for his fabricated article "Hack Heaven" which was about a teen computer hacker (fiction characters) who won huge amount of money from a large company. Adam Pennenberg, a reporter of Forbes Digital Tool finds Glass's fabrication in that article.

A " FACT CHECKING" moment when Glass tries to defend himself by saying he has not done anything wrong and Chuck gets fire at him.

Though Glass tries hard to defend himself about that scandal by saying that he got fooled by the source, he could not convince Chuck after being exposed with his 27/41 articles which were fully or partially fabricated.

Here, in this scenario Glass looked like sugar at first and later turned out to be salt. He not only faced the outcome of his immoral act but also deceived those who trusted him blindly (his colleagues).

Mise-en-scene (everything that appears before the camera):

A. Acting: 
All the characters seem to be natural at their role.
 
B. Script/Dialogue: 
Since this movie is based on the real event, the movie script can be considered as an adapted script (a screenplay that is based on pre-existing material).
This movie begins and ends with monologues of Stephen Glass. Heightened and stylized dialogue can be found some of the scenes. Overall, the movie revolves around realistic/naturalistic dialogue.

C. Setting:
Mainly the newsroom of The New Republic magazine in Washington D.C., during the mid 1990s. other various locations in Washington D.C., where Stephen Glass fabricated stories.
College and home of Glass.
 
D. Lighting:
Dramatic shifts in lighting can be observed.
When Stephen Glass is presented as a cool character then the light seems to be bright. But a well-lit newsroom becomes darker and more shadowed when he gets caught for his lies. 

E. Cinematography:
More closed and medium shots than wide shots. This maybe done to emphasize the facial expressions of the major characters, to capture their emotional states. First half focuses on Glass whereas Chuck is given more emphasis on the other half of the movie.

F. Sound:
Not any noticeable background sound in first 50 minutes.
Lonely music at an emotional scene of the Glass makes it more appealing. No any other sound effects that would define the purpose of the movie.

G. Costume:
Stephen Glass often seen in business casual attire, with suits, ties, and dress shirts. This wardrobe choice establishes the professional environment in other characters throughout the movie.
No any flashy or top fashion choices.

H. Special effects:
No, not any.

Despite all the moral and ethical values presented in the movie, a scene where all the reporters (colleagues of Stephen) apologizing to their audiences for all the frauds he did could not be accepted easily.

The quote, "When you realize you've made a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm.", fits perfectly in the whole movie. Stephen Glass conducting whole mess (27 out of 41 fabricated articles) and not admitting it till end may develop a feeling of "cool turned out to be a fool".

Rating: 3/5




 



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