Beethoven In A Nutshell
Introduction
“Soul Surfer” is a movie based on the real-life events of Bethany Hamilton, a current professional surfing champion who was attacked by a 4.3-meter Tiger Shark at Tunnels Beach, Kauai, Hawaii on 31st October 2003. Popular amongst the surfing community Kauai, also known as the 'Garden Island' and being Hawaii's fourth-largest island has a long history of shark attacks with over 40 reported attacks in the last 5 years alone. Soul Surfer takes you on a journey through Bethany's life from her early years when she was determined to be pro-surfer to life after the devastating shark attack. The strategies I will be discussing today are first-person narrative – as told by Bethany, the use of music, and the film clips in the movie. Each strategy plays a significant role in Soul Surfer and immerses you in the story told by Bethany, with the overall effect being a rollercoaster of emotions.
Strategy 1: First-person narrative - told by Bethany
The movie Soul Surfer directed by Sean McNamara is being narrated in the first person by Bethany. Bethany talks about her life and the events that take place, and it makes you feel like she is speaking directly to you and you are a part of the story. She takes you on the journey with her, you feel a part of her family and as if you are in the water with her the whole time. From the shark attack, her recovery, and re-learning of daily tasks, you are there with her.
What we learn from Bethany is that even when she was at her lowest point and lost her courage, she found it in a place where she least expected to find it. In Thailand with World Vision after the Boxing Day Tsunami 2004, Bethany said “who would have thought that teaching a kid to surf would teach me that surfing isn’t the most important thing in the world and that something else is. Love, bigger than any tidal wave is more powerful than any fear”.
Bethany returns home to find fan mail and letters of encouragement from people around the world who she inspired after competing in her first surfing competition after her attack, even though due to huge swells she wasn’t able to catch a wave. The effect that the first-person narrative has on the audience is empathy, it feels like you are there with Bethany the whole time, facing every challenge and reaching embracing achievement.
Strategy 2: Music
Furthermore, the music plays a very important role in Soul Surfer; it evokes different feelings throughout the movie. During Soul Surfer when the shark attack takes place the music is very sad and depressing because she did not think she was going to survive the attack.
The music was very loud and scary when Bethany tried on her prosthetic arm for the first time and when she gave up surfing. The music made you feel excited and happy when Bethany and her friends were night surfing and when she caught the last wave of the competition.
The music leaves the audience feeling a whole range of emotions throughout Soul Surfer.
Strategy 3: Film Clips
The film clips shown in Soul Surfer were in the form of various scenery shots around Kauai and Hawaii. Family video footage of Bethany’s early years and current days: where Bethany is a professional surfer and has won 1st place in NSSA National Surf championships. We also see when Bethany visits Thailand with World Vision, visiting injured troops in a German Army Base and winning ESPY comeback of the Year award.
In addition to this, a significant moment in the movie after the shark attack shows Bethany moving towards the “white light” while she is being resuscitated in the Hospital and we are not sure if she is going to live or die. This features a montage of her life to date and memorable moments. It is a powerful scene in the movie that shows parts of her life that were not seen and adds to show her strength of character in life so far.
The effect the film clips have on the audience is showing another layer of Bethany’s personality and providing an insight to her life prior to the shark attack.
Conclusion
The effect the first-person narrative, music and film clips had was to add value to Bethany’s story, her life, and the movie. It evoked emotional responses, gave hope to the future, and raised questions of what if this happened to me? How would I react? Could I do what she did? Do I have the same courage? Bethany Hamilton survived what many people could not have and overcame many challenges.
Soul Surfer’s message is to appreciate what you have, be courageous, have faith, courage, and fear nothing in life.
Bethany was quoted as saying what she learned about life… “life is a lot like surfing, when you get caught in the impact zone you need to get right back up. Because you never know what is over the next wave and if you have faith, anything is possible”. Anything at all.
