Lookin' at the Stars...movie stars!

Analysis of the Movie The Skulls Scene Set-Up: We chose the last portion of the film to analyze. More specifically, the dual scene between Lucas and Caleb culminating with a gun shot. The group came to general consensus on this first segment of the analysis of the movie. The exigency factor in this example was simply the threat of death. The Source/Encoder was the entire scene – it was steeped in perfection and tradition. Neatly dressed gentlemen and a proper English-type dueling scene. All these components were based on societal niceties. While Lucas is the Source, originator of the idea that will be communicated, he uses body language, well timed verbage, and dramatic pauses to punctuate his message with intensity. This is a part of the many channels he uses. In addition, Lucas drops his gun and says dramatically, “Tell the truth! This would be over if you just tell the truth!” The overriding message from Lucas is for Caleb to tell the truth about the incident. Lucas defies the role of protégé of the secret society and refuses to be a part of it. He’s different. Caleb, as the Receiver/Decoder, receives and decodes the message perfectly. Luke and Caleb make eye contact and never look away. They absolutely understand each other. The feedback between the two is clear. Lucas continues to hold his gaze and at the exact moment of persuasion says again for Caleb to “tell the truth”. We know the message and feedback loop is clear because Caleb hesitates and doesn’t shoot Lucas. Caleb’s father interferes, referred to as noise, and attempts to change the message sent and received. Existing in this dynamic was physiological noise – occurred when “Dad” grabbed another gun and aimed at Lucas. The psychological noise was the thought process of “Dad”. His anger and swift actions confused the authenticity of the message. The semantic noise occurs from “Dad” also. “Dad” tells Caleb, “You’ve always been a disappointment to me.” In fact, this final “noise” that is imparted to Caleb, probably filters many things for the rest of Caleb’s life. The context of the movie at its essence is the secret society (similar to fraternal associations) of The Skulls. It is through this lens and culture that the rules and values are instilled. The members are told to “live by the rules, die by the rules.” The Senator told Lucas, “There is always a battle to be fought.” Lucas did not want any battles, he did not want to fight. The Skulls were not a diverse group, they didn’t want differences. This alone made Lucas stand apart. The roles the key characters played in the movie: “Dad” – Was the evaluator/critic. He was a critical thinker and strategist. Senator – Was several roles at different times. He was the Coordinator – he attempted to draw connections between what different members have said. Other roles included Elaborator-clarifier and Diagnostician. Lucas – Also had two roles – the Initiator/Contributor and the Information giver. Caleb – Was the Information seeker.

As for our group:

Jessica – Initiator-contributor, Information giver Chris – Opinion giver Sarah – Information giver Marc – Information giver Christina – Energizer, Information giver Charity – Opinion giver, Information giver Liz – Elaborator/Clarifier - Coordinator