Robert Zemeckis’ Cast Away is a lot of emotions packed into two hours and 23 minutes. Starring the talented Tom Hanks, the narrative follows FedEx executive Chuck Noland, whose life is changed forever when he is stranded on an island after surviving a plane crash. On the surface, the film explores themes of survival and isolation, but over time, the spotlight shifts to Noland’s profound psychological transformation brought about by isolation, and his struggle to blend back into society after being rescued from his four-year-long ordeal. Zemeckis is far from stingy with visual motifs or symbolism in this poignant tale of transformation. In this article, we analyze how Zemeckis turns an inanimate volleyball into a pivotal emotional anchor of the narrative. Who is Wilson?Wilson needs no introduction. You might forget the name of Hank’s character in Cast Away, but not Wilson. But, for those who know nothing about the film, Wilson is a volleyball. Considering Zemeckis presents Wilson as the second lead of the story, you could definitely say he is another survivor of the same plane crash. 'Cast Away'Source: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks PicturesStranded on the island all on his own with nothing but nature, saline water, and damaged FedEx packages around him, Chuck is desperate to find something…anything that will keep him alive. As he rummages through the FedEx packages in vain, he discovers a Wilson-brand volleyball in one of them. Bored and desperate to find a companion, Chuck draws a face on the ball with his own...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today