I sit here scrambling to write a post before five pm, trying desperately not to simply regurgitate another writers perspective of the short White Bear. I struggle in situations like this to produce an original opinion void of heavy influence from the ideas of others in the conversation. After reading so many opinions of those in our class it became difficult for me to separate my own thoughts from those I agreed with after reading. Rather than restating another's words or writing an opinion I don't fully agree with, I am going to attempt to elaborate upon a point mentioned towards the end of Robert's post.
In White Bear we are introduced to Victoria, a woman stripped of her memory and identity. Throughout the story this woman is truly unable to form her own thoughts due to the constant onslaught of information both from her surroundings and her slowly recovering broken memory. This could be a statement for the lack of originality we see in our culture today. In our society we are bombarded with stimulation and ideas from around the world as soon as we are introduced to mass media. Even those quick to dismiss the "popular belief" will often fall into another group of ideas that they only half believe. Although we can generally all probably agree that the mental and physical torture of Victoria was incredibly harsh even if she was indeed guilty of kidnapping and helping kill a little girl, White Bear shows us what we could be if we continue to allow media to dictate so much of our lives. From massive wartime propaganda campaigns to completely government controlled media, there are plenty of examples of how a large group can be influenced incredibly by a small group with a large voice (or deep pockets). The employees and actors of the White Bear Justice Park are part of the deep pocketed media and and jail system, who have made the twisted amusement of torturing criminals a mundane part of life. The guests of the park and voyeurs of the torture are those willing to accept the ideas and actions of the media and form the "popular opinion". Victoria then, plays the part of the population that questions the information but is forced to believe what she is told by the terrifying world created around her.
It's interesting how every little detail that has been placed into Victoria's reality gives her a new idea of herself. From the moment she wakes up in the house and sees the photo of the little girl all the way to the point where she shoots the gun that spouts glitter, she's being manipulated into thinking that she's a mother, worth being saved, capable of standing up for herself, but never once is she given the right to an opinion. Whenever she says something she's told she's wrong, whenever she says no she's forced to say yes, throughout the entire film she's forced into complying with everyone's direction. The one time she reaches out for information on her own, she's almost tased and therefore beaten back into submission. She's completely manipulated in a way that the crowds of people who flock to the White Bear Justice Camp haven't been but this doesn't mean that they too aren't heavily manipulated. They see her as a joke, a form of entertainment, as a woman who helped to kill a little girl. They're all led to believe she's a murderer and so they won't even entertain the idea that she might've been abused into compliance, or wonder if after all this torture she's still the same woman, or even question their own righteous justice.
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