Analysis of the Film "500 Days of Summer" Essay

The "500 Days of Summer" is an American, romantic, comedy-drama film released in the year 2009. It features two main characters Tom and Summer whose complicated relationship full of positive expectations on one hand that are met with negative realities on the other. It provides the audience with a more realistic representation of the romantic relationship. The film presents a nonlinear storyline characterized by scenes that jump to and forth throughout the film. The juxtaposition of scenes runs throughout the film enabled by the parallel editing technology that aids to bring out the theme of expectations versus reality (Benjamin 10). The story unfolds in the mind of Tom, the main protagonist through flashbacks of the high and low moments spent with Summer the one who was meant to be his lifetime lover that never became. This essay evaluates the perceptions of the two characters towards each other as depicted in the film.

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Tom's Perceptions about SummerTom's first encounter with summer occurred when their boss Clark at the greeting card company introduce Summer as a new employee. Tom learned that they shared a similar interest in music with Summer as she disclosed in an encounter in a lift at the workplace on day four. Tom was also impressed by Summer's charming personality and physical attractiveness. These observed qualities inspired Tom's first perception about Summer as adorable. Tom's description of Summer's beauty shows that he has already fallen in love even without saying it in words (Berger 1). Indeed, in another scene, he confesses to his friend Paul that he had fallen in love with Summer. He enthusiastically describes her beautiful body to his friend Paul.

Tom also perceived Summer as a perfect companion, and the one meant to be his lifetime lover, but the reality would prove him wrong. His beliefs about true love and the physical attractiveness towards Summer perhaps shaped this perception of her perfection. The way human beings see things usually determines their perceptions as they arrive at assumptions about beauty, truth, taste and love among others (Berger 11). Tom's judgment about Summer as adorable and perfect is emphasized in the film with the color blue clothes she wears signifying her beauty, the melodious songs that play on the background and the screen brightening with illumination. This is whenever the two shared light moments for example during their first date to IKEA, when playing the Panda game at the park, the karaoke scene at a bar, and when Tom first had sex with Summer. The screen enhancement and cinematic background music include some of the technological, artistic application in the film that make it more captivating and successfully brings out the characters' perceptions and feelings to the audience (Benjamin 9).

However, Tom also perceives Summer as insensitive expressed in the scene on day eleven where he explains to his friends that he had done everything to prove his love to Summer, but she seemed uninterested. It also comes out in a scene when he explains to his young sister Rachel that as they hang out on a cafe, Summer suggested that they should stop seeing each other but remain friends but he angrily stormed out of the cafe. Tom also perceived Summer as indecisive in matters of love. It gets support by the fact that despite Summer making it clear that she was not ready to be committed in a relationship, asking Tom to stop seeing her, and quitting her job to keep distance; he attends Summer's party with the hope that she would change her mind and commit to their relationship. His love for Summer had blinded him to the extent of ignoring the reality that surrounded him pointing to the fact Summer was never meant to be his lifetime lover and making unrealistic assumption that he might change her mind. However, not all human assumption about objective facts accord with the reality (Berger 11).

Summer Perceptions about Tom

Summer perceived Tom as friendly. Although she did not want to be committed in a relationship with him, she tried to keep their friendship alive. On the third day, Summer outrightly told Tom that she was not ready to commit to any relationship with him but continues to show intimacy to him. For example, she kissed him passionately at the copy room at work. On day 290, Tom explains to her sister that as they hanged out on a cafe, Summer casually told him that they were to stop seeing each other but insisted on keeping the friendship going. It shows that although she did not want a committed relationship, she wanted to keep her friendship with Tom due to his friendly character.

Summer also perceived Tom as a fantasist when it came to issues with love and romance. During the karaoke night, as the two discussed matters about love, Summer disagreed with Tom about his belief in true love. Summer notes that she did not believe in such a thing as true love citing her past relationships that did not work, and also gave an example of her parents' divorce. It seems that her past experiences and beliefs about love shaped her assumptions that there is nothing like true love (Berger 10).

Towards the end of the film on day 488, Summer discloses that she was happy to have found and married her soulmate and that Tom was right all along about the existence of true love. It shows that Summer perceived Tom as realistic in matters of love and romance at last. However, she expresses another perception she held about Tom when she said that she was not sure of love with Tom. It shows that she had the perception that Tom was only emotional about their relationship.

Works Cited

Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." Marxists Internet

Archive, 2005, www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm.

Berger, John. Ways of seeing. Vol. 1. Penguin UK, 2008.

Marc, Webb. "500 Days of Summer, 2009." YouTube, Dyre Nook, 21 Nov. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVg4nleATWU.