Jeffrey Shelton
C LIT 303
1/23/03

Show Boat

The first and foremost noteworthy aspect of Show Boat is the progression of time within the film. The film creates a disorienting time structure as there is no adherence to a singular time sequence and pattern. It is often in the film that time will progress at normal pace then suddenly without notice, a scene may involves a years time pass by. This is most notable in the films conclusion involving both the progression of Magnolia and Ravenal’s deteriorating relationship and the growth of Kim. Before Magnolia and Ravenal departed the ship, time seemed to move at a slower pace and once departed, time was disorienting as a few minutes of cinematic time represented many years within the storyline. The progression of time drew so much attention to itself that it was more noticeable than the story being told. Another notable aspect of Show Boat was the difference between the films beginning and conclusion in terms of genre. The films beginning seemed to be patterned around the notion that music fueled the storyline instead of music being a byproduct of the storyline. Characters started to sing without any significant turning point or experience happening to their character. This beginning can be categorized as a typical representation of the fluff musical in which the film functioned around the films music rather than its storyline and experiences. In this case film was merely a mode of transportation for the music being