What's with the football scene in Mamet's Oleanna?

July 12, 2006 10:12 PM

At the very end of the movie version of Oleanna there is a curious scene which seems to bear no relation to the story at all: Two men, presumably students, play American football in front of the college building. Why did Mamet include this scene in the movie?

I know a bit about Mamet and I understand he doesn't believe in superfluous images. It doesn't seem like just a throwaway shot, because of its placement as the final scene of the film, and the fact that it's actually three shots (long shot of both players, close up of a player catching the ball, back to the long shot).

Any theories about why he would include this or what it might mean?

posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

He could be reflecting symmetry. Doesn't the film open with similar shots? They weren't strictly necessary in either case; he could have established the setting at a college without them, by using interior shots or simply allowing the early dialogue to provide clues. I guess my point is that if you're referring to some of his comments to students in On Directing Film about what's necessary and what's not and "what happens next," I'd reply that yes, his films usually do follow the rules he described to those students — but he follows them in spirit, not necessarily in letter.

You might consider what the film would be without those shots. The final moments between Macy and Eisenstadt are incredibly charged. Ending the film at that moment, I think, would have felt like stepping off a treadmill that's running at full speed. You would need to take a beat and slow down, to cool off, and I think maybe that's what he was doing.

I suppose you could analyze the scene in terms of the way the film deals with power, but I don't find that sort of lit crit mumbo jumbo interesting. However, I'll offer the suggestion that if I were in your shoes and I were really interested in figuring out what Mamet might have meant, I'd probably write an e-mail to Professor Leslie Kane, who has published extensive analyses of Mamet's work. She might have an insightful reply. (If you do and she does, please share it here.)
posted by cribcage at 11:37 PM on July 12, 2006

Isn't he sort of slyly making a comparison between Macy and Eisenstadt's situation and "games"? Is the central argument a "game"? Does it have strict rules, like football? Is it more serious? Less serious? You get the idea.
posted by maxreax at 12:30 AM on July 13, 2006

Question asked, though not necessarily definitively answered, here
posted by pardonyou? at 7:56 AM on July 13, 2006

Both answers above seem sensible to me - as well as the nature of football as a sublimation ritual, by which urge to which Macy's character gives in at the end of the story is channeled into harmless physical contact. (Then again apparently 'harmless contact' is what he gets done for.)

Another possible translation: 'This is what the beloved vision of American higher education has ossified and turned into.' The film's pretty scalding toward the American professor archetype, and it might be an ironic final dig. 'Look at what you've let yourselves become.' All those poor lads want to do is have a nice time playing football. (Hardly innocent in Mamet's eyes, of course.)
posted by waxbanks at 9:01 AM on July 13, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks, guys. Some interesting ideas. I believe I will try to email Professor Leslie Kane; if I hear from her, I'll post it here.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 6:04 PM on July 13, 2006