Media Theory Analysis of 'Pain & Gain' Opening.

By Zack Christodoulou

Equilibrium and Disequilibrium.

At the beginning of the film there is already a disruption of what seems to be the equilibrium. Mark Wahlberg’s character Daniel Lugo was training on top of the roof top then he suddenly hears police sirens and is startled and has to run off. Todorov’s theory has five stages:

▪ 1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)▪ 2. A disruption of that order by an event.▪ 3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.▪ 4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.▪ 5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium

The film, in some ways, challenges Todorov’s theory at the beginning of the film, showing a flashback of what is happening. The film is already in the process of stage four in Todorov’s theory, showing Daniel Lugo running away in an attempt to repair the situation he is faced with.

However, the film falls into Todorov’s theory after that point. This is because it cuts back to Daniel Lugo training in what seems like him enjoying his normal routine. Then the disruption occurs which are the police and the SWAT team coming in after him. This adheres to Todorov’s theory because thereafter the film develops according to the other stages of the theory, until the resolution where a new state of equilibrium is established.

Binary Opposition.Levi Strauss’ binary opposition theory was that films would usually show some kind of contrast between two polar opposites, such as good versus evil in the movie. This theory is usually present at any time during a movie. Although binary opposition is a common method of developing meaning, and informing the audience, the movie Pain & Gain challenges this theory. During the opening Daniel Lugo is working out and you would assume he would be the protagonist of the movie. However, as soon as he hears and sees the police show up he begins to run away. This makes the viewer wonder who is the antagonist in opening of the film. Pain & Gain, effectively, challenges Levi Strauss’ theory because the lines of demarcation between the character binary oppositions is blurred and less obvious. Binary opposition is often much simpler to recognise in a movie; for example, Harry Potter versus Voldemort is a very generic example of binary opposition (of young versus old, good versus evil, kind versus cruel, etc.). However, there are some instances where the binary oppositions do exist such as through their clothing. Daniel Lugo is in light colours and police are in darker colours which could mean that the police are ‘Evil’ and Wahlberg is ‘Good’.

Hermeneutic and Proairetic code.

Pain & Gain uses Roland Barthes’ theory of the hermeneutic code in his film straight away. The story has started with Daniel Lugo working out on a roof top which seems plausible as the film is called Pain & Gain. The hermeneutic code creates a sense of mystery in the viewer when he starts running away as soon as he hears the police sirens. This makes us wonder what is missing from the story already, and builds up suspense about the narrative.

Also, the proairetic code is used during the opening of the movie. The chase of Daniel Lugo builds tension in the film particularly as he has an athletic physique and is trying to escape from police men who are wearing SWAT gear and are holding heavy armoury. The juxtaposition of these two codes makes us feel that he is in danger but has the potential to escape the situation generating a tense atmosphere.

Primary and Secondary audiences.

The primary audience to this film would be people interested in training and exercise, which the title “Pain & Gain” suggests . The actors in the film, Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie, have all trained for this film so they could show off their physical appearance. This is important when bringing in all types of people that love training themselves.

The secondary audience could be people who are in relationships with the person interested in the film. They might be friends or partners. The film also caters to these people, as there is a general undertone of comedy to it which will appeal to anybody who may not necessarily want see a body building or action film.

Additionally, this film is based on a true story and may bring another type of primary audience: people who are interested in the aspirations and motivations of real life people.

Uses and Gratifications.

Katz and Blumler explain that audiences watch films for various reasons:1. To be entertained2. To learn and gain knowledge for information)3. Personal identity4. Social interaction

Pain & Gain achieves its goal of being “useful” and “gratifying” in several ways. Firstly, it provides information about the real lives of the protagonists, which gives the audience knowledge about their icons. Some people could also relate to the film, seeing their own identity in the characters, as they themselves workout (for example, when Daniel Lugo is training on the roof top). Finally, the film clearly intends to be entertaining to watch – there is action and drama, such as fights scenes and kidnappings.