“You've never had control. That´s the illusion”. Mimesis of world and catharsis in Jurassic Park

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Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the cinematic narrative and form of Jurassic Park (Spielberg, 1993), in order to identify its textual topic or central thematic concern. For this a mixed methodology was used, incorporating tools from film analysis into the hermeneutics of poetic possible worlds. First, the article demonstrates how the film’s initial four narrative blocks replicate its overall premise on a smaller scale, adapting the central idea to different circumstances. In each case, an external agent intrudes into a system of possibilities, marked by connotations of the unnatural, threatening to destroy that "world." Second, the article outlines the fundamental character traits of those responsible for these unnatural intrusions and how the film portrays the character’s cathartic journey. The one who introduces an improper possibility into the system disastrously attempts to emulate a divine creator, manipulating their reality and suppressing dissenting voices. At the same time, this character type is symbolically represented with the worst attributes of childhood: immaturity, irresponsibility, selfishness, and cowardice. The most eloquent image of the purification of this illusion of control is found in the mirrored shot pairs, which initially depict a certain version of reality, only to reveal, in the film’s final stretch, the hidden truth behind Hammond’s delusional pretensions.