Through A Blue Lens Analysis

Improved Essays
The documentary ‘Through a Blue Lens’, directed by Veronica Mannix, focuses on homeless addicts in downtown Vancouver, Canada. A group of policemen nicknaming themselves the ‘Odd Squad’ endeavour to show the youth of today the reality of drug addiction by covering several interviews from behind the camera. They utilise camera angles, an effective cast of characters and drastic comparisons to [successfully manipulate the audience into thinking -- and discard their stereotypes of addicts, as well as convince the viewers that drugs are easy to get addicted to.] support their point.

There are several key characters in the film however the one that stands out is Nicole.
By showing the before and after footage of addicts such as ---- and ----,
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Furthermore, they incorporate the tragic backstory of Nicole, who was encouraged to take her first heroin shot by a 39 year-old when she was just 15. By including this story, it forces the audience to sympathise with the character. It shows us that not all addicts were addicts by choice – and just how easy it is to fall prey to these unseeming vicious pills. In the documentary, the policemen are portrayed as ‘friendly neighbourhood characters’, as they hardly raise their voices and are shown greeting people casually while patrolling the streets. It even goes as far as to giving a nickname to one of the addicts, Nicola, as they are caught calling her ‘Nicky’ at one stage.

However, not all stories end with a happy ending. For example, Nicole was last seen hobbling across the street after apparently ‘running into a pole’. She was shown with horrible gashes and bruises on her body as well as her face. They allude to the fact that they didn’t manage to bring her to rehab after all.
The original purpose of the film was to educate young adults about drug
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As a result, the audience is properly able to view the emotions and sincerity of the words the victim is saying when being interviewed. In a particular scene, the interview with Shannon towards the end, she is shown shedding a tear when remembering the harsh reality of her brutal past. After showing a tear or two, it zooms out to show the hand placed on her shoulder to comfort her – the policeman’s hand. Throughout the documentary, the producer, Veronica Mannix, employs the use of camera angles effectively to show the viewers the horrible state the addicts live in. When interviewing while the policemen are treating Nicole to a breakfast, they use a long shot to capture the entirety of the scene. However, when it’s raining and Nicole is clearly unwelcoming the company, they view her from the top. This also reflects the dim

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