STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: FILM “Steve Jobs”

Who knew you could get so much conflict and tension just from a computer not functioning properly. The secret is through the characters and how they react to it.

Directed by Danny Boyle, written by Aaron Sorkin, and based on the biography by Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs is the story about the man and the people around him during three important product launches, each of these events play out in real time.

In each act, Jobs aims to have his product become successful. Before he is called to speak on stage, backstage he has to deal with his ex-girlfriend and her daughter, whom he keeps denying she’s his, a colleague wanting him to acknowledge him and his team, which he keeps denying, and being at odds within his own company.

If a screenplay refers to the document that filmmakers use to make a film, than this film is the literal definition of a screen play. To watch the film is like watching a play, so be prepared for a lot of character drama. Luckily, this is Sorkin, so it’s not going to be boring.

Every character is practically as smart as each other in terms of wit and comebacks. When it comes to arguments that Jobs has with characters, it’s like an epic dialogue battle; you WANT to pay attention to see how far they will go to prove how right they are, and how the other is really the one at fault.

The visual aesthetic is also appropriate to properly feel like you’re in that time period. Each of the film’s acts is shot using different kinds of cameras: 1984 uses 16mm film, 1988 uses 35 mm film, and 1998 uses digital cameras.

I don’t want to leave out director Danny Boyle’s contribution to the film, as he delivers as much of his skill to the screen as he can. The individual shots are visually distinct, and the use of flashbacks are placed strategically so we understand what characters are talking about when they are arguing in the present.

I was aware of the film because it was the latest Aaron Sorkin work at the time. I didn’t know what to expect, but since I wanted to see more of his work, I went and still saw it. When I came out, I slowly realized it was going to become one of my favorite and most influential films in my craft.

Steve Jobs is a film theater people would love, and probably alienate most movie goers. However, out of all of the modern Sorkin films, this film is where everything Sorkin is known for is front and center, and it is compelling.