The medium of film has no limits, it showcases captivating characters, captivating stories and is able to manipulate the emotions of the audience towards a specific theme explored, to the point that we as audiences are aware of the manipulation in the film. This is seen in Marc Forster's "Stranger Than Fiction", where he incorporates cinematic language and techniques into the film to engage and manipulate the audience's emotions towards the key theme of destiny or free will. In the opening scene, we are presented with a "story of a man named Harold Crick and his wristwatch", through narration, confirming that the protagonist, Harold, is within a narrative, unknowingly part of a chain of events, thus establishing its character as a symbol of destiny. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The motif of duty and routine, symbolized by Harold's wristwatch, is introduced through a close-up, with the watch resting on Harold's bedside table. “Every day of the week, for twelve years, Harold brushed thirty-two teeth, seventy-six times,” conveys Harold's life as governed by routine and manipulates us as the audience into feeling sympathy towards his character. The depiction of a peaceful life through the importance of numbers is conveyed through an over the shoulder shot, where we see that he is flipping through a magazine about calculators, and the use of digital and mathematical imagery showing patterns, mathematics, ratios etc . shows Harold's thought process and manipulates the audience into feeling despondent about his life being governed by numbers, routine, and fate. Ultimately, it is revealed that Harold “lives a life of solitude. He came home alone, ate alone, and every evening at eleven thirty sharp Harold went to bed alone. This again manipulates the audience into feeling sympathy for Harold, having been presented as a symbol of destiny with no real purpose in life beyond his job, numbers and routine. The opposite of Harold, and of destiny, is introduced in the next scene as Ana Pascal. , who is presented as a symbol of free will through her charitable and independent nature, being socially aware and, above all, her occupation as a baker, with her sweets and biscuits being a symbol of love. In her introduction, she is audited by Harold, failing to pay her taxes due to personal beliefs, and immediately both characters are portrayed as opposites. His aggressive nature towards Harold is shown through his angry cry, "Taxman", showing his disgust towards the government and hierarchy. His rebellious views towards taxes and the amount spent on military spending are clear when he states: “I did not steal from the government; It's just that I haven't paid you at all." Harold argues that he can't "not pay his taxes," but Ana simply replies, "Yes, I can." Her views are expressed most powerfully when Harold asks her if she belongs of an anarchist group, and she asks: “Do anarchists have a group? Wouldn't that completely defeat the purpose? of Ana. Forster's characterization of Ana immediately manipulates the audience into becoming attached to her due to her independent, fun and friendly personality, while being able to connect with the general audience regarding her social views, and manipulates. the public to support free will After.