Panning across a sea of people, the CNN camera focuses for a moment on one individual: a young black girl holding a camera attentively in her hands. However, this little girl is not just anyone. The 44th President of the United States of America’s daughter is whom the world is now transfixed on. This is sense of family being the focus, I feel, is a metaphor of Barack Obama’s Presidency. An individual that has been from the bottom up has finally brought the need for community into the light.
The humanity shown in this Inauguration has given the U.S. a sigh of relief. Tension seems to be lifted off the shoulders of many people as Barack speaks forthright and proudly. As Barack continues to deliver his speech, the camera reminds us of the vast amounts of people that have come to gather at this time. Interviews after the event reveal that not only are Americans part of this crowd, but people from Africa and other countries have come to congratulate us as free citizens. This heart-warming occasion is not only a symbol of family, but also of the fact that as Americans we can move forward.
Overall, a feeling of security and a feeling of renewal came from President Obama’s speech. His love of our nation is strong and his face is refreshing. A man of different color, heart, and disposition has long since been overdue for the White House.
While the camera continued to pan across the crowd, one color seemed to vibrate throughout: red. Hats, scarves, and jackets on many people were all the same red that seemed to meld together as one. This unity in dress also merged into the brilliant other colors that the other countries had brought with them. I feel the cameraman’s authority began to show through when focusing on individuals in the crowd. John Berger, the author of the article “Ways of Seeing,” states that in “…film the way one image follows another, their succession, constructs an argument which becomes irreversible.” CNN’s goal is to state the fact that all individuals are welcome now that Obama has become our President. Our vision is seduced by this sensation of unity is coming and that the struggle for change has finally arrived.
One of the other visually intriguing moments was the spotlight on the Obama pins that were worn throughout the crowd. These pins are not simply colored in black and white, but in red, white and blue. This patriotism is a new marker because it not a white man that is wearing these colors, but a man of color himself. These simple pins capture the acceptance of our new President’s individuality and how he stands out from any previous President.
Finally, the one aspect that the cameraman continuously brings to our attention is the vastness of people from not only Washington, DC, but from all over the United States. As the scene is cut from Washington, DC to New York, you see the streets filled with joyous people gathering to see Obama. The camera also cut to people sitting closely together in a room in Pennsylvania. The shot of this room does not end until a black woman sitting in the center of the camera’s view gives a grateful smile and wave. The end shot after all of these snippets is always a grand sweep up the nation’s capitol, through the crowds, and back to President Obama. You cannot have any more a sense of grandness other than to be this man’s daughter, in the front row, videotaping her father.
