In death we are only alive inasmuch as we are remembered. The identity we leave with people is created through interactions with others and how we have been viewed and judged; that identity does not consist of who we believe ourselves to have been, but, instead, is subject to another human’s perception. Likewise, “American Shot” asks individuals to reflect on how they view others, how they create identities for fictional characters. Film allows a moment in time to be captured, reviewed and reinterpreted. An outsider does not know if the actors in film are alive or dead, they exist within a finite moment and the identity they inhabit in that moment is everlasting in the mind of a viewer. Stefanescu writes that “cinematic images are much more like ghosts than still photos.”
Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death, stated that by putting one’s image ‘out there’ one’s existence is validated. What does it mean to be valid? Or, does the presence of technology, such as video, aid in buffering us from the reality that life inevitably leads to death? Perhaps our existence after death is merely a result of technology. Instead of relying only on others to continue our legacy by nostalgically recalling their personal experiences, we as individuals can create and mold a lasting impression of ourselves using technological devices. We create images and personas that represent who we are that have the ability to endure our mortal bodies. As users of technology, we decide what pictures to upload on Facebook, we choose what to wear when we’re filmed, we create online personalities that display our likes and dislikes, we write our opinions, and we format everything to better convey our overall character. Yet, “American Shot” takes away this element of control; we are caught off-guard, unprepared for film; we are given no time to create change in ourselves, but are seen as we are and feel naked. The rhetorical constructs of technology allow one to feel completely exposed, while at the same time, completely in control. The one control that viewers do possess in “American Shot” is control over their bodies; as viewers stand on the street, they have the option of walking away.
