Aestheticians have long discussed a special type of artistic experience distinct from the ordinary everyday existence: aesthetic experience. Although the aesthetic experience is most often associated with one's response to art, it may also be purposefully engineered. This may often be seen directly in the specific name carried by an artwork piece such as Michelangelo's 'David' or Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus'. In the world of film, there are several distinctive factors that help to create film aesthetic such as music, costumes and even the film's name. For this assignment, three films have been chosen and examined for how their title relates the meaning of the film and more specifically, the overall aesthetic impression of the film.
The first film chosen for this discussion was that of Midnight Cowboy (1969). This film follows the narrative of a Texas hustler as he leaves behind his life in Texas with its bad memories, to head for New York City where his goal is to become a monetarily successful hustler.
First of all, the title implies a cowboy. While he may have figuratively been seen as a cowboy, a man unconnected and seeking employment within the bounds of any barn that will have him, he is also a literal cowboy. The character was raised in Texas. While living with his grandmother who abused him physically, sexually and emotionally, he utilized a cowboy fantasy to escape. This fantasy was further emphasized by his grandmother's pet nickname for him (Lil cowboy) and her leaving him alone to seek solace within the westerns he loved on television.
The use of the word 'midnight' is also a time metaphor. As a cowboy, he rides the trail at midnight or rather during the night. He is constantly riding to tame the mustangs and other fillies he comes into contact with. A cowboy may ride the horse, but the tie between a horse and a man is different than that of a man and a woman. The Midnight Cowboy can never allow hims...