Belonging

The use of motifs and mataphor in Percy Adlon’s Bagdad Café
Motifs and metaphor are two elements normally used in films. A motif is a recurring object, subject or theme that raises certainimportance in the film. A metaphor, on its side, is a symbolic comparison of two concepts used to establish an idea. Percy Adlon’s Bagdad Café uses both motifs and metaphors in the film: a yellow thermos, aboomerang, a magic set and even paintings. These motifs and metaphors all work together as an essential element in the development of the narrative of Bagdad Café.
The use of motifs in Bagdad Caféwork as a reflection of the development of its characters. For instance, the Münchgstettner’s thermos symbolizes the development of Jasmine's character. Firstly, the thermos is seen in the car withthe couple, later it is picked up by Sal, Brenda's husband, and so it makes its way to the Bagdad Café. Correspondingly, Jasmine starts her trip from the same place where the thermos was, walks alongthe same highway and makes her way into the Bagdad Café. Even later in the film, when Jasmine comes back from Europe, the thermos is shown again at the Café prior to her arrival, as if it wassymbolically announcing Jasmine’s return.
Another important motif in the film, is Eric’s boomerang. The round movement of the boomerang symbolizes the development of the main characters; the roundcharacters. To better illustrate this concept, one can look at Barsam and Monahan’s definition of round characters as those who are “complex and three-dimensional” (134). Therefore, the boomerang works as anelement to depict the roundness of these characters as they evolve and change throughtout the film. Subsequently, the boomerang also represents a balance among these characters. In the first sceneswhen the boomerang is thrown in the air, Eric is always able to catch it. However, when Jasmine is gone, for the first time the boomerang hits the water tank and falls; thus, representing the...