The main historical film that i will be concentrating on throughout this study is 'Alien' which was released in 1979 and directed by Ridly Scott. It relates with my main text Domino as it also has a female protagonist in fact, Alien is the first film in history to give the role of the main protagonist to a female and in this case it is Sigourney Weaver. As Ellen Ripley in Alien, Weaver has become the first female action hero. This shows that even though Ripley is tender with a cat or a child, she is still capable of being aggerresive and tough while destroying monsters and alien.
There are lots of similarities between Domino and Alien as both the characters of Domino Harvey and Elen Ripley share similar charactersitcs. Both protagonists share the same powerful, manly, violent characterstics as they fight their way through life however, we can still see a sensitive side in them. we can also see in the mese en scene of both films the fact that they are constantly being surrounded by men which implies the male dominant society that we live in. Furthermore, both Knightly and Weaver are very attractive which implies that even though they are breaking lots of female steorotypes, they are still part of a male gaze which Laura Mulvie talks about. However even though we are living in a male patriarchal society, we can see the improvments made in gender equalities as for the first time ever, we see a female protagonist in Alien which suggests that the second wave of feminism which took place in the 1970s made a great impact on peoples lives. Since Alien, there has been lots of films that feature female protagonists for instance Erin Brokavich where the lives of a small town were put on Julia Roberts shoulders. This emphasises the fact that women are becoming slowly, yet effeciently more equal to men in society and most importantly in the media.
However, even though Knightly n Weaver are both very similar at times, their charters are also quite different as in Domino, Domino Harvey is seen as a psychologically disturbed girl with 'daddy issues' where as on the otherhand, Riply is seen to be agrresive towards the aliens yet very tender and nurturing at times. we can also see that
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Monday, 15 December 2008
GENDER IN ADVERTISING
Gunter (1995)is a theorist who talks about women and how rare they are in paid work during the 1970s. Even when they were they were still portrayed in a very traditional stereotypical manner in female roles for instance as a secetary or a hairdresser. He also highlights the fact that even though women's portrayal as 'housewives' was declineing since the 1950s, this stereotype was still very common during the 1960s and 1970s. This argument by Gunter was once proven right from strong eveidence found in the early 1970 which argued that these stereotypes were still around. Findings from a research highlighted that of all adverts featuring women, 3/4 of them were for domestic products such as for the kitchen or the bathroom.
Cumberbatch (1995) is also another theorist who instead of focusing on the typical stereotypes of women being shown in adverts, he done a study on 500 prime-time tv adverts in the UK and found out that nowadays advertisers are becoming more wary of representing women as housewives and doing housework (which was seen in 7 per cent of the adverts). He also implies that men are now seen more often than ever cooking which also suggests that the 'new man' is taking over. However, Cumberbatch argues that even though there is some equality shown between men and women in society, not much has changed as men were twice as likely to be in a paid employment than women.
Scheibe (1979) is another theorist who similarly talks about how different genders are illistrated in advertisements. Scheibe emphasises the difference between the representaions of men and women in television advertisments as women are always being represented as clean and obsessed with beauty family and pleasing others. On the other hand, men are more intrested in achievemtns and having fun.
Macdonald (1995) notes that 'Advertisers generally lagged begind womens magazines in the cultivation of new modes of adress, even when the evidence suggested that commercial advantages could be gained from modernising their approach'. Macdonald underlines the fact that advertisers did not want to potray the new modern idea of women in the adverts instead advertisers followed womens stereotypes.
Greer (1999) reveals in his study that unlike in the 1960s when it was ok for women to be only beautiful however, in todays society, women are expected to be skinny, with a nice body, 'tight, toned body, including her buttocks and thighs,'. Greer implied that women are now 'inficted' with the need to conform the certain imges of beauty. It also highlights laura Mulveys male gaze where women are treated as sex objects to please the male target audience.
Walter (1998) is a feminist who refuses to see fashion and beauty advertising as a conspiracy to keep women down. Walter also argues thatmore attractive people do better and earn more than their plain collegues from a study found in 1993 but the difference was larger and more significant for men than for women.
Cortese (1999) asserts that 'Ad deconstruction reveals a pattern of symbolic and institutionalised sexism'. Cortese argues that women have no place in the media as it is dominated by males and that they would always be seen as sex objects in advertisments. one the less, Cortese still argues that women are being portrayed as more sexy than they actually are from editing etc.
Cumberbatch (1995) is also another theorist who instead of focusing on the typical stereotypes of women being shown in adverts, he done a study on 500 prime-time tv adverts in the UK and found out that nowadays advertisers are becoming more wary of representing women as housewives and doing housework (which was seen in 7 per cent of the adverts). He also implies that men are now seen more often than ever cooking which also suggests that the 'new man' is taking over. However, Cumberbatch argues that even though there is some equality shown between men and women in society, not much has changed as men were twice as likely to be in a paid employment than women.
Scheibe (1979) is another theorist who similarly talks about how different genders are illistrated in advertisements. Scheibe emphasises the difference between the representaions of men and women in television advertisments as women are always being represented as clean and obsessed with beauty family and pleasing others. On the other hand, men are more intrested in achievemtns and having fun.
Macdonald (1995) notes that 'Advertisers generally lagged begind womens magazines in the cultivation of new modes of adress, even when the evidence suggested that commercial advantages could be gained from modernising their approach'. Macdonald underlines the fact that advertisers did not want to potray the new modern idea of women in the adverts instead advertisers followed womens stereotypes.
Greer (1999) reveals in his study that unlike in the 1960s when it was ok for women to be only beautiful however, in todays society, women are expected to be skinny, with a nice body, 'tight, toned body, including her buttocks and thighs,'. Greer implied that women are now 'inficted' with the need to conform the certain imges of beauty. It also highlights laura Mulveys male gaze where women are treated as sex objects to please the male target audience.
Walter (1998) is a feminist who refuses to see fashion and beauty advertising as a conspiracy to keep women down. Walter also argues thatmore attractive people do better and earn more than their plain collegues from a study found in 1993 but the difference was larger and more significant for men than for women.
Cortese (1999) asserts that 'Ad deconstruction reveals a pattern of symbolic and institutionalised sexism'. Cortese argues that women have no place in the media as it is dominated by males and that they would always be seen as sex objects in advertisments. one the less, Cortese still argues that women are being portrayed as more sexy than they actually are from editing etc.
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Fresh Up advert
This advert also emphasise the female gaze as we see that the man's main role is to attract the appeal of the female target audience with his body. This could highlight the change in society as now men are doing the job of the women as the new man is becoming more and more normal in society. These three adevrts and espechially this one underline this as the man in this advert is portrayed as a sex object and we can see that from his promescious actions.
Sexy Coke advert
this advert also portrays the female gaze just like the other Diet Coke advert as it shows the man half naked with a 'sexy' in order to appeal to the female target audience which subverts typical conventions as traditionaly, the women is doin the appealing and the man is supose to enjoys. On the other hand unlike the previous advert which showed old ugly women in the mese en scene, this advert had a very attractive women who was acting very promesquisly which can imply that the typical stereotypes and representaions of women still occur in society.
Diet Coke advert
This Diet Coke advert portrays the change in the roles of men and women in todays society as normally, we come acroos the male gaze (Laura Mulvey)where women are dressed promescuisly to attract and appeal top the male target audience. However, in this advert, it is the man who is taking his clothes and showing his promescious characteristics and this introduces the female gaze where men have the job of appeal to a female target audience in a sexual manner. We can also see from this advert that men in todays society are becoming more feminine as they worry about their appearance and this implied from the product because Diet Coke is sugar free therefore they will not get fat.
Flake advert
Unlike the other two adverts, this Flake chocolate bar advert portrays a different women as she is not seen inside a house like the women in the Flash advert, instead she is outside in the country independant and confident. This portrayal of women has only come around after the second wave of feminsm where women are becoming more and more equal to men in society. This advert proves David Gauntlett's argument that womens's expectations and their roles in society will continue to change.
Flash advert
This advert is very similar to the Shake and Vac advert as it underlines the roles of women being domestic. We can see from this advert that women will never be equal to men as they are trapped in the house cleaning and trying to make the house as perfect as possible for the hardworking bread winner to come back. We can also see that women are the 'second sex' from this advert as the number of high angle shots shown in the mese en scene emphasise the fact that women are inferior to men and that they are at the bottom half of the heirachy. This could link with women's lack of self-belief which 'polly leys' talks about in the 'why are women directors such a rare sight' handout.
Shake and Vac advert
the representation of women in this advert are very typical and traditional as they are portrayed as housewives. We see the women taking care of the house and cleaning it wearing an apron, which shows women's place in society is domestic and in the home. This advert highlights life in the 20th century where a womens role was to take care of the children, clean the house and please her husband. However, today women's roles have completly changed as they are more likely to have careers and be educated. This links with David Gauntlett's theory as he argues that gender roles today are more complex as reflected in the media.
5 reasons why women directors are such a rare sight.
- Film is male dominant. the whole business is constructed so there are jsut men at every level.
- Work is hard for women as they have children to take care of.
- Female psyche: women have no self-belief
- women are not as creative as men
- because of gender issues about control and autherity
- Work is hard for women as they have children to take care of.
- Female psyche: women have no self-belief
- women are not as creative as men
- because of gender issues about control and autherity
1990s
Junior is a film by Ivan Reitman which was mad ein 1994 and it underlines the 'new man'. This film expresses the fact that men today have changed as they have similar charactistics as women as Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a pregnant man.
1980s
This is a clip from Scarface and it portrayes the return of male dominance in the media after the second wave of feminism as it conveys typical conventions of a patriarchal film as it highlights the power of men and the control they have over women.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
1970s
This is a clip from the famous 'Alien'. This film was released in the late 1970s which was right in the middle of the second wave of feminism. Alien was the first action film where the leading role is taken by a female. this also links with my study as my texts has Keira Knightly as the leading proagonist.
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
1960s
This film which was made in the 1960s (1962) shows that despite the fact that the 1960s was the era of sexual revoloutions, women are stilled represented as the second sex and playing the passive role. They are still less assertive and intelligent than men even after their moving up the ranks in gender equality.
1950s
High Moon is a film that was released during the 1950s and it portrays men as the dominant and confident sex as they play the main lead roles where as the women are just there to be rescued
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Representation of women today
Between 1992-93 men took over speaking roles in television as the statistics show that 61% of speaking roles were dominated by men where as women only had 37% of speaking roles. Instead of reversing, in 1995-1996 the statistics increase for the men as they had 63% of speaking roles.
In the 1970s, women's main occupation was seen to be housewives however, in 1992-1993 only 3 percent of women were represented as housewives which shows the difference in society and how it changed over the years. This could also link to the fact that womens priorities have changed from the past as they are more into their careers andeducation.
Maggie humm talk about films and how they either have women represented as 'good mothers' or 'bad hystorical careerists' which links to the fact that women can either be 'moddonas' or 'whores', they can't be both. These stereotypes degrade women as they cannot be modest yet sexual but men can which shows inequalities in gender.
In the 1970s, women's main occupation was seen to be housewives however, in 1992-1993 only 3 percent of women were represented as housewives which shows the difference in society and how it changed over the years. This could also link to the fact that womens priorities have changed from the past as they are more into their careers andeducation.
Maggie humm talk about films and how they either have women represented as 'good mothers' or 'bad hystorical careerists' which links to the fact that women can either be 'moddonas' or 'whores', they can't be both. These stereotypes degrade women as they cannot be modest yet sexual but men can which shows inequalities in gender.
Monday, 1 December 2008
Summary of the representation of gender in the past!
Gunter and Elasmer et al both talk about the prevelance of women and men in significant speaking roles in tv shows. In the 1950s, 60s and 70s only 20 to 53 per cent of characters were females wich highlights the segregation in the media and how patriarchal society use to be. However, by the 1080s, much more women were in tv but the majority were still men which underlines the glass ceiling wich indicates the fact that no matter how much women achieve, they will never be equal to men even if they can see what they can achieve.
Miles found that even though in the 1970s men and womens roles were nearly the equal in comedies, the potrayal of the women were very traditionaly sexist. Nonetheless in 1987, women were found to be the most common sex in comedies however men took over dramas as the statistics show women being outnumbered two to one. Gunter emphasises that in the 1970s shows about parenthood, marriage and domesticity are more important to women more than men.
Women and mens roles in movies were very similar to the roles they had in tv shows where men make most of the descisions, this is shown in the 1950s in the 'high noon' where men were asertive, confident and dominant. Women were most likely to be shown as frightened in films and the male charachters are the ones protecting them, offering love and support.
Miles found that even though in the 1970s men and womens roles were nearly the equal in comedies, the potrayal of the women were very traditionaly sexist. Nonetheless in 1987, women were found to be the most common sex in comedies however men took over dramas as the statistics show women being outnumbered two to one. Gunter emphasises that in the 1970s shows about parenthood, marriage and domesticity are more important to women more than men.
Women and mens roles in movies were very similar to the roles they had in tv shows where men make most of the descisions, this is shown in the 1950s in the 'high noon' where men were asertive, confident and dominant. Women were most likely to be shown as frightened in films and the male charachters are the ones protecting them, offering love and support.
Thursday, 20 November 2008
The hegermonic model or the pluralistic model?
Even though i believe in the false conscienceness theory and the fact that some audiences believe exactly what the media wants them to believe but that is only to some extent. In the 21st century, audiences are more active than and what makes it even harder for the media is that society is more diverse which means that they will have to appeal to different target audiences at the same time. Because of the consumer choice and the diverse in the media, the media will have to produce texts that will appeal to their paticular target audience or else they will not sell. I believe in the pluralistic theory as i do not believe that the hyperdermic needle theory is still in place as audiences today are more active and are not oppressed to believe what ever the media inforces.
5 key points i got from A grade essay
- " How are women represented in men's lifestyle magazines such as Loaded, FHM and Maxim? To what extent do these borrow from the conventions of Playboy and other pornographic titles?"
I really like the title as it forces the student to keep comparing men's magazines and pornographic companies such as Play which will make it easier for him because he can talk about the similarities and differences.
- " Nixon's comment refers to the growth in men's grooming products on the market due to manufacturers targeting a successful modern male audience who have a large disposable income."
This sentence shows SHEP as political issues are shown which proves why this is an A grade essay as it is very hard to talk abou the economical and political factors of SHEP.
- " Loaded and FHM both feature women on the front cover scantily dressed or even naked as their sales lure, a common convention followed by most pornographic publications."
I think this qoute from this essay is important as i think it is intresting. According to this essay, men magazine's sell purely because of the women in it which links with the male gaze as the men would by the magazine for their own pleasure from the women in the magazine.
- " It enhances the stereotype to men that women are only objects of their sexual desire, and should therefore conform to what they view as attractive. This relates to the 'hyperdermic needle' theory that audiences are 'passive' and are easily influenced by what they see and hear in the media, suggesting the media has a strong link with power."
These two sentences are prime examples of concept flow and how this essay includes more than one key concept and we can see this through out the essay which could be another reason why this essay got an A.
- " An identical ideology is also developed through the construction of Playboy's front cover that follows an identical set of codes that have been examined in Loaded."
In this essay the topic is constantly being referred to and this is one example of it. This is important as it makes sure that the essay does not lose focus on the topic which is a mistake I constantly do as I go too far off the subject and the title of the essay question.
I really like the title as it forces the student to keep comparing men's magazines and pornographic companies such as Play which will make it easier for him because he can talk about the similarities and differences.
- " Nixon's comment refers to the growth in men's grooming products on the market due to manufacturers targeting a successful modern male audience who have a large disposable income."
This sentence shows SHEP as political issues are shown which proves why this is an A grade essay as it is very hard to talk abou the economical and political factors of SHEP.
- " Loaded and FHM both feature women on the front cover scantily dressed or even naked as their sales lure, a common convention followed by most pornographic publications."
I think this qoute from this essay is important as i think it is intresting. According to this essay, men magazine's sell purely because of the women in it which links with the male gaze as the men would by the magazine for their own pleasure from the women in the magazine.
- " It enhances the stereotype to men that women are only objects of their sexual desire, and should therefore conform to what they view as attractive. This relates to the 'hyperdermic needle' theory that audiences are 'passive' and are easily influenced by what they see and hear in the media, suggesting the media has a strong link with power."
These two sentences are prime examples of concept flow and how this essay includes more than one key concept and we can see this through out the essay which could be another reason why this essay got an A.
- " An identical ideology is also developed through the construction of Playboy's front cover that follows an identical set of codes that have been examined in Loaded."
In this essay the topic is constantly being referred to and this is one example of it. This is important as it makes sure that the essay does not lose focus on the topic which is a mistake I constantly do as I go too far off the subject and the title of the essay question.
Monday, 17 November 2008
Analysing Domino Scene
This video of Keira Knightley and Lucy liu shows us exactly how media language can be used in certain ways to potray characters in completly different ways. The low angle shots used make the protagonist, Keira Knightley seem more powerful and God-like. Her masculity is also shown in this video as she has cuts all over her face with short blonde hair and smoking a cigerrette. Her masculity is also highlighted in this video as the close up shots emphasise her darkness as her characterstics are underlined because she is not smiling at all.
The close ups also give the target audience an insight of the amount of pain Keira Knightley has been through as the darkness around her eyes connote the suffering she has over seen. We can also see from the media language the fact that her hair is covering her face which could imply that she is hiding a different person behind her manifest self or maybe it can suggest that she is not very confident however, she is proven to be the oppositte as she is very confident in her script and is very calm.
We can see from this short video that the genre is action and thriller from all the blood and cuts in Keira Knightley's face.As the genre of this film is action we can imply that the target audience will be young males as they would be intrested in violence and blood. However this film could also appeal to females as it is based on a female protagonist which means that the young women can identify with Keira Knightley according to the uses and gratification theory bexause they might have had the same disturbing lifestyle. They can also watch this film as they would aspire to be powerful and independent just like Keira Knightley.
When talking about SHEP i can mention social issues such as smoking raised in this video. Also violence is raised in this video as we can the amount of violence Keira has witnessed in this film. Also, historical factors could be raised such as the fact that women's priorities have changed over the years as if this film was released in the 20th century, a female character will not be seen bruised up smoking a cigerrette and wearing revealing clothing, instead, Keira Knightley would be a housewife in the kitchen taking care of her children and her husband. However, this film shows how the male dominant society of the 20th century has faded away and now women have been more powerfull than they ever been before.
The close ups also give the target audience an insight of the amount of pain Keira Knightley has been through as the darkness around her eyes connote the suffering she has over seen. We can also see from the media language the fact that her hair is covering her face which could imply that she is hiding a different person behind her manifest self or maybe it can suggest that she is not very confident however, she is proven to be the oppositte as she is very confident in her script and is very calm.
We can see from this short video that the genre is action and thriller from all the blood and cuts in Keira Knightley's face.As the genre of this film is action we can imply that the target audience will be young males as they would be intrested in violence and blood. However this film could also appeal to females as it is based on a female protagonist which means that the young women can identify with Keira Knightley according to the uses and gratification theory bexause they might have had the same disturbing lifestyle. They can also watch this film as they would aspire to be powerful and independent just like Keira Knightley.
When talking about SHEP i can mention social issues such as smoking raised in this video. Also violence is raised in this video as we can the amount of violence Keira has witnessed in this film. Also, historical factors could be raised such as the fact that women's priorities have changed over the years as if this film was released in the 20th century, a female character will not be seen bruised up smoking a cigerrette and wearing revealing clothing, instead, Keira Knightley would be a housewife in the kitchen taking care of her children and her husband. However, this film shows how the male dominant society of the 20th century has faded away and now women have been more powerfull than they ever been before.
Monday, 3 November 2008
10 keywords and why they are important for my independent study
1- Laura Mulvey
Feminist academic and media and film critic, responsible for developing theory of the male gaze.
She is obviously one of the main people I am going to focus on in my study as I will be talking about the representation of woman and how not all women are there in the media to entertain males.
2- Hypodermic theory
Effects media texts have on audiences.
This will be used in my study as in the film I am studying, they women are challenging female stereotypes which could affect audiences and how they consume the text.
3- Hegemony
Total dominance achieved by the ruling elite in society.
Today, the ruling elite are arguably males which will mean male dominance in society is occurring. This is important as my study is basically about how women are normally kept in their place however in Domino; the protagonist is taking a masculine role.
4- Glass ceiling
I couldn’t find this in the pack nonetheless I have learnt this in my sociology class. It basically means that no matter how much women achieve in their life, they will still be under men. The glass ceiling comes from the fact that women can see what can be achieved but there is a glass ceiling stopping them from achieving this goal.
It is vital that I include this in my study as it shows that in today’s postmodern society, the only way women can get the power that men have is by taking a masculine role like Keira Knightly in Domino.
5- Oppositional reading
Reading of a media text that rejects the ideological positioning and apparent meaning intended by the producers of the text and substitutes a radical alternative.
This will be essential in my study as this film will get a lot of oppositional readings as it challenges nearly all women stereotypes.
6- Uses and gratification theory
An active audience theory that focuses on what people do with the media.
The audience could use this film as an escapism tool and will especially appeal to young rebellious women who can identify with the protagonist which is Keira Knightly.
7- Censorship
The practice, exercised by elite groups in society of monitoring and controlling media content by removing elements deemed offensive.
In Domino, there are lots of deleted scenes therefore including censorship in my study will come in handy.
8- Antonio Gramsci
An important source for the development of theories of ideology and the role of the media in reproducing dominant ideology. He also talks about hegemony.
As I explained before about the term hegemony, he discusses the fact that male dominance can affect how audiences consume media texts.
9- Hero
The principle male or female protagonist in any narrative, with whom the audience identifies with.
Keira Knightly is like a hero in the eyes of females as she challenged a male dominant society and did not fit awful stereotypes given to women.
10- Male gaze
Term used by Laura Mulvey to describe what she saw as the male point of view adopted by the camera for the benefit of an assumed male audience.
This could link with the ‘strip scene’ I am analysing as in that scene Keira Knightly appeals to the male audience as they are entertained by her sexual actions.
Feminist academic and media and film critic, responsible for developing theory of the male gaze.
She is obviously one of the main people I am going to focus on in my study as I will be talking about the representation of woman and how not all women are there in the media to entertain males.
2- Hypodermic theory
Effects media texts have on audiences.
This will be used in my study as in the film I am studying, they women are challenging female stereotypes which could affect audiences and how they consume the text.
3- Hegemony
Total dominance achieved by the ruling elite in society.
Today, the ruling elite are arguably males which will mean male dominance in society is occurring. This is important as my study is basically about how women are normally kept in their place however in Domino; the protagonist is taking a masculine role.
4- Glass ceiling
I couldn’t find this in the pack nonetheless I have learnt this in my sociology class. It basically means that no matter how much women achieve in their life, they will still be under men. The glass ceiling comes from the fact that women can see what can be achieved but there is a glass ceiling stopping them from achieving this goal.
It is vital that I include this in my study as it shows that in today’s postmodern society, the only way women can get the power that men have is by taking a masculine role like Keira Knightly in Domino.
5- Oppositional reading
Reading of a media text that rejects the ideological positioning and apparent meaning intended by the producers of the text and substitutes a radical alternative.
This will be essential in my study as this film will get a lot of oppositional readings as it challenges nearly all women stereotypes.
6- Uses and gratification theory
An active audience theory that focuses on what people do with the media.
The audience could use this film as an escapism tool and will especially appeal to young rebellious women who can identify with the protagonist which is Keira Knightly.
7- Censorship
The practice, exercised by elite groups in society of monitoring and controlling media content by removing elements deemed offensive.
In Domino, there are lots of deleted scenes therefore including censorship in my study will come in handy.
8- Antonio Gramsci
An important source for the development of theories of ideology and the role of the media in reproducing dominant ideology. He also talks about hegemony.
As I explained before about the term hegemony, he discusses the fact that male dominance can affect how audiences consume media texts.
9- Hero
The principle male or female protagonist in any narrative, with whom the audience identifies with.
Keira Knightly is like a hero in the eyes of females as she challenged a male dominant society and did not fit awful stereotypes given to women.
10- Male gaze
Term used by Laura Mulvey to describe what she saw as the male point of view adopted by the camera for the benefit of an assumed male audience.
This could link with the ‘strip scene’ I am analysing as in that scene Keira Knightly appeals to the male audience as they are entertained by her sexual actions.
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Book Research
I have pulled out a book from my local library about media studies by Ziauddin Sardar and Borin Van Loon and it has a section on representations of women. This section of the book is essential to my study as it underlines the fact that woman are always seen as 'objects of the male-gaze. This book also talks about the fact that women are constently stereotyped as 'bimbos' in the media. This tern 'biimbo' is seems to have very denigrating connotations in todays postmordern society we are living in. This book also identifies to us the characteristics of a 'bimbo'. She must be blonde with flashy make-up,large breasts, a mini skirt and high heels. She is also meant to be promiscuous stupid and uneducated.
The section of the book carries on to talk about the fact that there are two types of women and that a female can only fit one catogary. There is the pure maternal modestMadonna-like woman and there the loose,sexual, amoral and sinful woman. Also, Sardar and Van Loon go on to talk about a womans dependancy on make up and cosmatics and artificial modifications.
This book links perfectly with my study as it shows how oppositte the character of Domino Harvey is from a typical woman. Keira Knightly in Domino chalenges all the stereotypes as she doesnot take care of how she looks and she is notin anyhow stupid or uneducated as she excels her job as a bounty hunter. I will use this book and other books i find as a guide to see how Keira Knightly and a 'typical' woman juxtipose to an extent.
The section of the book carries on to talk about the fact that there are two types of women and that a female can only fit one catogary. There is the pure maternal modestMadonna-like woman and there the loose,sexual, amoral and sinful woman. Also, Sardar and Van Loon go on to talk about a womans dependancy on make up and cosmatics and artificial modifications.
This book links perfectly with my study as it shows how oppositte the character of Domino Harvey is from a typical woman. Keira Knightly in Domino chalenges all the stereotypes as she doesnot take care of how she looks and she is notin anyhow stupid or uneducated as she excels her job as a bounty hunter. I will use this book and other books i find as a guide to see how Keira Knightly and a 'typical' woman juxtipose to an extent.
Bibliography
http://www.wikipedia.com/
http://www.mediagaurdian.com/
http://www.newline.com/
http://www.keiraknightley.com/
http://www.dominomovie.com/
http://www.variety.com/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/
http://www.richard-kelly.net/news/news.php?id=79&from=2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3671572.stm
http://www.dominomovie.com/real_domino_harvey.html
http://movies.about.com/od/domino/a/domino072005.htm
http://www.hollywood.com/feature/Domino_Interviews_Mickey_Rourke_and_Edgar_Ramirez/2446166
http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=8773
http://www.mediagaurdian.com/
http://www.newline.com/
http://www.keiraknightley.com/
http://www.dominomovie.com/
http://www.variety.com/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/
http://www.richard-kelly.net/news/news.php?id=79&from=2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3671572.stm
http://www.dominomovie.com/real_domino_harvey.html
http://movies.about.com/od/domino/a/domino072005.htm
http://www.hollywood.com/feature/Domino_Interviews_Mickey_Rourke_and_Edgar_Ramirez/2446166
http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=8773
Analysing poster (Migrain)
The poster potrays the darkness in Keira Knightly in every sense. Iam going to use Migrain to analyse how the personality of Keira Knightly's character is explored in the poster.Media Language-
The setting is significant as she is sitting in a dark place surrounded by blackness. This could connote that she is trapped in this evil world with no way out. The lighting is also important as the 'spotlight' is on her. This could suggest that she is the protagonist in this film and that all eyes are on her. The Mese en scene shows us Keira Knightly by her self which automaticaly connotes her independance and that she doesn't need anyone,
Representation-
Her short hair implies her masculinity which represents her as manly as she doesn't care about her hair or look. From the darkness around her eyes we can see that she is represented as very quite and that could suggest that she has a darker side to her and that she has a lot to hide. The blackness around her eyes can also connote the pain she has suffered. The injury in her hand can represent her as very daring and always living on the edge. Her blonde hair and her promescoues clothing potrays the fact that she is still a girl and will always be the second sex trying to impress the males in a patriarchal society.
Audience-
Independant women who slightly in the feminist side will be intrested as Keira Knightly looks like a woman who does not need any male power to help her i her life. As she is smoking a ciggerette, Knightly could appeal to the rebelious teenage girls as they might lead similar lifestyles.
Ideology-
The main ideology in this poster is the fact that even though she is living in a male dominant patriarchal society, Keira Knightly is still an independant woman taking care of herself. Another ideology could be rebeliousness as she is sitting their smoking a ciggerette with her legs up. She is like a rebelious young teenager who wants to be opposing society doing whatever she wants.
Most of the things that i have mentioned in this post are social factors in SHEP for example, smoking is a rising social factor upon young adults today as they believe that one way to rebel against the goverement is by taking drugs. Another issure is male dominance but today women are becoming more independant where they now are focusing more on their careers than becoming housewives.
Historically, films in the 20th century will not show a woman smoking a ciggerette and dressing promescuisly however, they will potray women as housewives taking care of children and being controlled by men.
Keira Knightly
Keira Knightley is also a famous Hollywood actress. Even though she is not as famous as Angelina Joie, Keira Knightley's career kicked off after the release of Bend It Like Beckham and The Pirates Of The Carrabean Trilogy. Keira Knightly comes a rich childhood as her mother was an award winning playwright and her dad was a theater and television actor. Bend It Like Beckham was the film that launched Knightly's acting career as it was a success grossing about $18 million only in the UK. After Bend It Like Beckham, Knightly starred in the big budget action film The Pirates Of The Carrabean alongside Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp.
Just like Angelina Jolie, Keira Knightly has been in a lot of action and thriller films that show her chalenging female stereotypes and one example of this is Domino itself. Another film that potrays Keira Knightly as chalenging female stereotypes even though it is not an action or thriller film is the football-themed Bend It Like Beckham. Females are not usually stereotyped to be sporty however, in this film, Keira Knightly and Parminder Nagra are both seen being very sporty playing a man's sport even though they are being criticised by their parents. This film, just like Domino, connotes the postmordern society we are living in where these kind of films which chalenge stereotypes completly are exepted and enjoyed.
Nevertheless, even though Keira Knightly has a lot in common with Angelina Jolie, the two actors also differ as in real life, Angelina Jolie carries out these manly actions and we can see that from her tattoos however, Knightly is the complete oppositte of what she is potrayed as in films such as Domino and Bend It Like Beckham as in reality she is a model and she takes care of her body as we can see from her figure.
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Research on Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is one of the most known and high-paid actresses in the bussiness winning oscars and acadamy awards. Angelina Jolie started acting with her father Jon Voight in the movie 'Looking To Get Out'. Throughtout Angelina Jolie's acting career, Jolie has been involved in lots of action and thriler movies. Examples of these films are Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Wanted, Tomb Raider etc. In most of her films, Jolie, just like Keira Knightly in Domino, chalenges female stereotypes for instance, Jolie is always seen with a gun in films like Mr. And Mrs. Smith and Wanted and she is not passive and girly like actors such as Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan. Jolie has always been the aggerasive woman in most of her films not only by bieng equiped by dangerous machinary but also talking with a manly tone and generaly being active. In her films she is very similar to Keira Knightly in domino as she takes care of herself and doesn't need any man to take care of her however, we always see her surrounded by powerful men for example Brad Pitt in Mr. And Mrs. Smith which makes the audience feel that woman do need men after all no matter how independent they are.
We can see Angelina Jolie's masculinity in reality as she owns a large amount of tatoo. To be specific, Jolie has 13 known tatoos which automaticaly underlines her manly behaviour and masculinity and that would affect her acting as she would take these manly actions with her when she is acting. We can see that in her films as she is normally an independant, strong, aggerasive woman who takes care of her self. However, In most of her films, the only power she possess is when she is armed with weapons and weapons such as guns are often seen as phalic symbols. This highlights the fact that woman will only feel powerful if they use something that reminds them of men.
We can see Angelina Jolie's masculinity in reality as she owns a large amount of tatoo. To be specific, Jolie has 13 known tatoos which automaticaly underlines her manly behaviour and masculinity and that would affect her acting as she would take these manly actions with her when she is acting. We can see that in her films as she is normally an independant, strong, aggerasive woman who takes care of her self. However, In most of her films, the only power she possess is when she is armed with weapons and weapons such as guns are often seen as phalic symbols. This highlights the fact that woman will only feel powerful if they use something that reminds them of men.
New Line Cinema
New Line cinema is an institution that is owned by Time Warner and is now a division of Warner Bros. New Line Cinema, created by Bob Shaye, used to be a small distrubution company in New York City However, today New Line Cinema is one of the biggest and most celebrated film producing companies in the world. New Line Cinema had lots of famous successes for instance films such as Serial Mom, The Lords Of The Rings film trilogy, the Friday trilogy and Get Out Your Handherchief which was the first New Line Cinema film to win an oscar. New Line Cinema's biggest success is The Lords Of The Rings trilogy as it grossed about $3 billion at the worldwide box office. New Line Cinema is known for the films they relsease and the variety of their genres for example as well as comedy films such as the wedding crashers and Friday, New Line Cinema also released action films such Chris Tucker's Rush Hour and most importantly Domino. The film Domino was first denied by 20th Century Fox and in the end the film was financed by New Line Cinema.
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Researching different texts
Casino Royale-2006
Films such as casino royale show exactly the opposite representations of women in Domino. In this film women are seen as passive where they do not get their hands dirty and they wear dresses which show alot of cleavage whereas in Domino, Keira Knightly is the complete oppositte. Another difference between Domino and Casino royale and the representation of woman is the fact that in Domino Keira Knightly is an independent woman who doesn't need anyone taking care of her however, In casino royale, Eva Green is represented as very week and dependent on a manly power as she is saved at the end of the film by Daniel Graig (James Bond)
The Godfather-1972
The Godfather is another example of how women used to be represesnted in the 20th century. In this crime drama film, Diane Keaton is seen as the passive wife who loves and takes care of her kids. She tries her best to stay away from trouble and to keep her family away from it too. This is the opposite of Keira Knightly in Domino even though the genre of the two films are the same as unlike Diane Keaton in The Godfather, Keira Knightly finds trouble herself and wants to be involved in that kind of dangerous lifestyle.
Films such as casino royale show exactly the opposite representations of women in Domino. In this film women are seen as passive where they do not get their hands dirty and they wear dresses which show alot of cleavage whereas in Domino, Keira Knightly is the complete oppositte. Another difference between Domino and Casino royale and the representation of woman is the fact that in Domino Keira Knightly is an independent woman who doesn't need anyone taking care of her however, In casino royale, Eva Green is represented as very week and dependent on a manly power as she is saved at the end of the film by Daniel Graig (James Bond)
The Godfather-1972
The Godfather is another example of how women used to be represesnted in the 20th century. In this crime drama film, Diane Keaton is seen as the passive wife who loves and takes care of her kids. She tries her best to stay away from trouble and to keep her family away from it too. This is the opposite of Keira Knightly in Domino even though the genre of the two films are the same as unlike Diane Keaton in The Godfather, Keira Knightly finds trouble herself and wants to be involved in that kind of dangerous lifestyle.
Researching other similar texts.
Erin Brokovich-2000
'Erin Brokovich' is a film about an unemployed single mother who is having trouble finding a job. She has also recently been a victim of a failed lwasuit against a doctor in a car accident. Her lawyer provied a job for her as compensation for the loss. Because of her trashy and promesicious clothing, no one takes her seriously nevertheless all this changes when she illegaly investigates a suspicious real estate case involving the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
In this dramatic film, Julia Roberts almost single-handedly save the day which is already challenging female stereotypes as it is very rare that we see a woman taking a lead role as 'the saviour', their normally the ones being saved. This is significant as it shows the postmordern society we are living in where new ideas of film making have been introduced and different types of films are appreciated by society because before films such as domino and erin brokovich would have been frowned upon as patriarchy and male dominance was very important however, today with the intorduction of the new man and woman being more powerful than ever before films such as these who give woman power and independeance are the new generation of films. We can see this as new films such as Wanted and Mr. and Mrs. Smith as today there are more and more films with female power and equality.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith-2005
This film potrays Angelina Jolie as a very secretive yet violent woman who kills people for a living. This describtion automatically connotes a male however, Angelina Jolie is challlenging nearly all the stereotypes a woman is given as she is not passive yet active, she is not the talkative gossipy type but she is very secretive about er identity. Just like Keira Knightly in Domino, in this film Jokie is always armes with dangerous weapons which could also raise social and politocal issues such as the rse of gun crime in America. Politicians can argue that films such as Mr. And Mrs. Smith and Domino are the reason for the increase of gun crime in America as guns are glorified in these films and being equiped with a gun is portayed as power in these films.
Wanted-2008
Wanted is another movie that stars Angelina Jolie as an assasin. There are more and more films today that represent women as manly, aggressive and deady. The days of a women being a housewife are over, today women take on jobs that men usually do. It can also be argues that the roles of men and women has slightly become more symmetrical and we can see this from the introduction of the new man as it is alright for man to be seen taken care of children and cooking them dinner at home today and women are starting to care more about their careers. We can see the change of gender roles in Wanted as the man is seen as the passive one who doesn't want any trouble whereas the woman ( Jolie) is the one who trains him to become a top assasin.
'Erin Brokovich' is a film about an unemployed single mother who is having trouble finding a job. She has also recently been a victim of a failed lwasuit against a doctor in a car accident. Her lawyer provied a job for her as compensation for the loss. Because of her trashy and promesicious clothing, no one takes her seriously nevertheless all this changes when she illegaly investigates a suspicious real estate case involving the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
In this dramatic film, Julia Roberts almost single-handedly save the day which is already challenging female stereotypes as it is very rare that we see a woman taking a lead role as 'the saviour', their normally the ones being saved. This is significant as it shows the postmordern society we are living in where new ideas of film making have been introduced and different types of films are appreciated by society because before films such as domino and erin brokovich would have been frowned upon as patriarchy and male dominance was very important however, today with the intorduction of the new man and woman being more powerful than ever before films such as these who give woman power and independeance are the new generation of films. We can see this as new films such as Wanted and Mr. and Mrs. Smith as today there are more and more films with female power and equality.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith-2005
This film potrays Angelina Jolie as a very secretive yet violent woman who kills people for a living. This describtion automatically connotes a male however, Angelina Jolie is challlenging nearly all the stereotypes a woman is given as she is not passive yet active, she is not the talkative gossipy type but she is very secretive about er identity. Just like Keira Knightly in Domino, in this film Jokie is always armes with dangerous weapons which could also raise social and politocal issues such as the rse of gun crime in America. Politicians can argue that films such as Mr. And Mrs. Smith and Domino are the reason for the increase of gun crime in America as guns are glorified in these films and being equiped with a gun is portayed as power in these films.
Wanted-2008
Wanted is another movie that stars Angelina Jolie as an assasin. There are more and more films today that represent women as manly, aggressive and deady. The days of a women being a housewife are over, today women take on jobs that men usually do. It can also be argues that the roles of men and women has slightly become more symmetrical and we can see this from the introduction of the new man as it is alright for man to be seen taken care of children and cooking them dinner at home today and women are starting to care more about their careers. We can see the change of gender roles in Wanted as the man is seen as the passive one who doesn't want any trouble whereas the woman ( Jolie) is the one who trains him to become a top assasin.
More about wider context
Social:
Domino raises a large amount of social issues such as gun crime and drugs. Throughout the film we the contenious use of guns. However, in the beggining we do not see any violence at all but Domino Harvey (Keira Knightly) gets dragged into a world of guns and violence. This could relate to the teenage target audience of this film as they could have had similar experiences.
Also, Gun crime is a rising issue in the United states therefore this film could appeal to alot of american because it is more likely for them to be aware of guns and crimes involving guns. At the same tim ethis film could be aimed at other target audiences from other countries to raise their awareness of the ocial prblems in the United States Of America.
Historical:
Domino is based on a true story and in 1994 Tony Scott, the director, read an article on Domino Harvey a bounty hunter who was one of the few female bounty hunters. He visited where she lived and he asked her for the rights to make a film about her life. She agreed therefore Tony Scott started to research her and her bounty hunter collegues Ed Martinez and Choco. Unfortunatly, Domino died about a month before the release of the film.
This is important as it highlights the films realasim and how authentic it is as Tony Scott did not rely on secondary resources.
A quite old, historical film which underlines women's dependency and power is Erin Brokovich which stars Julie Roberts as an independent single mother who takes issues into her own hands and saves thousands of people by doing so. In the olden days and even the 20th century it was unusual to see a woman taking a lead role and 'saving the day' However today the amount of films that including masculine woman who take a manly, lead role are increasing. An example of this is Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Wanted.
Economical:
The films release was delayed several times however at the end it was released on te 14th October 2005 and in its first weekend, it gained $4,670,120. The film was out in theaters for another 4 weeks and ended up gaining $10,169,202. In foriegn countries, the film gained $12,775,300, therefore overall, worldwide, the film made $22,944,502. Even though that is alot of money, the outcome shows the loss of the film as the estimated budget of the film was $50,000,000.
Political:
Domino raises a large amount of social issues such as gun crime and drugs. Throughout the film we the contenious use of guns. However, in the beggining we do not see any violence at all but Domino Harvey (Keira Knightly) gets dragged into a world of guns and violence. This could relate to the teenage target audience of this film as they could have had similar experiences.
Also, Gun crime is a rising issue in the United states therefore this film could appeal to alot of american because it is more likely for them to be aware of guns and crimes involving guns. At the same tim ethis film could be aimed at other target audiences from other countries to raise their awareness of the ocial prblems in the United States Of America.
Historical:
Domino is based on a true story and in 1994 Tony Scott, the director, read an article on Domino Harvey a bounty hunter who was one of the few female bounty hunters. He visited where she lived and he asked her for the rights to make a film about her life. She agreed therefore Tony Scott started to research her and her bounty hunter collegues Ed Martinez and Choco. Unfortunatly, Domino died about a month before the release of the film.
This is important as it highlights the films realasim and how authentic it is as Tony Scott did not rely on secondary resources.
A quite old, historical film which underlines women's dependency and power is Erin Brokovich which stars Julie Roberts as an independent single mother who takes issues into her own hands and saves thousands of people by doing so. In the olden days and even the 20th century it was unusual to see a woman taking a lead role and 'saving the day' However today the amount of films that including masculine woman who take a manly, lead role are increasing. An example of this is Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Wanted.
Economical:
The films release was delayed several times however at the end it was released on te 14th October 2005 and in its first weekend, it gained $4,670,120. The film was out in theaters for another 4 weeks and ended up gaining $10,169,202. In foriegn countries, the film gained $12,775,300, therefore overall, worldwide, the film made $22,944,502. Even though that is alot of money, the outcome shows the loss of the film as the estimated budget of the film was $50,000,000.
Political:
Friday, 24 October 2008
10 point action plan
1. Go to library and research books and magazines
27 october 2008
2. Write more about wider context
28 october 2008
3. More migrain analasis
29 october 2008
4. When analysing clips, include more SHEP
29 october 2008
5. Research on Angelina Jolie
30 october 2008
6. Research other similar texts
31 october 2008
7 Research specific characters and their roles
1 november 2008
8. Research on the history of the institution
2 november 2008
9. Research on different texts
2 november 2008
10. Start a bibleography
3 november 2008
11. Make blog more presentable
3November 2008
27 october 2008
2. Write more about wider context
28 october 2008
3. More migrain analasis
29 october 2008
4. When analysing clips, include more SHEP
29 october 2008
5. Research on Angelina Jolie
30 october 2008
6. Research other similar texts
31 october 2008
7 Research specific characters and their roles
1 november 2008
8. Research on the history of the institution
2 november 2008
9. Research on different texts
2 november 2008
10. Start a bibleography
3 november 2008
11. Make blog more presentable
3November 2008
Evaluation
Self Evaluation
Attainment- 2: i think the level that im working at is very good however there is still room for improvment
Effort- 2: I think that i have been working really hard in my independent study posting a lot of posts.
Punctuality- 2: I am always in lessons and i m always on time however i might have missed some lessons due to illnesses etc.
Submission and quality of homework- 3: I have to admitt i have been given a lot of detentions for handing in my homework late however i have learned from this mistake and right now i am doing a better job in handing it my homework on time.
Ability to work independently- 3: i hate working by myself as i like group work however i do come up with great ideas by myself.
Quality of writing- 2: i think that my writing quality has improved throughout the years and now i right longer essay
Organisation of Media folder- 1: I have a media folder and i believe that it is up to date with everything i need
Oral contributions in class- 1: i contrubute a lot in class answering questions and sharing my ideas to other people in the class
Standard of Module 5 blog- 1: the proof that my med 5 blog is good is the fact that i got a silver for my blog from mr bush
Standard of Module 6 blog- 3: My med 6 blog is not as good as my med 5 blog but i think that is because we have not been asked to do much on their.
Course Evaluation
How well is the course organised - 1: very good organisation and it seems like every lesson is planned and we can see this as mr bush is tellin us what we gonna do in febuary etc.
How intresting is the content that is covered - 2: the independent study is intresting as we are researching something we chose but the med 6 course is quite boring as we have to read alot of stuff from the media guardian
How useful are the handouts - 3: We get a lot of handouts but it seems like the information from the handouts a repeated.
Have the lesson been paced well - 3: The lessons are quite boring and they seem like they go on forever. I would recommend more group work or maybe you should give some time on the computer to research more about our topic than us doing it at home.
What is the standard of the teachers’ presentation/subject knowledge? - 1: You seem like you know your stuff and your presentation style is good because somehow when ever we talk in class we start debate which makes the lesson more fun.
How well has the course met your expectations? - 2: The course met my expectaions as i knew that we were gonna work very hard this as you can see from all the homework you give us but i would like the lessons to be more practical.
Have the extra-curricular events been useful? (eg. Awards Eve.) - 1: The media awards evening helped me alot as it showed me that i my hardwork has been acknowledged and this will automaticaly make me work harder in lessons
Has the Macguffin Blog been useful? - 1: This blog has been more than helpful. I can't imagine me doing this independant study without the macguffin blog.
Three things i like about this course:
www:
The macguffin blog
The amount of self evaluations we do
The media awards
ebi:
More practical work in lessons
More work on independent study in class
We shouldn't get homework every lesson. Don't forget we got other lessons especially sociology where we are doing an independant study as well.
Attainment- 2: i think the level that im working at is very good however there is still room for improvment
Effort- 2: I think that i have been working really hard in my independent study posting a lot of posts.
Punctuality- 2: I am always in lessons and i m always on time however i might have missed some lessons due to illnesses etc.
Submission and quality of homework- 3: I have to admitt i have been given a lot of detentions for handing in my homework late however i have learned from this mistake and right now i am doing a better job in handing it my homework on time.
Ability to work independently- 3: i hate working by myself as i like group work however i do come up with great ideas by myself.
Quality of writing- 2: i think that my writing quality has improved throughout the years and now i right longer essay
Organisation of Media folder- 1: I have a media folder and i believe that it is up to date with everything i need
Oral contributions in class- 1: i contrubute a lot in class answering questions and sharing my ideas to other people in the class
Standard of Module 5 blog- 1: the proof that my med 5 blog is good is the fact that i got a silver for my blog from mr bush
Standard of Module 6 blog- 3: My med 6 blog is not as good as my med 5 blog but i think that is because we have not been asked to do much on their.
Course Evaluation
How well is the course organised - 1: very good organisation and it seems like every lesson is planned and we can see this as mr bush is tellin us what we gonna do in febuary etc.
How intresting is the content that is covered - 2: the independent study is intresting as we are researching something we chose but the med 6 course is quite boring as we have to read alot of stuff from the media guardian
How useful are the handouts - 3: We get a lot of handouts but it seems like the information from the handouts a repeated.
Have the lesson been paced well - 3: The lessons are quite boring and they seem like they go on forever. I would recommend more group work or maybe you should give some time on the computer to research more about our topic than us doing it at home.
What is the standard of the teachers’ presentation/subject knowledge? - 1: You seem like you know your stuff and your presentation style is good because somehow when ever we talk in class we start debate which makes the lesson more fun.
How well has the course met your expectations? - 2: The course met my expectaions as i knew that we were gonna work very hard this as you can see from all the homework you give us but i would like the lessons to be more practical.
Have the extra-curricular events been useful? (eg. Awards Eve.) - 1: The media awards evening helped me alot as it showed me that i my hardwork has been acknowledged and this will automaticaly make me work harder in lessons
Has the Macguffin Blog been useful? - 1: This blog has been more than helpful. I can't imagine me doing this independant study without the macguffin blog.
Three things i like about this course:
www:
The macguffin blog
The amount of self evaluations we do
The media awards
ebi:
More practical work in lessons
More work on independent study in class
We shouldn't get homework every lesson. Don't forget we got other lessons especially sociology where we are doing an independant study as well.
Monday, 20 October 2008
Self Assessment Work
A01-
My research is full of migrain analysis of videos that relate to my study such as trailers and clips from the film therefore i thijnk i have done very well in my A01. I think that i have done well here because i have some experience with using MIGRAIN as i have been using it throughtout last year for Bullet Boy, Kidulthood, BFC and most importantly in my med 1 analysing posters, films, music videos etc. Eventhough i have done a migrain analasis on lots of videos such as the trailer of Domino and Wanted, i will need to analyse them with more depth for example when i was analysing the Domino trailer, i have talked alot about the media language and the presentation of woman in the trailer, however, i did not talk about the institution or the ideology or the narrative. I will improve in these parts with a little bit of more research on my study.
A02-
To be honest I am struggling in A02 as i find it hard to research on the political, economic and social factors of SHEP however i did talk about the history of the film and the overall story of it. I will go about covering these factors of the wider context by going on websites such as media guardian, guardian film review and rotton tomatoes. I briefly talked about the current zeitgeist but i did not mention the word. I talk about the male gaze which is growing in todays world however i will need to show my understanding of the zeitgeist more in my blog and link it to my study.
A05-
I have a title and hypothesis in my blog and it's basically about how woman challenge stereotypes in movies such as Domino. My research has mainly from the internet which is partialy good as the internet has become very important in the 21st century filled with information that is useful for me however i am working on using more books and magazines in my research to enhance my independent study. I also got reviews on my blog from rotton tomatoes and the guardian film reviews talking about Domino. However, i will need to find more criticism and qoutes which are relevent to my study and research.
SYNOPTIC ABILTY-
I have included alot of previous knowlegde in my blog such as MIGRAIN and narrative theories like the male gaze because my study is about woman and how they do not always follow the stereotypes of woman such as being being used for male appeal and sex objects. I will need to talk more about the uses and gratification theory as it will be relevent for me to research on how the audience of Domino will react to the film and if it will dramatically change the rle of woman in upcoming films.
CRITICAL AUTONOMY-
This whole study i am doing is based on my independent work and the new ideas i bring across and i think i have done that quite well so far in my analasis of videos and posters. Even though i need my own critical autonomy, i will also need a lot secondary resource such as reviews and articles to help me understand my topic a bit more.
QUALITY OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION-
I think that my work is well presented with lots of good media terminology and i also have three blogs to make it easier for me and my pears to look through my work without getting confused. One thing i need to start doing is spell chacking my work as when i look back i see lots of spelling mistakes which makes it harder for people to understand the point i am putting across.
My research is full of migrain analysis of videos that relate to my study such as trailers and clips from the film therefore i thijnk i have done very well in my A01. I think that i have done well here because i have some experience with using MIGRAIN as i have been using it throughtout last year for Bullet Boy, Kidulthood, BFC and most importantly in my med 1 analysing posters, films, music videos etc. Eventhough i have done a migrain analasis on lots of videos such as the trailer of Domino and Wanted, i will need to analyse them with more depth for example when i was analysing the Domino trailer, i have talked alot about the media language and the presentation of woman in the trailer, however, i did not talk about the institution or the ideology or the narrative. I will improve in these parts with a little bit of more research on my study.
A02-
To be honest I am struggling in A02 as i find it hard to research on the political, economic and social factors of SHEP however i did talk about the history of the film and the overall story of it. I will go about covering these factors of the wider context by going on websites such as media guardian, guardian film review and rotton tomatoes. I briefly talked about the current zeitgeist but i did not mention the word. I talk about the male gaze which is growing in todays world however i will need to show my understanding of the zeitgeist more in my blog and link it to my study.
A05-
I have a title and hypothesis in my blog and it's basically about how woman challenge stereotypes in movies such as Domino. My research has mainly from the internet which is partialy good as the internet has become very important in the 21st century filled with information that is useful for me however i am working on using more books and magazines in my research to enhance my independent study. I also got reviews on my blog from rotton tomatoes and the guardian film reviews talking about Domino. However, i will need to find more criticism and qoutes which are relevent to my study and research.
SYNOPTIC ABILTY-
I have included alot of previous knowlegde in my blog such as MIGRAIN and narrative theories like the male gaze because my study is about woman and how they do not always follow the stereotypes of woman such as being being used for male appeal and sex objects. I will need to talk more about the uses and gratification theory as it will be relevent for me to research on how the audience of Domino will react to the film and if it will dramatically change the rle of woman in upcoming films.
CRITICAL AUTONOMY-
This whole study i am doing is based on my independent work and the new ideas i bring across and i think i have done that quite well so far in my analasis of videos and posters. Even though i need my own critical autonomy, i will also need a lot secondary resource such as reviews and articles to help me understand my topic a bit more.
QUALITY OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION-
I think that my work is well presented with lots of good media terminology and i also have three blogs to make it easier for me and my pears to look through my work without getting confused. One thing i need to start doing is spell chacking my work as when i look back i see lots of spelling mistakes which makes it harder for people to understand the point i am putting across.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
How i can improve my presentation
WWW:
Good body language
excelent eye contact
Evidence of A03.2 shown
excelent knowledge of text
Involved the audience
Confidance
EBI
try getting people to do something while watching the videos
Less text in powerpoint
More info about wider context
Economic factors
Speel check presentation
Highlight main things
Talk about theory
Lk at oppositional readings of strip scene
Good body language
excelent eye contact
Evidence of A03.2 shown
excelent knowledge of text
Involved the audience
Confidance
EBI
try getting people to do something while watching the videos
Less text in powerpoint
More info about wider context
Economic factors
Speel check presentation
Highlight main things
Talk about theory
Lk at oppositional readings of strip scene
Friday, 3 October 2008
Domino Reviews
Why would the owners of Las Vegas' Stratosphere want to see their high-rise landmark blown up onscreen? That such an event climaxes this helter-skelter biopic, however fictionalized, is merely the most unsettling of the numerous dislocations evident in "Domino," Tony Scott's aggressively grungy look at the life of the late femme bounty hunter Domino Harvey. Subject's novelty value and Keira Knightley in her first bad-ass role will provide some draw, but pic is satisfying neither as character study nor as straight-ahead actioner. Result is a between-the-cracks entertainment that might accrue a limited devoted fan base but appears destined for middling biz overall. (rotten tomatoes)
Scott, who can make films as slick as they come, goes the opposite way this time, using a grab-bag of extreme techniques that gives the picture a look as rough as its milieu. Often dousing scenes in a putrid shade of green and seemingly deliberately obscuring actors' eyes, Scott and lenser Dan Mindel create a collage effect by mixing formats, film stocks, levels of saturation, abrupt camera moves and anything else they can think of that might be perceived as edgy. Mostly, however, it's downright ugly, with color combos suggesting high toxicity quotients.(rotten tomatoes)
However annoying it can be to hear a native Brit saying "ass" instead of "arse" - or even having a go at "butt" - there are times when only the American word sounds right. Here to prove that is Keira Knightley, who has swapped her Jane Austen bonnets for some transfer tattoos, playing Domino Harvey, daughter of movie idol Laurence Harvey.Director Tony Scott's macho-sentimental tribute to Harvey neglects to mention her real-life drug problem, which contributed to her death in June this year after the movie was complete - discovered dead in her apartment due to a painkiller overdose, while awaiting trial for dealing narcotics. The omission of drugs is therefore all the more glaring and embarrassing, and Scott simply slaps an unexplained tribute on the closing credits, dedicating his film to her "memory". But what precisely is being remembered? And why? It's not a straight biopic but apparently a selective, fictionalised account of events which are of limited interest in the first place. The result is a chaotic, violent and baffling action thriller without shape or perspective, in which every frame has been cranked up with flashy editing and boiling cinematography.(guardian film reviews)
Scott, who can make films as slick as they come, goes the opposite way this time, using a grab-bag of extreme techniques that gives the picture a look as rough as its milieu. Often dousing scenes in a putrid shade of green and seemingly deliberately obscuring actors' eyes, Scott and lenser Dan Mindel create a collage effect by mixing formats, film stocks, levels of saturation, abrupt camera moves and anything else they can think of that might be perceived as edgy. Mostly, however, it's downright ugly, with color combos suggesting high toxicity quotients.(rotten tomatoes)
However annoying it can be to hear a native Brit saying "ass" instead of "arse" - or even having a go at "butt" - there are times when only the American word sounds right. Here to prove that is Keira Knightley, who has swapped her Jane Austen bonnets for some transfer tattoos, playing Domino Harvey, daughter of movie idol Laurence Harvey.Director Tony Scott's macho-sentimental tribute to Harvey neglects to mention her real-life drug problem, which contributed to her death in June this year after the movie was complete - discovered dead in her apartment due to a painkiller overdose, while awaiting trial for dealing narcotics. The omission of drugs is therefore all the more glaring and embarrassing, and Scott simply slaps an unexplained tribute on the closing credits, dedicating his film to her "memory". But what precisely is being remembered? And why? It's not a straight biopic but apparently a selective, fictionalised account of events which are of limited interest in the first place. The result is a chaotic, violent and baffling action thriller without shape or perspective, in which every frame has been cranked up with flashy editing and boiling cinematography.(guardian film reviews)
Analysing strip scene
This is one of the scenes where Keira Knightly finally meets the stereotypes of women in films. She is scene as as sexually active 'bitch', as the spanish gangster refers to her, and she entertains the male gaze by taking of her clothes and given a lapdance.
The first thing that catches me in this scene is the non digetic sound of the heart beat while Keira Knightly is facing all the men with the guns. The heartbeats emphasise the amount of pressure Keira is in and the atmosphere in the room. The non digetic sound of the hearbeat is then backed by loud, nervous shouting by the men whilst Keira, the only women in the scene was calm and quite. This shows that even though she meets the stereotypes of woman in this scene by appearing as sexually active, she also challenges stereotypes at the same time as she is, unlike the men, very calm in a very dangerous sitauation. Women are known to scream and shout when scared however in this scene Tony Scott swaps the role of the men and the women as they are the ones who are shouting anxiously.
When Keira Knightly is confronting the men, she sounds very masculine and strong with sharp sentences, however this is not parralel to her tone of voice as the narrator as she sounds very girly with a slightly squeky, feminine voice. This could imply the fact that she has to change to impress the men. This is a change in gender roles as the man is known to be trying to impress a girl however in this scene Keira Knightly is talking with a manly voice, carrying guns and smoking to impress the oppositte sex. The mese en scne also backs up my point as she is holding a shot gun a shot gun compared to what the men are holding(hand guns) just so she can feel powerful. In this scene and most of the film, Keria Knightly is always scene with a gun and that connotes her eagerness to be powerful and the fact that she has to have a phalic sympol by her side just so she can feel strong and powerful. Throughout this film, Tony Scott makes sure that Keira challenges the stereotypes given to women however he always reminds the audience that Keira Knightley is still feminine and passivly weak. In the non digetic sound of the narrator, Keira refers to herself as a 'naughty girl' instead of a mature woman as it reminds the audience that she is still no match to the men in the scene and leads them to sympethise with her whilst the whole point of the film is to make the audience see her as an indepedent strong woman.
In this film keira Knightley has a very short haircut which suggests her masculinity however the fact that she has hair covering her eyes, she is represented as a very dark individual who is not that confident.This goes well with the darkness of the setting as it potrays her dark and evil personality. She is less and less represented as a woman in this scene as the cigerrette she is smoking connotes the ideology of rebeliousness which is mostly linked with ludacris men. She is also represented as a slut as she offers to give a stranger a lapdance and the dialogue of the man is very insulting to her quoting 'take off your clothes bitch'she still strip and gives him a lapdance which could mean to things, eather she is a whore or she is just a workaholic desperate for information to persue her missions as a bounty hunter.
The first thing that catches me in this scene is the non digetic sound of the heart beat while Keira Knightly is facing all the men with the guns. The heartbeats emphasise the amount of pressure Keira is in and the atmosphere in the room. The non digetic sound of the hearbeat is then backed by loud, nervous shouting by the men whilst Keira, the only women in the scene was calm and quite. This shows that even though she meets the stereotypes of woman in this scene by appearing as sexually active, she also challenges stereotypes at the same time as she is, unlike the men, very calm in a very dangerous sitauation. Women are known to scream and shout when scared however in this scene Tony Scott swaps the role of the men and the women as they are the ones who are shouting anxiously.
When Keira Knightly is confronting the men, she sounds very masculine and strong with sharp sentences, however this is not parralel to her tone of voice as the narrator as she sounds very girly with a slightly squeky, feminine voice. This could imply the fact that she has to change to impress the men. This is a change in gender roles as the man is known to be trying to impress a girl however in this scene Keira Knightly is talking with a manly voice, carrying guns and smoking to impress the oppositte sex. The mese en scne also backs up my point as she is holding a shot gun a shot gun compared to what the men are holding(hand guns) just so she can feel powerful. In this scene and most of the film, Keria Knightly is always scene with a gun and that connotes her eagerness to be powerful and the fact that she has to have a phalic sympol by her side just so she can feel strong and powerful. Throughout this film, Tony Scott makes sure that Keira challenges the stereotypes given to women however he always reminds the audience that Keira Knightley is still feminine and passivly weak. In the non digetic sound of the narrator, Keira refers to herself as a 'naughty girl' instead of a mature woman as it reminds the audience that she is still no match to the men in the scene and leads them to sympethise with her whilst the whole point of the film is to make the audience see her as an indepedent strong woman.
In this film keira Knightley has a very short haircut which suggests her masculinity however the fact that she has hair covering her eyes, she is represented as a very dark individual who is not that confident.This goes well with the darkness of the setting as it potrays her dark and evil personality. She is less and less represented as a woman in this scene as the cigerrette she is smoking connotes the ideology of rebeliousness which is mostly linked with ludacris men. She is also represented as a slut as she offers to give a stranger a lapdance and the dialogue of the man is very insulting to her quoting 'take off your clothes bitch'she still strip and gives him a lapdance which could mean to things, eather she is a whore or she is just a workaholic desperate for information to persue her missions as a bounty hunter.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Objective targets
A01: I have done alot of migrain analsys already therefore i will not need to improve very much in this area. I have already analysed the trailer and the poster of domino and lots of other trailers and posters such as casino royale and wanted. However, there is always room for improvments so i will try to analyse more extracts from videos related to my toopic as it will give me a greater understanding of the topic i am researching.
A02: I will need to improve my A01 a lot as i will need to understand the wider context of my film domino. I will need to research the history of the film im studying, and the social factors. For A02 i will need to talk more about theories and theorists as i clearly did not talk much about in my research so far.
A05: I already researched a large amount on my toppic which will help me in the future however i can research more from books and articles not only the internet.
A02: I will need to improve my A01 a lot as i will need to understand the wider context of my film domino. I will need to research the history of the film im studying, and the social factors. For A02 i will need to talk more about theories and theorists as i clearly did not talk much about in my research so far.
A05: I already researched a large amount on my toppic which will help me in the future however i can research more from books and articles not only the internet.
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Strip scene
Bounty hunting, according to director Tony Scott and writer Richard Kelly anyway, is no longer just about stealth, cunning and measured aggression. Now it's about stripping, too.
To explain: there's a scene in Domino so spectacularly daft it probably deserves a star on its lonesome. In it, Keira Knightley is on her first ever bust as the titular bounty hunter. The bust goes wrong, climaxing in a pump-action standoff in which she and her two colleagues, Ed and Choco, are surrounded by a roomful of hoodlums pointing guns at their heads. Fingers are poised on hair-triggers. Tension hangs thick in the air. One false move and they'll be torn apart in a hail of bullets...
And what, precisely, does our deadly heroine decide to do about this predicament? Go for her gun? A knife, maybe? Oh no. She decides to take her clothes off and give the bad guys a lapdance. You know, to calm the situation.
This scene is a great expmale of how woman are still and will always be used as sex objects. Even though Keira knightly challenges alot of stereotypes in this film, she will still be a passive woman in a patrical society.
(info from totalfilm.com)
To explain: there's a scene in Domino so spectacularly daft it probably deserves a star on its lonesome. In it, Keira Knightley is on her first ever bust as the titular bounty hunter. The bust goes wrong, climaxing in a pump-action standoff in which she and her two colleagues, Ed and Choco, are surrounded by a roomful of hoodlums pointing guns at their heads. Fingers are poised on hair-triggers. Tension hangs thick in the air. One false move and they'll be torn apart in a hail of bullets...
And what, precisely, does our deadly heroine decide to do about this predicament? Go for her gun? A knife, maybe? Oh no. She decides to take her clothes off and give the bad guys a lapdance. You know, to calm the situation.
This scene is a great expmale of how woman are still and will always be used as sex objects. Even though Keira knightly challenges alot of stereotypes in this film, she will still be a passive woman in a patrical society.
(info from totalfilm.com)
What is the story of Domino
Domino Harvey, a bounty hunter, has been arrested by the FBI, who are investigating the theft of $10 million from an armored truck, which happened 36 hours previously. Domino is interviewed by criminal psychologist Taryn Mills and agrees to tell her everything she knows about the case.
Domino, a former model living in Los Angeles, becomes a bounty hunter after seeing an advert in a newspaper. Her colleagues are Ed Moseby, Choco and their driver Alf. They are employed by Claremont Williams III, a bail bondsman who also runs an armored car business.
Claremont's mistress, Lateesha Rodriguez, works for the Los Angeles Department of Motor Vehicles. Lateesha has been running a counterfeit drivers licence racket. A teenager named Frances arrives at the DMV and asks Lateesha for fake drivers licences for himself, his brother, and two of their friends.
Lateesha's granddaughter Mica is suffering from a blood disease and needs an operation urgently. The operation that Mica needs costs $300,000 which Lateesha does not have. Claremont comes up with a plan to get the money by robbing Drake Bishop, a billionaire client of his armored car business, of $10 million.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation are tipped about Lateesha's counterfeit drivers licence racket. They threaten to send her to jail unless she gives them information about Frances, whom they have been surveilling. Lateesha tells the FBI that Frances, his brother and his two friends are going to commit the robbery that she and Claremont are going to carry out.
Lateesha carries out the robbery with the help of Lashandra, Lashindra and Raoul, three of her co-workers at the DMV. Claremont finds out that Frances and his brother, who Lateesha framed for the robbery, are the sons of Anthony Cigliutti, a mob boss. Claremont phones Lateesha and tells her to abort the plan. Lateesha, Lashandra and Lashindra and Raoul go, leaving the money with Locus Fender, the getaway driver. Unknown to Claremont, Drake Bishop has been working with Anthony Cigliutti. Bishop has been laundering money for Cigliutti, meaning that the money that Claremont and Lateesha have stolen belongs to the mob.
Claremont gets Domino, Ed and Choco to apprehend Frances, his brother and his two friends and then tells them to deliver them to men working for Drake Bishop. Claremont then phones Domino and tells Domino, Ed and Choco to retrieve the $10 million from Locus Fender and to deliver it to Drake Bishop at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Anthony Cigliutti is told about his sons arrest and is mistakenly led to believe that Drake Bishop has had his sons killed, when they have actually been released by Bishop's men on finding that they did not know anything about the robbery.
In Las Vegas, Domino gives $300,000 of the money to Lateesha for Mica's operation. Domino, Ed and Choco then go to meet Drake Bishop at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino. Domino and Bishop, who is with his men, discuss the money. Anthony Cigliutti then turns up with his men. Cigliutti believes Bishop has had his sons killed and shoots Bishop. A gunfight breaks out and everybody is killed except Domino who manages to escape.
After having told Taryn Mills everything, Domino is released by the FBI. Mills advises Domino to retire from bounty hunting.
(info from wikipedia and total.com)
Domino, a former model living in Los Angeles, becomes a bounty hunter after seeing an advert in a newspaper. Her colleagues are Ed Moseby, Choco and their driver Alf. They are employed by Claremont Williams III, a bail bondsman who also runs an armored car business.
Claremont's mistress, Lateesha Rodriguez, works for the Los Angeles Department of Motor Vehicles. Lateesha has been running a counterfeit drivers licence racket. A teenager named Frances arrives at the DMV and asks Lateesha for fake drivers licences for himself, his brother, and two of their friends.
Lateesha's granddaughter Mica is suffering from a blood disease and needs an operation urgently. The operation that Mica needs costs $300,000 which Lateesha does not have. Claremont comes up with a plan to get the money by robbing Drake Bishop, a billionaire client of his armored car business, of $10 million.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation are tipped about Lateesha's counterfeit drivers licence racket. They threaten to send her to jail unless she gives them information about Frances, whom they have been surveilling. Lateesha tells the FBI that Frances, his brother and his two friends are going to commit the robbery that she and Claremont are going to carry out.
Lateesha carries out the robbery with the help of Lashandra, Lashindra and Raoul, three of her co-workers at the DMV. Claremont finds out that Frances and his brother, who Lateesha framed for the robbery, are the sons of Anthony Cigliutti, a mob boss. Claremont phones Lateesha and tells her to abort the plan. Lateesha, Lashandra and Lashindra and Raoul go, leaving the money with Locus Fender, the getaway driver. Unknown to Claremont, Drake Bishop has been working with Anthony Cigliutti. Bishop has been laundering money for Cigliutti, meaning that the money that Claremont and Lateesha have stolen belongs to the mob.
Claremont gets Domino, Ed and Choco to apprehend Frances, his brother and his two friends and then tells them to deliver them to men working for Drake Bishop. Claremont then phones Domino and tells Domino, Ed and Choco to retrieve the $10 million from Locus Fender and to deliver it to Drake Bishop at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Anthony Cigliutti is told about his sons arrest and is mistakenly led to believe that Drake Bishop has had his sons killed, when they have actually been released by Bishop's men on finding that they did not know anything about the robbery.
In Las Vegas, Domino gives $300,000 of the money to Lateesha for Mica's operation. Domino, Ed and Choco then go to meet Drake Bishop at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino. Domino and Bishop, who is with his men, discuss the money. Anthony Cigliutti then turns up with his men. Cigliutti believes Bishop has had his sons killed and shoots Bishop. A gunfight breaks out and everybody is killed except Domino who manages to escape.
After having told Taryn Mills everything, Domino is released by the FBI. Mills advises Domino to retire from bounty hunting.
(info from wikipedia and total.com)
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Alan Rusbridger
Job: editor, the Guardian, executive editor, the Observer
Age: 53
Industry: publishing, new media
Circulation: Guardian 371,754, Observer 451,363 (May 2007)
Salary: £355,000 (including £17,000 benefits)
2006 ranking: 35
- Rusbridger joined the Guardian as a reporter in 1979 and was appointed deputy editor in 1993, joining the Guardian Newspapers board a year later.
-Alan rusbridger is the sone of G H Rusbridger.
- He is the editor of The Guardian and has been since 1995.
- His dad is the director of education of Zambia.
- Alan first joined the guardian in 1979 as a reporter.
- He wrote the paper’s diary column and was a feature writer.
- Editor of the guardian since 1995 and the executive editor of the observer.
- The guardians websit the guardian unlimited beat the wallstreet journal online and the new york times to win the webby awards as the best newspaper website of the year for the 3rd consecetive time.
- Alan Rusbridger is also the executive editor of The Observer.
- In addition to journalism, he has written three children's books as well as being the co-author (with Ronan Bennett) of a BBC drama, Fields of Gold.
-Alan Rusbridger was educated in Cambridge university and he did BA on English literature. Alan is known to be interested in music and golf.
- Alan Rusbridger lives in London with a family that includes, a wife, two daughters, a dog called Angus and a cat called Retro.
Age: 53
Industry: publishing, new media
Circulation: Guardian 371,754, Observer 451,363 (May 2007)
Salary: £355,000 (including £17,000 benefits)
2006 ranking: 35
- Rusbridger joined the Guardian as a reporter in 1979 and was appointed deputy editor in 1993, joining the Guardian Newspapers board a year later.
-Alan rusbridger is the sone of G H Rusbridger.
- He is the editor of The Guardian and has been since 1995.
- His dad is the director of education of Zambia.
- Alan first joined the guardian in 1979 as a reporter.
- He wrote the paper’s diary column and was a feature writer.
- Editor of the guardian since 1995 and the executive editor of the observer.
- The guardians websit the guardian unlimited beat the wallstreet journal online and the new york times to win the webby awards as the best newspaper website of the year for the 3rd consecetive time.
- Alan Rusbridger is also the executive editor of The Observer.
- In addition to journalism, he has written three children's books as well as being the co-author (with Ronan Bennett) of a BBC drama, Fields of Gold.
-Alan Rusbridger was educated in Cambridge university and he did BA on English literature. Alan is known to be interested in music and golf.
- Alan Rusbridger lives in London with a family that includes, a wife, two daughters, a dog called Angus and a cat called Retro.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
My Overall Topic
My topic is basically about how modern films in hollywood today feature maculine women who challenge their given stereotypes in society. I will counter that with the fact that women are still there to appeal to the 'male gaze' and that refers to the sexually active stereotype women women are given these days. The main film i am going to talk about which gives a clear image of a female protagonist challenging the stereotypes given to her is Domino. Domino features Keira Knhightly as a very masculine women who is not afraid of nothing and a person who like action and living by a thread. Other films that i would use which give a clear example of women challenging stereotypes are Wanted, where i will be focusing on Angelina Jolie and Erin Brockovic where i will be focusing on Julia Roberts. Another film that i will be talking about in my study is Casino Royale how ever i will be using the female protagonist in this film to counter the fact that women challenge their stereotypes as in Casino Royale the women, like any other women is pictured to be, is passive, fragile and inneed of male protection.
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Analysing Angelina Jolie in Wanted
In this trailer Angelina Jolie challenges nearly all the stereotypes that are given to women today. She is aggressive, active and plays with guns. When she tells Wesley about his father, she seems very clever as she knows alot of information about his father which represents her as educated and wise. At the same scene when she saves wesley and shoots at the assassin behind them, she reverses stereotypes where she is now protecting the man when it is suppose to be the other way around. When she is ahooting the assassin we have a close up of her face which gives us a great insight of her personality and we can see from her screw face that she is a angry, aggressive woman. She is also represented as brave in this t railer as she stands infront of wesley without even blinking while he is trying to curve the bullet around her. Unlike the female protagonist in Casino Royale, Angelina Jolie doesn't mind killing people which represents her as evil. This goes against steretypes as she is suppose to be innocent and caring and loving. Angelina Jolie does not challenge all stereotypes given to women as she is still seen as promiscoius. She reflects mulvey's theory of the male gaze as she is seen half naked near the end of the trailer and that would appeal to the male target audience.
Analysing Women in Casino Royale Trailer
In this trailer, the female protagonist is a prime example of an inocent passive women who is very caring and loving. She m irrors the stereotypes given to her by society. One example of this in this trailer is when she asks James Bond ' does it bother you killing all those people' This emphasises how caring she is and that she does not like the act ion side of her job. The women is usually wearing very promescouis clothing in this trailer which represents her as a sex object. The sex scene also emphasises her 'job' of pleasing the man which connotes the male dominant, patriachal society we are living in. In the second half of this trailer, the women is being rescued by the man. This connotes her submissive personalty which represents her as weak. We can see this when she screams and this makes her seem inferior to the men in the trailer.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Hypothesis
Title: How and Why are women challenging their stereotypes in Domino and other similar films.
Contemporary films such as Domino emphasise the change of women's roles in society where the protagonist, Keira knightly, is a bounty hunter. Knightly challenges the stereotypes women are giving in society such as being passive and innocent.
Contemporary films such as Domino emphasise the change of women's roles in society where the protagonist, Keira knightly, is a bounty hunter. Knightly challenges the stereotypes women are giving in society such as being passive and innocent.
Friday, 27 June 2008
Analysing Erin Brokovich Poster
In this poster we see Julia Roberts wearing a costume which shows alot of cleavage and this represents her as very prmiscuis. It is also unusual that the title of the film is not at the top but this can connote the protagonists social class status and that she is a hardworking lower class just like us. Even though she is working class, her image takes up most of the page which emphasises her importance in this film. We can also see that she is the main focus in this film as the background is very blurry and the camera is focusing on her. As she is holding a baby in her arms, she is represented as caring and loving. She appeals to the male gaze because of her promiscouis clothing therefore boys and men might be intrested in this film. It can also appeal to mothers as she seems to be a hard working mother herself. She is hard working as she is holding a baby in one arm and a pad in her other hand. She also appeals to young teenage girls as she wears very stylish clothing and modern clothing. From the sunglasses she is wearing we can interpret that she is secretive and that she has a different side to the promiscouis, sexually active individual she appears to be. The image in the poster shows the protagonist by herself with no other adult around which can indicate that she is very lonley in this film. As we can see from the poster this film has been published by universal pictures which is a very popular company and that is one of the main selling points.
Migrain Analasis of Domino Poster
Keira knightley’s name is placed higher than the other two characters implying that she is more important than the other two.
She’s also in the middle which emphasis her significance
Even though she seems like the main character she is still surrounded by two men which connotes patriarchy.
She is obviously challenging stereotypes in this poster as she is armed with weapons and ammunition.
Both the men in this poster are wearing sunglasses which connote that they are hiding something however she is not which gives the chance to interpret that she doesn’t have secrets and she doesn’t mind saying what’s in her mind.
The tagline links with this interpretation as she admits she’s a bounty hunter proudly. It also suggests that being a bounty hunter is a part of her now.
The red font connotes the bloodshed in this movie
The colour of the background is green which connotes war and peace but the colour fades out near the bottom of the poster which implies that there is no peace in this film jus never ending bloodshed.
Juxtaposition of the name of the character. ‘DOMINO’ is a happy playful name but the women carrying that name is indeed dark.
She’s also in the middle which emphasis her significance
Even though she seems like the main character she is still surrounded by two men which connotes patriarchy.
She is obviously challenging stereotypes in this poster as she is armed with weapons and ammunition.
Both the men in this poster are wearing sunglasses which connote that they are hiding something however she is not which gives the chance to interpret that she doesn’t have secrets and she doesn’t mind saying what’s in her mind.
The tagline links with this interpretation as she admits she’s a bounty hunter proudly. It also suggests that being a bounty hunter is a part of her now.
The red font connotes the bloodshed in this movie
The colour of the background is green which connotes war and peace but the colour fades out near the bottom of the poster which implies that there is no peace in this film jus never ending bloodshed.
Juxtaposition of the name of the character. ‘DOMINO’ is a happy playful name but the women carrying that name is indeed dark.
Migrain Analasis of Domino Trailer
The first shot we see is a woman in a silhouette which connotes that there is a different person inside and it also represents her dark side.
Digetic sound is important in this trailer as it gives us an insight of the characters involved. In the beginning a man says ‘watch your ass on this one. This quote has a double meaning. It can mean that people need to watch out for this woman as she is dangerous or it can mean that someone’s telling her to watch out which implies that she has support.
In the beginning there is also a close up of a money which connotes that money is an important theme in this film and also near the end there is another shot of money which indicates that money is significant through out the film.
In the beginning we see a child playing with her friends in the playground and the setting is all bright however, when she flicks the coin it becomes all dark and we see a man with a bullet. This implies that money changes things greatly.
Through out this trailer the woman doesn’t smile therefore she is represented as dark and emotionless.
Her hair covers her face which can suggest that she is represented as insecure .
The woman first speaks in the middle of the trailer and this is significant. Through the trailer she is represented as a brave fearless masculine woman who is very violent however when she talks she has a very innocent girly voice which reminds the audience that she is still a woman.
In a specific scene in this trailer, the woman is surrounded by a bunch of men and they are pointing their guns at her. This connotes a patriarchal, male dominant society. Shows that even though she is making a name for herself she is still the ‘second sex’.
Near the end of the trailer we see a bullet on a table and then another bullet follows it which can indicate that this film will have lots of deaths and never ending disaster.
When she is about to punch the guy the music stops which creates tension.
This film will appeal to adults because of the violence especially men as they would appeal to the action side of the film.
In this trailer we don’t see any promiscuous actions which would appeal to the male gaze as it is trying to send the message that woman are not just for pleasure and they don’t fit the stereotypes given to them.
Digetic sound is important in this trailer as it gives us an insight of the characters involved. In the beginning a man says ‘watch your ass on this one. This quote has a double meaning. It can mean that people need to watch out for this woman as she is dangerous or it can mean that someone’s telling her to watch out which implies that she has support.
In the beginning there is also a close up of a money which connotes that money is an important theme in this film and also near the end there is another shot of money which indicates that money is significant through out the film.
In the beginning we see a child playing with her friends in the playground and the setting is all bright however, when she flicks the coin it becomes all dark and we see a man with a bullet. This implies that money changes things greatly.
Through out this trailer the woman doesn’t smile therefore she is represented as dark and emotionless.
Her hair covers her face which can suggest that she is represented as insecure .
The woman first speaks in the middle of the trailer and this is significant. Through the trailer she is represented as a brave fearless masculine woman who is very violent however when she talks she has a very innocent girly voice which reminds the audience that she is still a woman.
In a specific scene in this trailer, the woman is surrounded by a bunch of men and they are pointing their guns at her. This connotes a patriarchal, male dominant society. Shows that even though she is making a name for herself she is still the ‘second sex’.
Near the end of the trailer we see a bullet on a table and then another bullet follows it which can indicate that this film will have lots of deaths and never ending disaster.
When she is about to punch the guy the music stops which creates tension.
This film will appeal to adults because of the violence especially men as they would appeal to the action side of the film.
In this trailer we don’t see any promiscuous actions which would appeal to the male gaze as it is trying to send the message that woman are not just for pleasure and they don’t fit the stereotypes given to them.
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