The audience will feel especially close to characters when they identify with them. This normally happens when the character is going through times of stress, drama and crisis. The audience sees Cathy’s perfect life crumbling, and the audience identifies with her. This is also emphasized through Cathy’s point of view of her disgraced community who wants nothing to do with her when she they hear rumors of her and Raymond.
Human beings have been divided into biological groups known as races. Race is socially constructed. This idea dates back in history from the seventeenth century European colonial which expanded into Africa and America (Zack, N, 1998: 11). There are also divisions based on religion, family ancestry, and geographical origins which have divided people hundreds and thousands of years ago. But the differences associated with race in a combined biological and cultural sense are unique to the modern period of the west (Zack, N, 1998: 11). The ideas of race have been divided into four main components namely, the biological differences among groups, cultural differences, unequal distributions of political and economical power when groups come together and believed value differences or fundamental human worth of members of different groups (Zack, N, 1998: 11).
In Far From Heaven, it is clear that Cathy and Frank Whitaker are the perfect 1950s-style couple living in suburban bliss in the upper-middle class Connecticut. But that is only what they appear to be. In contrast to that, Raymond and the devoted maid are mere workers in Cathy and Frank’s household. They share cultural differences; these differences are not inherited but rather are results of different historical circumstances. These differences lead to disadvantaging the nonwhites. There has been many disagreements to what exactly racism is, some thinkers believe that racism is a kind of intentional ill-will while others believe that it is a kind of social structure (Zack, N, 1998:11).
Most people believe that only blacks and whites are involved in the question of racism and it has been stereotyped even in Far From Heaven. In the film, a person is only black or white. But in reality, there are other races besides blacks and whites however black-white racial problems seem to be the most severe, given their history of slavery, poverty and segregation. Blacks were inferior to whites and were seen as less human. In Far From Heaven, Frank Whitaker questions his wife about rumors of her relationship with a black man, all the while ignoring the blatant ironic hypocrisy that she had helped to conceal his own transgressions. The spectators are invited to identify with Cathy. She is a victim of her communities expectations of being the perfect housewife with the perfect husband and children. Her life becomes picaresque as she and her husband appears in magazines. This highlights the new world of American consumerism. Because of all this, she tries to play the role of the perfect housewife which leads her to become repressed and unhappy. She struggles to keep a calm exterior and starts longing for someone who can challenge her intellectually. She finds that someone, and even falls in love with him, but her emotional expressions are limited. By befriending her gardener, Raymond, she is unaware of the dangers as she crosses many boundaries, yet the audience is aware. Cathy upsets the privileged white town’s people when she talks to her black friend at the local art gallery opening, and it turns out that he knows more about art than she does. The society and even her close friends’ cannot come to terms with her association with Raymond and she becomes an outcast just like Raymond. As we are already invited to identify with Cathy, we sympathize with her characters. Cathy is lead to an unhappy life because of what her community expects her to be.
Far From Heaven also addresses the situation of non-whites in America. Even though the lead role is a white woman, Haynes also portrays the painful experiences of being a black man in a white supremacist society (Fanon, F, 1925:61). This allows the audience to identify with Raymond, especially in the scene where Raymond’s daughter is thrown with stones by white boys. Haynes works on the audience’s sympathy for Raymond and his daughter. It is also seen in the scene where Cathy says goodbye to Raymond in public and he tries to stop her. The public sees Raymond holding Cathy’s arm which causes a stir. Tragically, at the same time, Cathy feels guilty yet ashamed to be seen with him in public. The audience may feel angry with Cathy’s character, as she put Raymond in the position of being discriminated, yet she is too ashamed to do anything. The audience wants to see justice.
“They physical characteristics that determined gender are with us from the day we are born and are changeable only by surgery, exactly how much of gender is socialized, is constructed, is debatable” (Woodward, S, Lecture notes: Gender, Sexuality and Ideology, 23 August 2005).
Gender is socially constructed, yet the biology of a person is essential to determine the person’s gender. It becomes a role that is almost wholly learned. It is how we define ourselves. Gender is a term developed often used as a contrast term to ‘sex’ to depict the socially constructed as apposed to which is biologically given. It is typically used to refer to personality and behavior in distinction from the body. Gender has also increasingly been used to refer to social constructions having to do with the male and female distinction. This also includes the constructions made to separate female bodies from male – Castration Anxiety. In the time of patriarchy, the male is reminded of what women lack, the penis (Stadler, J, Lecture Notes, Film, Feminism and the Gaze, 7 September 2005). This shows that society not only shapes personality and behavior, but it also shapes the way in which the body appears. “Gender is the knowledge that establishes meaning for bodily differences…We cannot see sexual differences except as a function of our knowledge about the body and that knowledge is not ‘pure’, cannot be isolated from its implication in a broad range of discursive contexts” (Scott, J, 1988: 2).
The film is set in the 50s where the female body was seen as a lesser version of the male body. The female body was seen as tools for procreation. This is not necessarily a result of the particular social outcome of patriarchy, but it has set the stage for certain male reactions which lead to a commonality in women’s experience as victims. Females are largely determined through male values and prescriptions. Despite the fact that the protagonist is female, the film is still seen through hegemonic male vision (Walters, S, 1995: 58). Cathy’s actions are still judged through male values.
Cathy lives in a constructed reality owned by a patriarchal society where a lot is expected of her. Cathy’s surrounding people perpetuate a narrow-mindedness of stereotyped images of women. The media also contributes to this. Her perfect family is published in the town’s magazine and she is expected to live up to their expectations, where she is left unaware of her identity. Frank and Cathy reflect a consumerist society. Their ability to consume determined the money they had. This reinforced the idea that Cathy and Frank were very privileged and it cements their position in the community. One of the reasons why Cathy’s neighbors and friends could not handle her crossing the boundaries was because she represented the community. Her community has set cultural and social standards which must not be crossed. They believed that women could only find happiness in marriage and that they are care-givers and home makers. What she did reflects her community and they only loved her for what she owns. Cathy’s character grows from that way of thinking and she has the potential to realize their wrong-doings, but the patriarchal idea is reinforced when Cathy ends up alone in the end.
Patriarchy perceives women as the ‘other’. Frank does not tend to Cathy’s needs, as he only thinks about himself. She is objectified and she becomes the male gaze, her purpose is then to satisfy male viewers. Most films, like Far From Heaven reinforce patriarchy and conveys a very narrow range of representations. Cathy longs for something other than her ‘perfect’ family, she is afraid and ashamed to express it, just like she is afraid of what people might think when they find out she cannot keep her man. She is suppressed and she is punished for it at the end of the film. She ends up alone, while Frank is happy with his male partner and Raymond begins his new life, in a new town without Cathy.
The clothing worn in Far From Heaven plays an important role in the film and it also helps to reinforce ideas of patriarchy. American popular culture is overflowing with the simulacra of its specific decade – clothing, music hairstyle (Henry, M, 2002: 114). Cathy’s clothes are confined and beautiful, she is always dressed neatly and her hair is perfect. Frank is always in a suit (except in Miami) and even he is expected to live up to their communities’ expectations – the breadwinner. Raymond and the maid are mostly in their working uniforms or tacky clothes which reinforces their role in society. Raymond is not in control of his identity. He is reduced to a black man whom everyone knows as Cathy’s gardener. The fact that he is intelligent does matter and only Cathy can see through this.
A stereotype of violent men as inferior is also depicted in this film. When Frank gets drunk and hits Cathy, she is in control, even though it is only for a short period of time.
The discussion of sexuality fall mostly into two categories, firstly the debates about the morality of particular sexual practices and secondly, debates about the nature of sexual desire and experience. In the film, Frank deals with alcoholism as well as same-sex desires. At first, it is treated as a ‘sickness’ as he is worried about what others might think of him. He is the alpha male and has to live up to the communities expectations. The recurring theme of lesbian and gay films is that ‘come out of the closet’. They are on a quest to find and be themselves, to find their true nature and needs, but also to act on them. After Frank realizes that he cannot fight the ‘problem’ he learns to deal with it and finds that he is happier. He is still a positive representation, because in contrast to that, Cathy has crossed a ‘bigger’ boundary of race. Society may not approve but Frank still gets his happy ending.
Queer cinema was previously a negative term. It has reappropriated and imbued with positive meanings. Men in general have on average more spending power than women, even the gay men (Nelmes, J, 2003: 282). Homosexuality, seen in the lighting of Far From Heaven, is seen as a dark and mysterious concept. Still unaccepted by the community in which Frank lives. When Frank enters the club, the lighting is very dark and the music is fast paced in contrast to when he is at home. Sexual contact is suggested through the ‘gay look’ as well as the kiss as it was not fully accepted by the community. The key ideas behind queer cinema movement are diversity and fluidity. Directors are questioning the attitude, developed in the 1970s, that people should portray and promote positive images of gay and lesbian characters and situations (Nelmes, J, 2003:309). Frank has his happy ending, mention a few times above. It shows that the community is more understanding of his sexuality more than they are willing to with Cathy crossing over racial boundaries.
Reference List:
Course Readings:
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Henry, Matthew, “He is a ‘Bad Mother *$%@!#”: Shaft and Contemporary Black Masculinity’ in Journal of Popular Film and Television, Vol 30, No2.
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Nelms, Jill, “Lesbian and Gay cinema”, in An Introduction to Film Studies (3rd ed.), London: Routledge, 2003.
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Nelmes, Jill, “Representing Gender and Sexuality”, in An Introduction to Film Studies (3rd ed.), London: Routledge, 2003.
- Stadler, J, Lecture Notes, Film, Feminism and the Gaze, University of Cape Town, 7 September 2005
- Woodward, S, Lecture notes: Gender, Sexuality and Ideology, University of Cape Town, 23 August 2005).
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Walters, Suzanna Danuta ‘Visual Pressures: On gender and Looking’ in Material Girls, University of California Press: Berkeley, 1995.
Independent Research (Library):
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Ellis, John, Visible fictions : Cinema, Television, Video. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982.
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Fanon, Frantz, “The Fact of Blackness”, in Black Skin White Masks, Grove Press, Inc. New York, 1925.
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Hollows, Joanne & Mark Jancovich (Eds.): Approaches to Popular Film. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995.
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Scott, Joan, Gender and the Politics of History, Columbia University Press, New York, 1988.
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Zack, Naomi, “Mixed Black and White Race and Public Policy”, in Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality: The Big Questions, Blackwell Publishing, 1998.