The Full Monty promotes stereotypes assigned to males. Early on in the film Gaz and Dave are portrayed as chauvinists, judging a women entirely on her appearance. Whilst Dave rates her, “eight out of ten”, Gaz comments, “you can never really tell until you see the tits.” The film also shows that, whilst men can be sexist, they are also poor at communicating their feelings. Nathan leaves his father one night to walk home, and Gaz catches up with him to reconcile. Gaz pleas to his son, “I like you”, and then hesitates before continuing, “I love you, you bugger”, and punching him. Nathan then hits his father back before they hug. Not only is Gaz unable to express his love, but Nathan too feels awkward and is unsure how to respond. In a separate scene, Dave and Gaz ruin Gerald’s chances of receiving a full time job. They feel guilty, and bring Nathan and Lomper to apologize. After stumbling when saying sorry, it becomes apparent that the men have a gift for Gerald. They are embarrassed, however, and Nathan hits his dad to prompt him to present it to Gerald. Once again, the men of the film cannot express how they feel. Indeed, The Full Monty portrays all of the men in the film as stereotypical males, and by doing so leads the viewer to believe that most men are similar in character.
Peter Cattaneo’s film promotes the importance of masculinity. All of the men were once employed in a steel factory. This work is traditionally seen as very manly, as it involves hard work and heavy lifting. It is also likely that many of these characters were once proud of their efforts in such a hard job. Since then the men have been fired, and are now unemployed. In a role reversal, men such as Dave are relying on their wives to bring home the pay cheque. Such changes harm the men, and see them feeling useless. Dave is obviously miserable, and Lomper attempts suicide. The dancing and eventually stripping gives the men a sense of purpose, however. In the dole queue, while everyone else is sombre, these men are invigorated and lively. In the final scene, the men are naked, celebrating their masculinity. The still shot emphisizes the importance of this moment to the men, who have gained so much from the experience. The Full Monty upholds the importance of masculinity to males, and shows that without it, men can feel that they have very little.
The film also promotes the significance of companionship. When Dave and Gaz first meet Lomper he is depressed and trying to kill himself. Dave saves his life, and they begin discussing the occasion. Eventually Lomper reveals, “I don’t have any mates”, and to his pleasure, Gaz and Dave both agree he is their friend. The viewer can see that he is very happy, and that friendship is especially important to him. His new friends lead Lomper to triumph when he discovers his sexuality, and again when he strips in the final scene. The importance of companionship can also be seen in a rehearsal scene. All of the men are dancing, not paying any attention to each other. Gerald soon discloses how awful it looks, prompting Horse to relate the dance to the, “Arsenal offside trap.” Here the men must work together, and they immediately succeed. This scene is of symbolic importance. Although the men are feeling down, they can succeed when working together, as with the stripping show. In this instance, they work in unison, practising for months, and pull off a commendable feat. It is true therefore, that The Full Monty upholds the value of mateship and teamwork. Not only does the film teach its audience about aspects of human nature, it also offers insights into the attributes of wider society, and its impact on the individual.
The Full Monty upholds the need for the community to support one another in times of need. Towards the end of the film, everyone is suffering from their own problems. Gaz has been refused the right to see his son, and is desperately trying to raise money. Dave feels fat, and needs to feel loved. Horse, on the other hand, is concerned about showing his small genitals to the public. The film then shows a montage of scenes, each of which proving the community support the group. Dave is made fun of by two men in the street, Gaz is told the club has sold two hundred tickets, and a lady working at the dole office makes a pass at Horse. What’s more, whilst Gaz expects the audience to be comprised of only women, it contains an even mixture of both genders. It can be seen that the males in attendance do not wish to see the men naked, but are there to offer their support. This encouragement is very important to the men. Gaz raises the money to necessary to spend time with his son. Dave feels loved as he is watched and cheered on at the club. Finally, Horse strips naked and experiences the thrill of revealing his masculinity. All of the characters find happiness at the end of the movie, and all conflicts are resolved. This is only possible, the film suggests, because the men had the upmost support of their loved ones and the community in general.
Therefore, The Full Monty, whilst entirely entertaining, offers meaningful comment into the nature of both human nature and wider society. Set in 1997, and directed by Peter Cattaneo, the film employs likeable characters, and uses irony to create humour. It applies stereotypical traits to all of the central male characters, therefore suggesting all or most men are like this. The movie also promotes the importance of masculinity, and upholds the value of companionship. In addition, The Full Monty displays the need for the community to support each other. To communicate these ideas, the film uses the plotline, a montage, the central characters, and specific scenes. Indeed, it can be said that feature films seek not only to entertain, but also to offer valuable insights into human nature and society.
