Analysis of the representation of African-American Women in The Color Purple (1985) and For Colored Girls (2010)
Analysis of the representation of Black Women in "The Color Purple" (1985) and "For Colored Girls" (2010) Historically, black women in film have been portrayed in a negative light in conjunction with society's view of black people and their cultural roles. Black female characters often played roles such as slaves, maids, overbearing and sexually driven women. These roles support the three main stereotypes of black women (Mammy, Jezebel and Sapphire) 1 which I will explore further in this study. Roles such as 'Celie Harris' played by Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple (1985) directed by Steven Spielberg, represents the stereotype of a poor black woman who does everything she is told. Contemporary characters such as Thandie Newton's promiscuous 'Tangie' in For Colored Girls (2010) directed by Tyler Perry, depicts the historical stereotypes of a potty-mouthed sexually driven black female. This is known as the 'Sapphire' or 'The Jezebel Stereotype' (Zinn and Dill 1884:267)2. A woman who uses her body to manipulate males which is contrasted by many other females in the film who portray black women in a positive light. The portrayal of black female is constantly changing and evolving in today's society supported by an evolving representation in film media which will be the focus for my study. One of the key representations of Black women in film and media is the 'mammy'
Explore the ways Frayn uses multiple genre in his novel 'Spies'
Explore the ways Frayn uses multiple genre in his novel 'Spies'. Throughout 'Spies', Frayn introduces us to several key genres. As the reader we are unsure which of these is entirely central to the novel; however, three prominent genres seem to arise. We see 'Spies' primarily as a mystery novel, with the unfolding plot of the "German spy", the truths that are yet to be found and the questions that are left unanswered. 'Spies' is also presented as a 'coming-of-age' novel: Stephen's conflicting ideas of childhood and the adult world and his own journey into adolescence. Finally, the novel is portrayed as a work of philosophy: the 'novel of ideas'. Concepts relating to this genre are conveyed through Frayn's portrayal of the ambiguity of memory, the confusion of illusion and reality, and perception. The concept of mystery is introduced to the reader in the very opening chapter of 'Spies', and remains with us throughout the novel. Stefan hints of a "secret thing...still waiting to be discovered", but we are given no idea of what this might be; questions are left unanswered and it seems that even the narrator himself does not know quite why this "familiar breath of sweetness" is a "cue for such powerful feelings". The mystery here is why the smell of the Liguster and the memories Stefan begins to reveal have affected him so much that he feels he must return to "bring them out
Bourne Ultimatum
The clip from The Bourne Ultimatum tells the story of Jason Bourne trying to help a journalist escape a group who want to kill him to prevent him from passing on his information to Bourne. The narrative follows on from two previous films and this sequence consists of three narrative threads; 1-Jason Bourne's attempts to discover his identity and expose the conspiracy, 2-the attempts of the American organisation trying to capture and possibly kill Ross, 3-the journey of the unnamed assassin ('asset') to kill Ross and Bourne. The three strands are intercut to make a coherent narrative and they come together at the end of the narrative in a crescendo, namely, the death of Ross. The early use of iconography such as red buses, black cabs, the London underground, an establishing shot and even a glimpse of the Evening Standard make it clear that the scene is set in London. These famous icons make it clear to the audience where it is set and draw on their personal experiences of this particular place, thus possibly making it feel more 'real' to them. The music and the editing create a tense and fast-paced feel to the clip as the shaky camera work and whip pans give it a documentary type feel. This method is often used in this genre of films in order to make the viewer feel like they are there, which is only a new technique as not too long ago if the camera work was shaky this was
Female gender stereotypes reinforced in three Disney animated films: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast
The Walt Disney Corporation is one of the largest mass media companies in the world owning TV and radio networks, Internet sites, theatres, theme parks, music studios, magazines etc. They publish children’s books, produce cartoons, computer software, and toys among many other things. For more than 70 years Disney animated films have been a popular form of children’s entertainment and part of many children’s lives worldwide. It is not an exaggeration to say that these films have also contributed to and influenced the shaping of children’s values, beliefs and imagination. Therefore, being one of the most dominant storytellers and having such a huge influence on children’s culture in general, the Disney Company and the array of images and stereotypes they offer to the public should be approached critically and analysed. In this essay I will be focusing on the female gender stereotypes reinforced in three Disney animated films - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast - and on the notions of femininity that these films portray. Furthermore, I will be analyzing what kind of effects these particular stereotypes and representations of femininity may produce on girls and young women. Most predominant female gender stereotypes that these films reinforce are the following: . a woman’s appearance is valued more than her intellect; 2. a
Deconstruction of Legally Blonde
Deconstruct the text Legally Blonde against the ideas offered by G. Swanson. Take into account the values, ideologies and representation within this text. Blondes do not have a very good reputation; they are seen as being very dumb and not very with it. Legally blonde portrays this image very well through Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon). As the credits are being shown at the beginning of the film, the first thing the audience is shown is a mane of perfect golden blonde hair. This instantly shows the 'blonde' theme to the audience. Everything - to start with - is very stereotypical in this film. Elle's mother and father are both very wealthy and so live in a large and impressive house with a swimming pool. Her father, also, is always seen holding a martini. This is a stereotypically upper-class drink and so, of course, he is not seen without one, which immediately shows that he is a very wealthy man. Her mother also seems to be quite a bit younger than her father and looks much like a trophy wife, which is also a stereotypical view of wives of rich men. Her boyfriend, Warner, is clearly very posh, which the audience know before he even appears because he has a stereotypically posh name "Warner Huntington III". Even when he does arrive, it is in a convertible with an expensive suit and a cocky attitude. The sorority house she lives at the start is completely serene
Investigate and evaluate a piece of historical evidence, the Hollywood movie The Patriot starred by Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger in order to determine whether or not it is reliable
History is the study of the past, of what had really happened and who were involved. To study history itself, it is essential that the source from which the information were taken is factual as well as reliable. It is not acceptable if it contains errors and flaws or mixing the truth with some fictions. This essay will investigate and evaluate a piece of historical evidence, the Hollywood movie The Patriot starred by Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger in order to determine whether or not it is reliable and could be used to determine the events that really had happened during the American fight for Revolution. A way to determine the reliability of The Patriot as an accurate historical source is by knowing whether it is a primary or a secondary source of information. A primary source of historical information came from a person who was directly involved during the period of time or a document written during that period, such as diaries or the Declaration of Independence. In this case, this movie is considered as a secondary source. Some of the advantages of a primary source is that it brings the researcher as close as possible to what actually happened in the history and it is almost one hundred percent true. It helps to know what the people involved think and their individual viewpoints on certain events. However, the problem with primary source is that want it or not, historians
Looking at mise-en-scene, cinematography and sound in the film Leon (Luc Besson) 1994.
Focus on how one or more of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and and sound create meaning and generate response in a film sequence of no more than seven minutes. I will be looking at mise-en-scene, cinematography and sound in the film Leon (Luc Besson) 1994 In the opening sequence of Leon, Besson uses a travelling aerial shot of a lake followed by a huge park, which is finally dominated by huge, cosmopolitan skyscrapers. The camera rests here to show the contrast in jungle and urban life. We then enter the urban city, where several travelling shots going through the streets are used giving an apparent sense of setting and location. The added use of non-diagetic sound combined with many beautiful shots of New York's streets combine to produce a very mysterious atmosphere. This mood is enhanced once we zoom in to the dark open doorway of a small Italian restaurant. The first image of Leon goes hand-in-hand with the first scene, as we see him only in an extreme close-up of his eyes, which are concealed beneath sunglasses. This image is shrouded in darkness and mystery. We are also shown close ups of Leon's boss through the reflection of his own sunglasses. This again adds to the mood. At this point in the film, we see neither Leon nor his boss in full view, meaning that the first character conveyed to us in the film is a photograph of a victim. In this shot, the director
Describe a memorable character in the text - Billy Elliot.
Describe a memorable character in the text. Explain how verbal and / or visual features of the text were used to help you remember this character. Billy Elliot was the interesting character in the film "Billy Elliot" directed by Stephen Daldry. Eleven-year-old Billy lives with his father Jacky, older brother Tony, both coal miners, and his frail Nana in a mining town in the north of England. Life is not easy; the miners are on strike and times are tough. In this mining community boys are expected to do tough sports like boxing. Billy tries to fit in the world of his father Jacky and Brother Tony. Billy goes to boxing lessons every week though he is not very good at it and his heart is in Ballet. He is passionate about dancing and we are shown this in the opening scene of the movie, where we are shown a close up of hand putting long play on turntable song "I was dancing when I was 12". Then Billy bounces on bed where we again see a close up of his face, arms, hands and feet Sunflowers on wallpaper, yellow T - short, green shorts describes the mood of exhilaration and shows a sense of joy in his own body, in the music. He shows an uninhibited delight in his body and in the music that inspires him. We see his sensitivity through the treatment of his grandmother. Billy is responsible to take care of her nana. When Billy realizes that his nana is missing he comes out of
Film Studies 28 Days Later How are the mise-en-scene, lighting, performance and camera work used to create meanings for the spectator in this early sequence?
Film Studies - "28 Days Later" How are the mise-en-scene, lighting, performance and camera work used to create meanings for the spectator in this early sequence? This analysis of '28 Days Later' will consider how the mise-en-scene, lighting, performance and camera work are combined to convey meaning and mood in the first few sequences of the film. This is a British post apocalyptic/horror/science fiction movie, directed by Danny Boyle the plot tells the story of a young man, Jim, who awakens from an apparently long coma in a deserted hospital in London. Throughout the course of the film we become aware that whilst he was sleeping, a highly contagious virus has swept through Britain. Turning its victims to insanity within a number of seconds, their blood begins to fume, their eyes turn deep bloodshot red and all that remains is a zombie like state of mind with the lust to massacre the uninfected. Throughout the course of the film Jim becomes a reluctant hero who helps other survivors try to stay alive in the bleak situation. The first scene that I examined starts immediately with clips of human wars, riots and violence around the world, which we later learn to be a vital theme in the film. The next shot is of a chimp, strapped to a chair and forced to watch these multiple sights of aggression. The mise-en-scene use of the TV screens is interesting as the camera shot appears
Man on Wire is a documentary based on Philippe Petits emotional and physical journey as a tightrope walker
Man On Wire Documentary filmmaking was created to provide objectivity, authenticity and truthfulness on a particular subject matter - something first seen in movies such as Nanook of the North, Robert Flaherty. Man on Wire is a documentary based on Philippe Petit's emotional and physical journey as a tightrope walker whose sole dream was to achieve the impossible and walk across the two world trade centers. Its subject matter aside, what is particularly interesting about this documentary is the fact that it does not follow all of the typical documentary film conventions that we see in a vast number of Michael Moore films for example. Accuracy is often a critical factor in documentary films, clichéd by unsteady, handheld camera shots, cramped framing (the rule of thirds is often entirely ignored) and the utilization of natural lighting is employed. Often times the use of diagetic sound is entirely natural as well, in particular Nick Bloomfields Biggie and Tupac where which we notice the natural sound 'runs out' and is looped on several instances. However, Man On Wire focuses more on versimilitude as opposed to accuracy itself, where fear is intensified to a whole new level and the camera recreates frantic movements, unlike conventional documentary filmmaking. Documentarians often go to great lengths to convince us that the footage is real and unaltered in anyway, although
