Friday 25 January 2008

Task 15 B

This is an excellent focused introduction Nazi.

Www-

- A clear, focused research on the background information on Asians in today’s society.

-The use of quotes linking to what you’re explaining was good as it backed up what you wre talking about in your topic sentences.

Ebi-
-maybe mention what awards it has been awarded...this may show the influence and the recognition the audience have on either the subject matter or even the success of the film.

- Also if you want you could show the success through box office veiwings it had in the opening weekend.

I can't really think of any more changes as it is straight to the point and focused... :)
“That’s the second time you’ve tried to kill me today…oh come on it was jus a little bomb”[1]
‘How have the representations of women changed according to the stereotypes of them in the past, with particular reference to ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’?

When considering the word ‘representation’ words such as ‘label’, ‘portrayed’, ‘image’, and ‘constructed’ are a few that come to mind. Representation is a stereotype, which categorizes a group of people by only a few characteristics. Stereotypes between men and women have dramatically changed within today’s society, as women today challenge themselves to taking up a range of opportunities which allows them to gain a higher status in society. The action film genre is typically male dominated, where men take upon leading masculine roles, which entail playing the active part, and women were to take on a more passive role and were only they’re to be looked upon as ‘sex objects’. However, award winning, action comedy film ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ (2005,Doug Liman, USA) seem to play around with the traditional roles. Both Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt undertake challenging roles where Jolie plays the part of a ‘dominant powerful woman’, Brad Pitt still plays the part of an active character although seems to be passive towards Jolie, which is considered to be bizarre as you would not usually see this role change as both characters have similar roles which represent the change in society as well as them seen to be more equal. ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ have significantly portrayed women in a more positive way where they are seen to be up taking the active role in being dominant and are not being ‘labelled’ to the fixed stereotype of a woman.

[1] ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ 2005

Thursday 17 January 2008

'Female's have been dominant over males yet still remain inferior' . How has Mr and Mrs Smith shown the development of the female roles?
When considering representation words such as, ‘identify’, ‘label’, 'stereotype' come to mind. Women have been known to be inferior towards men throughout many years. Women have always been known to be objectified and ‘sex objects’, as Laura Mulvey Quotes: ' Pleasures in looking have been split between active/male and passive/female'. ‘Mr and Mrs Smith ’ starring Brads Pitt and Angelina Jolie is a film about the life of a to attractive individuals that get together but find it difficult to live with one and other as their jobs that they do both undertake trying to kill each other. The roles in which they both take are hard-hitting and masculine which is considered to be acceptable for Brad Pitt but for Angelina is not. The society and change has taken affect on this film as Mr and Mrs Smith (2005) refers to the 'new woman' as she takes control and shows that she to can be as equal to men. As it being a contemporary film the statistics show the popularity of the success of the film maybe due to the fact of the characters it entails as they both are very attractive and fresh individuals, the audience may refer to them as role models(810,500 viewers on average, peaking at 887,708 viewers). It has carried on the continuous success as it has won the ASCAP Award (2006), MTV Movie Award (2006), NRJ Ciné Award (2006) Teen Choice Award (2005) . Bonnie and Clyde (1967) is a historical text and that I have chosen to include and link it to Mr and Mrs Smith (2005) as they both show the representation of women and show the similarities to Mr and Mrs smith (2005) and Bonnie and Clyde (1697).A major change shown is the representation of females, through the change in modern society and the earlier days.

Sunday 6 January 2008

plan essay-

· In the introduction, highlight the main points, as in highlight the key events and issues in the early days, such as women and representation, and give the examiner the key events about the text i will be studying and referring too. (Mr and Mrs Smith- (2005)

· 2nd/3rd paragraph talk about the historical texts i have chosen main one being (Bonnie and Clyde-(1967)


(In this include things referring to the gender roles being different from one and other and refer to masculinity and femininity. Some of the historical texts that can be linked to my essay are (‘Scarface, goodfellas, ’) (R) (G)·

In the fourth paragraph I will be highlighting the political issues that were going on at the time. For example you can talk about the Women’s movement (black panthers), and the Second World War, how women’s took over men’s job (factory work and ammunition work). Rosa Parks how she refused to give her seat up for the white. She was the first female fighter. (G) and (R) (political)·

The fifth paragraph make reference to the theorists and authors that I have looked at linking it back to my study and embedding quotations that suit what my point will say. Referring to mulveys theory on how females were seen to be sex symbols in the early days (Laura Mulvey) link this to my study/text talk about Angelina, how she is seen to be a ‘sex symbol’ but then she seems to have power too (Male gaze) refer to Gauntlett. (R) (G) (Theory and Theorist)

Weblinks:

http://www1.medialiteracy.com/representation.jsphttp://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/index.html http://www.allisonmedia.net/Concepts/representation.htm http://media.guardian.co.uk/race/0,11027,584215,00.html http://theoryhead.com/gender/


The poem scene....


Bonnie and clyde stealing...not a normal couple but the things you do for love....


In this scene bonnie is shown to be a woman that has been taken control of but then she is seen to be smoking...

Bonnie and clyde...1967Arthur Penn
Writers:David Newman (written by) &Robert Benton (written by)more
Release Date:13 August 1967 (USA)
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Genre:
Biography / Crime / Drama / Romance more
Tagline:"The strangest damned gang you ever heard of. They're young. They're in love. They rob banks."
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Plot Outline:A somewhat romantized account of the career of the notoriously violent bank robbing couple and their gang.
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Plot Synopsis:
This plot synopsis is empty. Add a synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Gangster Film / Road Movie / Face Slap / Fight / Car Chase more
Awards:Won 2 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 22 nominations
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User Comments:(Top 10 choice) Superb job done by all involved.
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Cast (Complete credited cast)

trivia:The poem that Bonnie is reading as the police open fire on the rented flat is "The Story of Suicide Sal" written by Bonnie Parker in 1932. more
Goofs:Continuity: During the frustrated love scene on the bed, after he kisses Bonnie, Clyde turns to his back and puts his left hand on his chest. Next shot he takes his left hand from her breast.
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Quotes:
Bonnie Parker: I don't have no mama. No family either. Clyde Barrow: Hey, I'm your family. Bonnie Parker: You know what, when we started out, I thought we was really goin' somewhere. This is it. We're just goin', huh? Clyde Barrow: I love you.

Bonnie and Clyde- 1967’s

The chosen historical text above came instantly to my mind when thinking about women being either equal to men or taking control. The 1960’s ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ fit the perfect representation on women. Bonnie is a character that seems to have control over her but to an extent. The reasons I say that it’s to an extent are because the patriarchy of men still exists and scenes in the movie prove this. For example. A scene from the film where Bonnie, Clyde and another couple are travelling in the car they had stolen, she says something to Clyde that gets him extremely angry he then decides to stop the car and walk off, a few moments later bonnie runs over to Clyde then blames it on herself and indirectly says to him that she can’t live without him and reassures him by saying ‘ill do anything…Clyde…anything’. This particular scene was very similar to the one where Jolie and Brad go out to dinner at a restaurant then decide to play hard to get, so they end up having a fight on the dance floor where they are very discrete about it, then after a couple of shots they get intimate.
I guess this then links to Media Studies- the essential resource- Phillip Rayner, Peter Wall and Stephen Kruger
‘Women can be powerful, Vulnerable and Feminine’
I mean yes women are having a more recognisable role and yes they do consider taking leading roles but the are also obliged to give in to the patriarchy towards men. With the character Bonnie, she is typically a ‘blonde’ woman but then funnily enough the stereotypes are discrete and not the ways in which we would see a ‘blonde’ woman. Jolie is a brunette and she plays the hard girl in the film but as said earlier both characters have been typically story told ‘Hollywood’ style. Powerful, vulnerable and feminine, are a wide range of different descriptions of women. This shows the ways in which women are. ‘Masculine roles’…they can multi task, have a good side and bad side.


Media common concern about ‘ladettes’- Mucer, Campbell, Jervis and Lewis (2001)
‘Swearing, fast driving, graffiti- painting were as acceptable in women as in men’ Bonnie and Clyde and Mr and Mrs Smith both have these in common where women are represented to the extreme and quite devilish. Bonnie is seen drinking, smoking and swearing in the film… these stereotypes of a woman is not typical at all, and it goes with Jolie character as she is seen to be drinking and swearing in the film. Which goes to show that women are taking the more masculine roles and also these women have broken the traditional norms and values. This then links in very well to the Laura Mulvey’s ‘visual pleasures and narrative cinema’ she focuses a lot on the male gaze as she represents women to be an object and just abit of eye candy for men. I agree with her as both Bonnie and Jolie are very attractive women and when males are viewing this movie they may jus watch it for there own sexual pleasures. This then also links well with ‘She is a failure if she is not beautiful’- Germaine Greer he says that the woman has to be attractive in order to be put into an advert or anything, and this patriarchy does exist.


American texts/ British texts-
similar texts to my study....


Bonnie and Clyde- 60’s
Scarface-50
Goodfella’s-70
Bronx tale –70’s