My powerpoint presentation for the representation of women in romantic comedies.

The representation of women in romantic comedies by Melissa Cannons

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Breakfast at Tiffany's - Personal Notes

General.

• Arrives in New York in a yellow taxi.  = Traveller?
• Elegantly dressed, black gown & gloves.
• Sunglasses = Mysterious?
• Big dreams = Tiffany's.
• Individual but lonely; as shown by the opening scene when she's walking down NY highstreet.
• She's observant, never misses a thing.
• Visits a mobster in Sing Sing prison >Sally Tomato. > She carries coded messages.
• She's inquisitive. 
• Likes diamonds > idea of perfection.
• Reading about South America being a rich continent. 
• All women in the film are dressed elegantly and glamorously.
• Ends with Holly and Paul kissing in the rain.
  
  Why Holly Golightly is different.
• She keeps her slippers in the fridge.
• Runs to avoid her dates from nights before.
• She uses charm and suggestion to get her own way. 
• Has a cat that she refuses to name because she doesn't feel it belongs to her.
• She sleeps nude.
• Keeps her phone in a suitcase to muffle the noise.
• Really disorganised > unconventional for a woman.
• Whistles like a man for a cab in the street.
• Waters plants with alcohol.
• She cares immensely for her brother, Fred.
• Doesn't save money well.
• Has nightmares about her brother Fred, who is in the army.
• Smokes.
• Party animal.
• Gets arrested by the police.
• She calls her neighbour Paul, 'Fred'. < shows her attachment to her brother and how much she longs to see him.
• She's frequently drunk.
• She marries people for their money.
• Drinks champagne.
• Thrives to do things that she's never done before. 
• She's shy to commitment.
• Devastated at the loss of her brother, she trashes her apartment. 
• After the death of her brother, she took up knitting and dresses casually > no glam.
• Recognises belonging and love at the end > Searches for 'cat' who she chucked out of the taxi and threw on the street.
• Ultimate realisation of love.
  
  Quotes:
• " I hate snoops."
• "She's got a lot of style and class."
• "I need money and I'll do anything to get it."
• "I think it would be tacky to wear diamonds before I'm 40."
• "C'mon don't be a chicken" < encouraging Paul to steal.
• "She's a phoney, a real phoney!"
• "People don't belong to people, I don't wanna be locked in a cage!"
• " I've got to do something about the way I look. I mean a girl just can't go to Sing Sing with a green face."
• "I'm like cat here, a no-name slob. We belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us. We don't even belong to each other."

Things to include in presentation script.

• The romantic comedy genre has characters which are predominately women.
• Aimed largely at a female audience.
• The target audience has seen little variation.
• Bridget Jones Diary and The Ugly Truth both represent an image that although the women are both socially and financially successful, they seek and gain ultimate happiness when finding their perfect man.
• All films are still reliant on male acceptance and love.
  
                                                      
                                                          ♥

Rep of women - Dumber and dumber?

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1138946/Hollywood-portrays-women-image-obsessed-man-mad-idiots-says-British-academic.html

• In contemporary films, women seem to be shown as being dumber and dumber...
  
• Apparently only concerned by image and men .
  
• The decline in intelligence is seen when comparing Bridget Jones (Rennee Zellwegger) to Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn).
  
• Women's lives are seen to be more oppressive than they were 10 years ago.
  
• In the Golden Era, women played fully formed characters, as well as being funny and entertaining.
  
• Nowadays, women can only be seen as a complex character if she's depressing, tormented and self-sacrificing.
  
• Women only care about weddings and shopping.
  
• Melissa Silverstein, founder of Women & Hollywood claims that the portrayal of dumb women appeals to men > it's linked with the fact that most directors are men, and they're only interested in one thing and present females in a desirable manner.
  
• It is said that  fewer than 10 per cent of Hollywood films were written by women, with less than 6 per cent directed by women.
  .
  
  

Representation of women - Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Source: http://www.akira.ruc.dk/~camelia/Teaching/Autobiography/Breakfast-at-Tiffany-example.pdf

• Holly is seen to wear a long, black dress, elegant black gloves and a cigarette in hand.
• Female protagonist.
• She's a call girl.
• Likes to party.
• The main theme of the film is the celebration of power of romantic love and stability over fluidity and freedom.
• Based on a 19 year old girl making her living in New York.
• She is characterized as being unknowing and mysterious.
• She keeps the details of her personal life hidden.
• She is wild and free.
• She gets a new male neighbour and they build their relationship, which by the end is a romance.
• She has a liberal view on marriage.
• Aims to escape the conventional existence.
• Themes of belonging and freedom. 
  Feminist film theory:
• In the 1970's feminists argued that women were represented stereotypically and their actual lives weren't actually portrayed .
• The main assumption was that films mainly reflected social power structures.
  Susan Douglas:
• The 60's was a decade which 'belonged' to the boys. 
• Decade of 'Rebel without cause'.
• Women played a more trivial part in the 60s: they fainted whilst seeing the beatles, and exposed themselves at Woodstock.
• Emphasis on shortening the generational gap in the 60s.
• Susan Douglas thinks that Holly Golightly is the first hermaphrodite female protagonist in a Hollywood film. 

Orientation:

• Holly herself challenges her orientation in the film, there is real ambiguity. 
• "People couldn’t help but think I must be a bit of a dyke myself. And of course I am. Everyone is: a bit. So what? That never discouraged a man yet, in fact it seems to goad them on."
  
  Her name:
• She made herself: Holly Golightly < a mixture of go & lightly. - It represents her ability to change identity, location and lifestyles without hesitation.
• She's a traveller. - has no real home.
  
  Lifestyle:
• She refuses to have any kind of stability or identity.
• She travels away and refuses to settle down.
• After getting in trouble with the law, Holly leaves the city.
• Paul makes her change her mind and settle down with him. 
• When she finds love, she finds a place that she can call home.
• The film ends with reference to the 1950's belief that women must get married and raise children.
  
  Challenging the 1950s.
• The film is seen to challenge the morals and beliefs of the 1950s.
• Sexual liberation is key - this film shows the advancements in society and represents the image that it's okay to be free and fulfil your desire. 
• Hepburn had a boyish appearance due to her tall, thin appearance but still managed to be attractive to men.
• This showed that the 1950's pin up image wasn't all that was desired and it didn't matter what you looked like anymore as long as you were happy.
  
  How she defyed the stereotype,
• She didn't represent the typical stereotypical persona in the film e.g. the girl next door or the mothering role.
• She slept all day and partied all night.
• Watered her plants with alcohol.
• Kept her slippers in the fridge.
• Slept nude.
• Refused to decorate her apartment. 
• Kept her phone in her suitcase. 
• Whistled like a man when calling for a cab.
• Dined in fancy restaurants.
• Got drunk whenever she wanted.
• She only wanted to get married for the money.
• She represented a 'young, hip modern chick'
• At the same time as rebellion, she accepted the moral idea that you have to settle down with a man which reinforced traditional ideas of womanhood. 
• The representation that is evident here is dominant to that of the 1950s.
• Despite the fact that she settled with Paul by the end, she never paid the price for her sins.

Breakfast at Tiffiiny's -Research :)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_at_Tiffany's_(film)

• Made in 1961.
• Romantic comedy.
• Directed by Blake Edwards.
• Audrey Hepburn's character is presented as being naïve and eccentric. 
• Based on a book of the same name.
• Released on 5th October 1961.
• Budget: $2.5 Million.
• Box office: $14,000,000
  
  Plot:
  
  -Taxi pulls up outside Tiffiny and Co.
  
  
  -Holly Golightly played by Audrey Hepburn emerges.
  
  
  -She goes home and fends of her date from the disastrous night before. (he'd been waiting in the car outside her apartment all night.)
  
  
  -The following day she is woken by her new neighbour 'Paul Varjak'; ringing the doorbell.
  -They chat as she gets dressed to leave for her weekly visit to Sally Tomato; a mobster who's in prison.
  
  
  -She's paid to pass on coded messages for his drug ring but plays dumb during visits.
  
  
  -As she leaves her apartment, she meets Paul's 'decorator'; a wealthy woman - Emily Eustace Failenson.
  
  
  -Holly goes out onto the fire escape that night to escape an O.T.T date.
  
  
  -She goes into Paul's apartment, where she see's Emily kissing him and handing over cash.
  
  
  -After Emily left, Holly went in and found out that Paul is a writer who hasn't had anything published for a while.
  
  
  -Holly explains to him that she is trying to save money to support her brother Fred, for when he gets out of the army.
  
  
  -They both fall asleep on the sofa but are awoken when Holly has a bad dream about her brother and leaves.
  
  
  -She later buys Paul a new typewriter ribbon to apologise & invites him to her house party.
  
  
  -At the party, Paul meets her Hollywood agent O.J. Berman, who describes Holly's transformation from country girl into Manhattan socialite.
  
  
  - He is also introduced to José da Silva Pereira, a rich Brazilian and Rusty Trawler, a rich American.
  
  
  -In subsequent days, Paul and Holly grow closer.
  
  
  -One day, Emily walks into Paul's apartment, thinking that she's being followed.
  
  
  -Paul tells her that he'll investigate and confronts the man who says he's Holly's husband, Doc.
  
  
  - Doc explains that Holly's real name is Lula Mae Barnes, whom he married when she was 14, and that he would like to take her back to Texas.
  
  
  - After Paul reunites Holly and Doc, she tells Paul the marriage was annulled and asks him to accompany her and Doc to the bus station.
  
  
  -There, she tells Doc that she's not going with him - Doc says that he won't support her brother if she doesn't go with him, she still refuses. She tells him that her brother Fred will live with her in New York.
  
  
  -Doc leaves brokenhearted.
  
  
  -After drinking in a club, Paul and Holly return to her apartment, where she drunkenly tells him that she plans to marry Rusty Trawler for his money.
  
  
  - A few days later, Paul learns that one of his short stories has been accepted for publication.
  
  
  - On the way to tell Holly, he sees the newspaper at her door, its headline stating that Trawler has married someone else.
  
  
  - Holly and Paul agree to spend the day together, taking turns doing things that each has never done before.
  
  
  - At Tiffany's, Paul has the ring from Doc Golightly's box of Cracker Jack engraved as a present for Holly.
  
  
  - After spending the night together, he awakens to find that she has returned to her apartment. Soon afterwards, Paul ends his relationship with Emily.
  
  
  - Holly schemes to marry José for his money, which angers Paul who has firmly decided on his love for her.
  
  
  - After Holly and José return to her apartment to find a telegram notifying her of Fred's death, she trashes her apartment in grief, her behavior disturbing José. Months later, Paul has moved out of the building.
  
  
  - He is invited to dinner by Holly, who is leaving the next morning for Brazil. However, they are soon arrested by police in connection with Sally's drug ring and taken to the 19th precinct.
  
  
  - Yunioshi re-introduced the unmentioned theme from the Capote novel and insinuated that they are smoking narcotics when they were arrested.
  
  
  -Holly spends the night in lock-up.
  
  
  - The next morning, Holly is released on bail with help from O.J. and finds Paul waiting in a taxi for her outside.
  
  
  - He has her cat and a letter from José explaining he must end their relationship due to her arrest.
  
  
  - Holly insists she will go to Brazil anyway and releases the cat from the taxi into the rain.
  
  
  - Paul confronts Holly about her behavior and leaves the cab, tossing the ring he had engraved for her into her lap and telling her to examine her life.
  
  
  - She quickly runs after him and together they find the cat, look into each other's eyes and embrace.

Amended Annotated Catalogue.

"The representation of women over time in romantic comedies"

Films:

Item 1: Primary source: Alfie (US, 1966, Dir. Lewis Gilbert.)

This film is very useful in terms of representation of women because it shows how women were treated and represented at the time, and centuries before. It represents a time when men were superior and women were only there for the benefit of the man. It shows the emergence of the sexual revolution, which also represents the beginning of change for the representation of women when they became more liberated.

Item 2: Primary source: Bridget Jones Diary (UK, 2001, Dir. Sharon Maguire.)

I feel that this film is very useful in terms of representation of women because it's very stereotypical in regard to the fact it focuses on a woman's struggle to find love, and her need to seek approval of a man, Bridget is seen to be very much reliant on male attention, which has of course changed over recent years thus providing a challenging representation to how women are portrayed on contemporary films.

Item 3: Primary source: The Ugly Truth (UK, 2009, Dir. Robert Luketic.)

This film is great in terms of showing how far the representation of women has progressed over time. In contemporary films women are individual, opinionated and liberated but they can also still be quite reliant on men which can be seen in The Ugly Truth as the main protagonist, played by Katherine Heigl asks the advice of a man on her love life- which shows that although women are now liberated and individual, they still seek the advice and approval of men. One could argue that the representation of women in romantic comedies has progressed but is still very much limited due to our patriarchal society.

Articles:

Item 4: (The 1960's: A decade of change for women.) http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/03/12/the-1960s-a-decade-of-change-for-women

This article is good in terms of showing the changes that happened in society during the 1960's.This decade was crucial in terms of the shift of morals that occurred during this period which lead to an introduction into the liberation of women - new found rights - which began to come across in films made in this era - for example, the focus film Alfie.

Item 5: (Study: Media representations of women have become more "pornified") http://www.nerve.com/news/love-sex/study-media-representations-of-women-have-become-more-pornified

This article shows how women are more commonly objectified within the media in contemporary society - this representation is quite stereotypical of modern films. This portrayal is interesting when contrasting is against the representation of women in previous decades. Women have gone from being conservative, dependent and passive to liberated, individual and actively objectified.

Websites:

Item 6: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824060/

Screenonline is a great source in terms of showing the progressive representation of women. It outlines how women were represented decade by decade and shows the gradual progression of female individualism. By the 1960's, when Alfie was produced 'female characters were seen to break moral codes and defy expectations of how they should behave - as represented by Alfie's many 'girlfriends' who were having an affair.

Item 7: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_feminism

The history of feminism is a key factor in the development of the representation of women over time, the different movements and how women were portrayed at certain points in society are reflected well in the focus films, particularly in regard to female liberation.

Item 8: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_film_theory

With specific reference to 'realism and counter cinema' It's relevant to my investigation and has proven to be a useful source because it highlights how feminist movements contributed to a fairer representation of women within the media which can be seen in the films I am studying.

Powerpoint presentation.

Item 9: http://www.slideshare.net/amberflykezzie/representation-of-women-in-the-90s

This presentation outlines the representation of women in the media during the 90's - This decade showed the emergence of female individualism - Women were no longer as dependent on men, they were able to go for higher paying jobs and women became more confident within society- living to please themselves. This has specific relevance to all 3 of my film choices as it provides a contrast to the portrayal of women which was evident in Alfie and reinforces the contemporary morals and beliefs in today's society which is reflected in Bridget Jones Diary & The Ugly Truth which shows that the representation of women has been progressive to an extent.

Radio.

Item 10: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00c26xk#p00cgzx0

An interview with Kate Winslet talking about romantic comedies - 'The Holiday' - she says ''they are quite conventional, romantic comedies, aren't they? There is the expectation of the sort of lives and the way people end up is quite conventional.'' - This shows that the representations of people in romantic comedies are often stereotypical and the viewer can often predict what is going to happen to each of the characters. The aim of this source was to gain an insight into the view of an actress who stars as part of my focus genre.

Video.

Item 11: Special feature on The Ugly Truth DVD – (The Truth Is Ugly: Capturing the Male & Female Point of View.)

The special features on the DVD help give an insight into the construction of the characters and the gender differences, which define their morals. It was useful to show the distinction between how men and women think and what they are looking for in terms of a 'perfect checklist.' It states that romantic comedies are stereotypical; they always begin with a man and a woman who are in conflict and end in their love story. Romantic comedies are often clichéd and their outcomes are often predictable.

Books.

Item 12: E. Ann Kaplan - Women & film - both sides of the camera.

This book has proven to be very helpful in terms of the breakdown of the representation of women over time and how various feminist events have affected the way in which women are represented in films. Ann Kaplan also has a theory that the representation of women is reliant on two different concepts: essentialism and anti-essentialism, which is the battle between whether women are represented as their own individuals or if their representation is constructed to please the male eye.

Theories:

Item 13: Laura Mulvey feminist theory.

This theory is a reliable source to include in my investigation because it can be indentified in two of my three focus films; Alfie & The Ugly Truth – the theory suggests that women are actively objectified and men are dominant. It is interesting that it can be identified in a matured text (Alfie) and also in the most contemporary text, The Ugly Truth – It raises the question as to whether the representation of women has really been progressive or if they're still very much reliant on men?!

Documentary:

Item 14: American Cinema – The Romantic comedy.

“The women give as good as they get, they're active, authoritative, wild and uninhibited – the women in these films are very strong, and they have a way of taking control of the situation of using men for their own uses'' This source is interesting as it provides a challenging view to the stereotypical explaination of the representation of women, it suggests that women are actually pivitol in these films and are empowered; an association which is generally uncommon.

Discarded sources:

Item 1: http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/hollywood/10216.shtml Doris Day interview - I though that this source would provide historical context but it didn't contain much useful information; it covered information about her musical career and the death of her husband. As it lacked information that was relevant to my investigation, I decided that the source wasn't applicable.

Item 2: Film: Four weddings and a funeral – The character types evident in this film weren't complex enough to provide a good comparison, I found the characters to be too black and white in terms of behaviour and morals which would not have been useful in terms of distinguishing a juxtaposition between men and women. The film I chose to replace Four Weddings and a Funeral was Bridget Jones' Diary as I think there is a clear distinction between the desires and needs of men and women which is reflected in the portrayal of the characters; specifically Bridget who often makes a fool of herself in order to attract the attention of her 'perfect man'.

Item 3: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/jmurray_01.shtml (20th Century Britain: The Woman's Hour)

This source covered a lot of the feminist acts which lead to the liberation of women in comtemporary society, it had a lot of interesting information, for example, the fight for the right to vote, women during the war, the 1944 education act and the influence of feminism; although, not all of the information was directly relevant to the investigation (e.g. the personal account of events), in addition, the information that was relevant had already been referenced in other sources. 

Shooting Michael Moore:

• A documentary about Michael Moore and his techniques - made by a guy he grew up with.
• Michael Moore exploits people.
• Manipulative / stretches the truth.
• "The enemy."
• Trickery.
• Begins with lighthearted music.
• Voice over - much like Michael Moore - colloquial tone.
• History of Flint.
• User.
• Humour followed by serious fact.
• Michael Moore presents unbalanced representations.
• Isn't at all patriarchal.
• Doesn't do anything for his 'hometown' of Flint.
• Inaccurate.
• Biased.
• Selfish.
• A con artist.
• Tax cheat.
• Breaks the law.
• Doesn't ask for permission.
• Michael Moore has double standards.
  
  --------------------------------------
  Kevin Leffler's agenda;
  To undermine Michael Moore, show the other side of the stort - Mike isn't the person he's made himself out to be.
  --------------------------------------
  Conventions:
• Hand held cameras.
• Non-diegetic music.
• Film maker in film.
• Interviews.
• Raw footage.
• Clips from old TV shows.

Bowling for Columbine

• Paints America to be stereotypical.
• Ease of obtaining guns.
• Guns are referred to in a light hearted tone.
• Moore is sarcastic - "I can't wait to go out and shoot up the neighbourhood."
• Careless approach to guns.
• Dismissive morals.
• Uses lighthearted music to make events on the screen seem as if they don't matter and are just neglected by authority.
• Slow paced, emotive music used over view of Columbine School - Intensification.
• Panic and destruction.
• Racism.
• Tears / distraught families.
• All guns used are legally brought in stores.
• No music / added sound over speeches against guns - emphasis.
• Blames everyone but themselves.
• Biased view.
• Marilyn Manson blamed for shooting - represents fear - the shooters listened to his music.
• Repetition of violent.
• 11,127 deaths by guns each year in America.
• Makes white people seem superior to black people but whites were portrayed as unethical.
• Rhetorical questions.
• Discrimination against black community. 
• Authorities seen to be neglectful.
• Moore asking the sergeant about arrests and the police man just ignored him and walked away.
• Fun facts - lighthearted. 
• Hunting is traditional.
• First reaction is to pull their gun out. 
• Scantily clad - the woman with a gun wearing hardly any clothes.
  --------------------------------------------------------------
  Canada vs the states.
• Canada is seen to be superior, both in terms of safety and gouvernment ruling.
• The states > Gun ruled, violent and unsafe.
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  Scenes:
• Report on a school girl shooting by a fellow classmate (who was living with his uncle as his mother was being evicted) - he found a gun and shot his classmate. The reporters were unsympathetic > Joking about hairspray.
• Poverty - sad, emotive music, Michael Moore's narration > tells of how hard done by the kids in Flint are, really makes the audience sympathize - personal tragedies have no background music -emphatic.
  -----------------------------------------------------------------
  Representation of reality.
• A little biased.
• Reality seems dull, sad and worthless.
• Driven by fear.
  -----------------------------------------------------------------
  Charlton Heston:
• Walked away.
• Mentioned ethnicity.
• Rally - "From my cold, dead hands." >editing after shootings. >time of rallies.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------
  Documentary conventions:
• Voice over - satirical nature - lighthearted.,
• Film maker on screen - normal >jeans, baseball cap etc > we identify with him.
• Non-diegetic music - wonderful world.
• Real life footage > emotional response.
• CCTV.
• Cartoon to show history of America - humour.
• Statistics.
• Interviews.
• Juxtaposition.
• The Kuleshov effect.
  -----------------------------------------------
  Michael Moore's agenda:
• Educate outside world about American gun culture.
• Blames the media > culture of fear. > Canada case study.
• Audience - question - own interpretation.

Restriction / ban on gun culture.
-----------------------------------------------~
Personal response to the film:

• Interesting.
• Factual.
• Unbelievable. 
• Culture difference.
  --------------------------------
  Scene analysis:

The rifle association:  

• Just a man from the rifle association saying that the film will be of great interest > seen to be backing the film?
• Old > war time.
• Black and white > serious / cold > tradition.
• Stuck in the past.
• Sound > crackly > outdated but serious.
  
  The use of sound:
• Light hearted.
• Typically American.
• Patriotic.
  
  The voice over:
• Satirical.
• Lighthearted.
• We > personal / inclusive.
• Casual.
• Colloquial.
  
  The typical American day montage:
• "The farmer did his chores, the president bombed another country whose name we couldn't pronounce" > massive contrast
• Sun rising, milkman making deliveries > ideal view of America.
  
  The woman with the gun and the statue of liberty:
• Change.
• Close up.
• Statue of liberty > freedom.
• Lady with gun.
• Slow motion.

Michael Moore's agenda in Fahrenheit 9/11

• Bush rigged the election.
• Bush had conflict of interests because of Saudi investment.
• Bush used the 9/11 attacks to invade Iraq for oil and Afghanistan for natural gas.
• The American gouvernment manipulated a culture of fear through the media.
• Working class people are targeted by the military to serve in the war.

Michael Moore's Bias:

• Omission.
• Juxtaposition.
• Ingroup / outgroup manipulation.
• Cynicism.
• Covert communicator.
• Pacing & distraction.
• Numeric deceptions.

The Kuleshov Effect: (1918)

• The very act of structuring images gives them meanings that they do not possess on their own.
• A film maker cannot depict 'the real'.
• Instead, they offer a partial or selective view of the 'real'.

Juxtaposition - Clips put together that reflect opposite things.

Documentary conventions:

• Use of statistics.
• Use of news footage.
• Slow motion.
• Clips from old TV shows.
• Hand held cameras.
• Interviews.
• Staged sequences of real events.
• Footage shot using a domestic video camera.
• Clippings from newspapers.
• Music used to make a comment on the images we see.
• Input from people with personal experience.
• Emotive language.
• Rhetorical questions.
• Voice over.
• Based on fact.
• Linear narrative.
• Realism.
• Commentary in colloquial language. 
• Use of non-diegetic sound.
• Film maker appearing on screen.

Documentaries:

• Specialist.
• Dangerous.
• 'Factual'
• Lack of escapism.
• Reality.
• Not high concept.
• Profit.
• Alienation. 

Class response to Farenheit 9/11

• Sympathy for the soldiers / civilians.
• War in Iraq is unjust.
• Scared / unnerved.
• Disgusted / backlash.
• Bush is a traitor.
• American hatred.
• One sided.

Objective vs subjective:

Objective: Someone who doesn't have an opinion and just represents something as it is.

Subjective: Having an opinion and providing a biased representation.

Clips for presentation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzQTF--oQ-U  (Alfie)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEvhD6pqZLU (Bridget Jones Diary)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf5nLo2fsF8 (The Ugly Truth)

Fahrenheit 9/11 - Directed by Michael Moore.

• Rhetorical questions to provoke thought.
• Voice over narration.
• "You can usually tell by the colour of their skin" - racist?
• Hand held cameras.
• Moore expresses and forces his own strong opinions upon us.
• Discrimination against African Americans.
• Live footage emphasises realism.
• Fast paced camera work past the riot crowds show negligence of opinion.
• Unsteady camera - reality.
• Michael Moore has a trustworthy, persuasive tone.
• Flooded with so many facts that lies or opinions could be believed by the audience.
• Destruction, panic = sympathy = grips the audience.
• Moore makes Bush look useless.
• Movie examples to support view. 
• Very emotive.
• Reinforces repeated patterns used by the gouvernment to cover their tracks.
• Repetition of 'why'. 
• Music used overdramatises the content.
• Subtitles that claim that the gouvernment are telling lies.
• Subtle humour. 
• Shocking real life footage.
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Factual.
• Contradictive information, makes the audience wonder what the truth is?
• Inserted clips of people's opinions.
• Slightly informal, quite colloquial in places - 'stuff' 'I suppose'.
• Uses a lot of adverbs of manner -to describe how things happened.
• Repetition of 'bias'.
• "One story that wasn't being covered is the story of the soldiers who lost their lives." - emotive, shows biased view - people were just dismissed.
• Mass destruction - panic.
• Bush = all mouth, no action --> He says 'bring it on' -when things happen, he sits back.
• "Officials say..." - Trustworthy.
• Army was the only option.
• "Abandonned"
• "Underdog"
• Emphasis on importance of the military.
• Linear narrative.
• Theme of violence, "each household is entitled to have weapons."
• Heavily based on politics.
• "You cannot kill someone without killing a part of yourself."
• "Grief" - "Forgotten" - "Why?".
• "Will they ever trust again?"
• Profits come before wellbeing.
• Vast age groups giving their opinions = morals / values.
• Gouvernement are insensitive.
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Personal response:
  I thought that it was interesting because it was really factual and taught me stuff that I didn't know- I was shocked at the gouvernments attempts to cover up their connections with Saudi Arabia and how they took a back seat and were really ignorant - particularly to the soldiers and their families; The gouvernment care about maximizing their profits instead of the wellbeing of their community. -- SHOCKING.

FM4 - Spectatorship.

• How we watch and respond to films.
• Role and behaviour as a spectator.
• How we work in relation to stimulus and challenging representations.
  
  
  Make notes on:
• Typical conventions of a documentary.
• How documentary constructs 'reality'.
• The techniques used by 'Moore' to influence your opinion.

Feminist media theory:

Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/11711855/Media-Theory

E. Ann Kaplan defined feminism as either essentialist or anti-essentialist :

1) Essentialist argue that women are a distinct group of people 'in terms of an essence that precedes culture and is ultimately biological in origin' Women therefore possess essential humaneness to combat men's competitiveness. 

2) The anti-essentialist view is one that does not look for the essential femininity but tries to understand the process by which the female is constructed by a male dominated society. 

------------------------------------------personal note to include in investigation. :)

Most people take the view that the representation of women is narrow and often stereotypical as a result of our patriarchal society.  

Reason for focusing on RomCom genre in particular:

-Because it's probably the only genre where females are the main protagonists, therefore the representation of women would have a more solid focus.

Quotes from 'The Ugly Truth'

1. Stop trying to win a man's heart. Aim lower.

2. Men are visual creatures.

3. If you want a relationship, here is how you get one: It's called a Stairmaster.

4. Laugh at whatever a man says.

5. No man is saying 'I love you' without expecting something in return. And by something, it's not a home-cooked meal.

6. Women, you have to be two people in order to lure your man: the saint and the sinner, the librarian and the stripper.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2742191

Special features on The Ugly Truth DVD.

• 'Katherine Heigl's character is uptight and Gerald Butler's character turns her world upside down.'
• 'All men want women to dress a certain way.' 
• Perfect checklist.

This film reflects how women have freedom to express their opinions but are also reliant on men, mainly for approval.

Discarded sources:

Item 1: http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/hollywood/10216.shtml Doris Day interview.


Item 2: The film - four weddings and a funeral - I didn't feel that the representation of women was solid enough to provide a good comparison. 


Item 3: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/jmurray_01.shtml It had interesting information about how women fought for the rights that they have in modern society but the information wasn't directly relevant to the investigation.

Think about:

• Laura Mulvey theories - Male gaze.
• Historical context.
• Morals and beliefs at the time of production.
• Shift in individualism.
• Dominating power of men. 
• Authority / superiority.
• Objectification.
• The power women have in Film Noir films - Femme Fatale. 

E. Ann Kaplan -Women & Film : relevant quotes:

'Patriarchy is viewed as dominating and repressing women through its controlling power over female discourse and female desire... the male gaze is defining and dominating women as an erotic object... place as a mother.'    


'The representation changes superficially in accord with current styles and fashions- but scratch the surface and one finds a familiar pattern.'


'Earlier decades reflect a period rigidly circumscribed by sexual and political ideologies.'


'In the 1950's, the fear of female sexuality seems to be repressed-hence it overflows everywhere'


'Lessening the threat that women's sexuality holds in patriarchy.' 


'Contemporary film has gone even further than the noir film in the open representation of female sexuality.'


'The various 1960's movements produced radical cultural changes resulting in a loosening of  rigid, puritanical codes, and the women's movement encouraged women to take possession of their own sexuality, gay or straight.' 


'The post-1960's era: the sexual woman could no longer be designated ''evil'' since women have won the right to be ''good''. 


'The contemporary liberated women is looking to satisfy herself.' (not reliant on men.)


'Women are ultimately refused a voice.. subjected to male desire.'


(up to page 9, line 13.) 

Notes on Alfie, regarding representation of women.

• No respect for women,refers to her as 'it'.
• Men are insulting towards women.
• 'She's a standby and she knows it and any bird who knows their place can be quite content.'
• Married women appears 'loose' and 'easy' -shows sexual revolution.
• Reinforces expected gender roles.
• Male dominance.
• Everyone for themselves attitude.
• Ideas of commitment,marriage and romance is made fun of if represented by men.
• Promotes a negative representation of women - just as sexual objects.
• Men show a lack of commitment in relationships.
• Women are portrayed as wanting love in a relationship compared to men who just want fun with no commitments.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00c26xk#p00cgzx0


Kate Winslet says ''they are quite conventional, romantic comedies, aren't they? there is the expectation of the sort of lives and the way people end up is quite conventional.'' 

Annotated Catologue.

Films:


Item 1: Primary source:  Alfie (US, 1966, Dir. Lewis Gilbert.) 


This film is very useful in terms  of representation of women because it shows how women were treated and represented at the time, and centuries before. It represents a time when men were superior and women were only there for the benefit of the man. It shows the emergence of the sexual revolution which also represents the beginning of change for the representation of women when they became more liberated.


Item 2: Primary source:  Bridget Jones Diary (UK, 2001, Dir. Sharon Maguire.)


I feel that this film is very useful in terms of representation of women because it's very stereotypical in regard to the fact it focuses on a woman's struggle to find love, and her need to seek approval of a man, Bridget is seen to be very much reliant on male attention, which has of course changed over recent years thus providing a challenging representation to how women are portrayed on contemporary films.


Item 3: Primary source:  The Ugly Truth (UK, 2009, Dir. Robert Luketic.)


This film is great in terms of showing how far the representation of women has progressed over time. In contemporary films women are individual, opinionated and liberated but they can also still be quite reliant on men which can be seen in The Ugly Truth as the main protagonist, played by Katherine Heigl asks  the advice of a man on her love life- which shows that although women are now liberated and individual, they still seek the advice and approval of men. One could argue that the representation of women in romantic comedies has progressed but is still very much limited due to our patriarchal society. 


Articles:


Item 4: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/03/12/the-1960s-a-decade-of-change-for-women 


This article is good in terms of showing the changes that happened in society during the 1960's -This decade was crucial in terms of the the shift of morals that occurred during this period which lead to an introduction into the liberation of women - new found rights - which began to come across in films made in this era - for example, the focus film Alfie. 


Item 5: http://www.nerve.com/news/love-sex/study-media-representations-of-women-have-become-more-pornified


 This article shows how women are more commonly objectified within the media these days - this representation is quite stereotypical of modern films. This portrayal is interesting when contrasting is against the representation of women in previous decades. Women have gone from being conservative, dependant and passive to liberated, individual and actively objectified.


Websites:


Item 6: Laura Mulvey feminist theory.


The concept that women are objectified and men are dominant in all media texts. This is an important source because this theory can be applied to almost every film that you watch, it is true that the representation of women is narrow and they are often passive. 


Item 7: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824060/ 


Screenonline is a great source in terms of showing the progressive representation of women. It outlines how women were represented decade by decade and shows the gradual progression of female individualism. By the 1960's, when Alfie was produced 'female characters were seen to break moral codes and defy expectations of how they should behave - as represented by Alfie's many 'girlfriends' who were having an affair.


Item 8: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_feminism 


The history of feminism is a key factor in the development of the representation of women over time, the different movements and how women were portrayed at certain points in society are reflected well in the focus films, particularly in regard to female liberation. 


Item 9: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_film_theory 


With specific reference to 'realism and counter cinema' It's relevant to my investigation and has proven to be a useful source because it highlights how feminist movements contributed to a fairer representation of women within the media which can be seen in the films I am studying. 


Powerpoint presentation.

Item 10: http://www.slideshare.net/amberflykezzie/representation-of-women-in-the-90s

This presentation outlines the representation of women in the media during the 90's - This decade showed the emergence of female individualism - Women were no longer as dependant on men, they were able to go for higher paying jobs and women became more confident within society- living to please themselves.

Radio.

Item 11: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00c26xk#p00cgzx0 


An interview with Kate Winslet talking about romantic comedies - 'The Holiday' - she says ''they are quite conventional, romantic comedies, aren't they? there is the expectation of the sort of lives and the way people end up is quite conventional.''  - This shows that the representation of people in romantic comedies are often stereotypical and the viewer can often predict what is going to happen to each of the characters. The aim of this source was to gain an insight into the view of an actress who stars as part of my focus genre. 

Video.


Item 12: Special feature on The Ugly Truth DVD 


The special features on the DVD help give an insight into the construction of the characters and the gender differences which define their morals. It was useful to show the distinction between how men and women think and what they are looking for in terms of a 'perfect checklist.' It states that romantic comedies are stereotypical, they always begin with a man and a women who are in conflict and end in their love story. Rom coms are often clichéd and their outcomes are often predictable.


Books.


Item 13: E. Ann Kaplan - Women & film - both sides of the camera. 


This book has proven to be very helpful in terms of the breakdown of the representation of women over time and how various feminist events have affected the way in which women are represented within the media. Ann Kaplan also has a theory that the representation of women is reliant on two different concepts: essentialism and anti-essentialism which is the battle between whether women are represented as their own individuals or if their representation is constructed to please the male eye.  


Discarded sources:
Item 1: http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/hollywood/10216.shtml Doris Day interview - I though that this source would provide historical context but it didn't contain much useful information so I decided that the source wasn't applicable for this investigation. 

Item 2: Film: Four weddings and a funeral - I didn't feel that the representation of women was solid enough to provide a good comparison,  although it reflects morals of the 90's when marriage was still an important factor in most relationships, I didn't think that the themes explored had enough content. 

Item 3: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/jmurray_01.shtml It had interesting information about how women fought for the rights that they have in modern society but the information wasn't directly relevant to the investigation so I decided not to use it, in addition, the history of feminism is already covered in the sources I included so a personal story wouldn't have been relevant.