Sunday 30 September 2007

Text analysis on kill bill

in this film scene we can see how women in the clip are represented. It can be identified that both women are shown as powerful fighters in the clip as both women are accsesorised with weapons and look like they are in fight. the visousness in the clip shows how the woman poses a masculine fighting charectoristic which was not so popular in early days of cinema tv.Anaylise scene from kill

Trailer

Kill BIll VOL2



MIGRAIN

M-Both films use tight clothing on main female characters.Both movies use fast paste sound as there are many fighting scences. bothe moovies are very fast paste there more to keep momentam the films tend to use many fast paste cut shots.


I-
Kill Bill-Miramax Films
Catwoman- Warner Brothers


G-


Both movies have a similar genre as bothe charectors in the movie use a basic story line. The genre can be seen as a Action/thriller/fantasy between both movies as there is a sense of these in both texts.


R-


Both females are represented as heroes fighting against a villain following Propp’s theory.

In both movies men and women are the villains- challenging stereotypes.


A-


The target audince in both the movies is an similar age range with just a younger target market for catwomen. Kil Bill tends to appeall to a more mature age grouph as it has a coplicated story line.


I-

Both films follow a
Non Patriarchal,Feminist values, Capitalist- Kill Bill- Villain is wealthy Ideolgy.


N-
Kill Bill and Catwan Follow Todrovs Narrative structure





Wednesday 26 September 2007

Independent study proposal

The chosen title four my independent study is ‘To what extent have women’s roles changed in films, paying particular reference to Kill Bill Vol2 (2004) and catwoman (2004)??’ I believe this question will be ideal to study as I find the topic very interesting and believe this question can be researched very well and studies effectively as this is a famous topic in which I can use many theories and comparison to answer the question effectively.

The text I have chosen to base my question is on to famous Hollywood blockbusters ‘Catwomen’ released in august 2004 and ‘Kill Bill Volume 2’ released 2004. I have chosen these particular texts as they relate to my question and can be identified to the issues that I will be dealing with in my question. I have also chosen these particular movies as I have watched these movies before and therefore can identify key points effectively as well as watching the movies again during my study.

In my hypothesis I believe the study will leave me to a well-assessed two-sided argument of the question, which will show that women are progressing in films in present future. I also believe that I can use the key concepts very effectively in my study as the question can easily be related to theorist’s narrative genre etc.

I will also answer my question by using many internet resources available to research theorist such as Laura Mulvey and study the male gaze theory in depth to use in my study.

Sunday 23 September 2007

new title

To what extent have women’s roles changed in films, paying particular refernce to Kill Bill Vol 2(2004) and catwomen(2004)?

Research- How are Women Represented in the Action Movie Genre? Empowered Female Role Models or Highly Sexualised Chicks with Guns?

Introduction This essay will be looking at the representation of women in action films, a typically male dominated genre. The main focus will be Angelina Jolie's portrayal of Lara Croft in the 2001 film, Tomb Raider' and the 2003 sequel Tomb Raider II: The Cradle of Life'. The essay will also make reference to Resident Evil' (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse' (2004) and Terminator III: The Rise of the Machines' (2003), along with other action movie texts. The essay will be written from a feminist point of view and make reference to Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze' (scopophilia).
What is Feminism? Feminism is the fight for equality for women, and has been a recognised philosophy for the last thirty years. Since the 70's there have been phenomenal changes in the roles of women in Western society. However there is still a lot to be done before the representation of women is completely accurate. The representation of women across all media tends to focus on the following: beauty, size/physique, sexuality, emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings and relationships (as opposed to independence/freedom). Laura Mulvey, regarded as one of the most prominent feminist film critics, is famously quoted as saying "narrative fiction film created images of women used for the gratification of men".

However, as times have changed so have women's roles in society, and accordingly their representation in the media.
Changes in Female Representation Media images still portray women as sex objects; as independent (but still sexy) career women; as doting mothers obsessed with food and clean football shorts. Women are still portrayed as objects to lust after; they are often the focus of the male gaze' ("Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema" Laura Mulvey), with camera effects, mise en scene and use of sound to accentuate their appearance. But the definition of attractiveness has changed. Images of women as dizzy blondes or mothers/nurturers have been replaced by a new breed. 50 years ago most males wanted a subservient doormat for a wife (which may explain the lack of empowered female characters; as opposed to damsels in distress/ femme fatales in older movies). Now men are looking for intelligent, confident, empowered, "ass-kicking babes", who manage to look perfect even after fifteen minute fights with chainsaw wielding robots/ flesh-eating zombies/ indestructible cyborgs.
Representation The changes in representation of women can be seen in the Terminator' trilogy. In Terminator I' Sarah Connor, the main female protagonist is portrayed as hysterical, screaming and in need of rescue. Terminator II' shows her as a strong, empowered female able to hold her own. The two main female characters in Terminator III' are Kate Brewster, another damsel in distress and the TX, a deadly but sexy killing machine who uses her sexuality as a weapon (e.g. inflating breasts to avert trouble from police). Both of the two cyborgs in Terminator', the Terminator himself (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and the female Terminator, the TX, are robots supposedly with no human feelings. However, the Terminator appears to have human characteristics, almost showing compassion and empathy, while the TX is portrayed as a bloodthirsty, evil, invincible killing machine.
by Charlotte Starlett

female representation

the representation of women in filmed in is all based upon the interpretation of the director's view within the ideology of the narrative of the film by which they have created the film around the institution that best suits there script. They are in a majority of cases in contemporary film portrayed as strong figures who assists in the narrative and reinforces the plot in order to reach and optimum climax in a film. This can be achieved as Laura Mulvey points out by taking advantage of the femininity of the female body and manipulating the sexual figure in order to gain an erotic aspect to the film and producing a male view on the film. The representation of women in films tend to be in some films for the use of comedy stereotypical and sexist, this is very evidence in such films as Austin Powers, in which Austin merely sees women as objects for his desire and pleasure and of course them being from the 60's and it being a time of sexual liberation especially for women accept it. This is shown by the statement "You're an object Baby" as it is degrading to a woman's independence and paints as a possession of a man, this is one of Austin's regularly used phases in all the Austin Powers movies. This is one of the very few movies of contemporary times that have been so sexist towards women in such a way and been successful in its promotion and showings.

gender roles in Contemporary films

The representations of women in film. In contemporary film women's roles in films have varied quiet considerably between genres, geographical placement, and between period settings. These factors contribute to the different representations of women's roles in the film they are present in. These roles are diverse going from the traditional maternal role to that of manipulative murderer. In contemporary media these roles are given higher status, in the pass the highest a female role could be at most was a side-kick or a co-star, they were given the title leading lady if they were at there best and yet they would always be second best. However, in present times in more contemporary times women's roles have been the highlight of the movie being the leading actor. Women's roles in movies can be of almost equal to the male roles and the co-stars are not given the majority of the acclaims just because they are male. Therefore, in recent films, female roles have comes to include the traditional household/ motherly role. Yet this is mainly in contemporary films about periods in the past, in the modernistic films out at the moment women's roles in the films were more dominant and masculine and all the while maintaining there feminine qualities that have always been represented in films. The genre can affect the role of the female character as for example in film noir there is always a femme fatal get in a science fiction there maybe no femme fatal iconology get there maybe a sci-fi connection to a femme fatal yet the genre of it alters it completely. This can be seen in the modern film "Kill Bill" where the lead was an aggressive, strong and powerful character and yet this aggression and revenge was steaming from the lose of her child thus the feminine mother aspect can be seen clearly in comparison to a film from the 1980's such as "Little Shop of Horrors" in which the leading lady was a weak, feminine women who had a strong sense of her sexuality and how to manipulate it in order for her to gain the one thing she wanted and her mother taught her to want, a good husband so she could be a mother and a wife. Even from these two examples we can see that there is great diversity within the representation of differing people in film.