Film Review on the movie 'Mother India'(Channel 4)
One of the first great epics of Indian cinema and a profound influence in Bollywood and beyond. Massive in scope and also running time, it follows a poverty-stricken single mother's struggle to overcome impossible odds and do right by her rebellious son
Mehboob Khan's vast state-of-the-nation address was first shown in 1957 and has been playing pretty much constantly ever since. The first great Bollywood blockbuster, Mother India (Bharat Mata) a purposefully melodramatic musical, liberally laced with action, wit, humour and also a strongly socialist strain.
Told in one long flashback, the story follows Radha (Nargis) through marriage, motherhood and into old age. As a girl she falls for Shamu (Kumar) but even before their wedding the couple owe money to merciless lender Shukhilala (Kanhaiyalal). They start a family, but debt repayments barely cover the interest. Shamu loses both arms in a farming accident and walks out leaving Radha to face famine, flood and the death of a baby alone. Worse, her oldest boy Biju (Dutt) grows into a chillum-smoking bandit, seething with resentment at the way Shukhilala has exploited his family. Much of Khan's work dealt with the strain of a country struggling to make the transition from rural economy to modern state. Radhu is emblematic of that struggle, torn between her love for her rebellious son and her determination to uphold the family's honour. It's a demanding role - Nargis is rarely off screen - but her unrepeatable performance elevated her to the status of national icon. Even Indira Ghandi recognised the power of Nargis' performance and later cast herself as the real life Mother India.
The songs by composer Naushad operate as a sort of chorus, and Khan's sharp direction means that though the film is long (it's generally shown with an interval) it never drags. A blazing fire stands up against plenty of contemporary action footage, but the most memorable moment comes right at the end, with a time-ravaged Radha opening the government's new dam and watching the water, blood red with clay, slowly wash away. VerdictA supreme achievement. Director-writer-producer Mehboob Khan moves easily from high drama to wry comedy, uses music to enhance his dramatic muscle and succeeds in painting a deeply involving portrait of Indian family life.
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Scene from the movie 'Mother India'.
This is a very well known song from the movie 'Mother India'. This song shows us the audience how Nargis (Radha) is working hard with her children on the farms. Here there is a lack of a father figure, which therefore makes Nargis look domiante and superioir. The way in which we can relate this study back to my text 'Provoked' is that we can say they both are showing a lack of fatherly figure, as in Provoked Aishwarya kills her husband in the beginning and in 'Mother India' there father dies (Nargis's husband). Furthermore we can also say that in 'Mother India' we see 3 childrens, which can be related to my study as in 'Provoked' Aishwarya has got 2 children. This is a key thing, the reason for this being is because the children would probably view their mothers as being 'dominant' and as the 'breadwinner'.
Lastly, we can also say that both the actresses (Nargis and Aishwarya) were precived as being typical houswives, looking at their clothing, they are seen as tyical Indian houswives. This also reflects back to my study as normally we annotate 'Houswives' to being seen as inferioir and they have a cheap labour. This is also reflected back to the society we are living in, as now females are seen as being independant and dominate in their own ways.
Med 5 Cw Task 12
The text that I have chosen as a historical text to focus on is ‘Mother India’. Mother India was released in 1957 and was directed by Mehboob Kahn. To give a brief overview of what ‘Mother India’ is all about, or what themes revolve around the movie are themes such as, Feminism, rights, and poverty, again it can also be said that in this movie the representation of gender is seen greatly too.
First of all, looking at how this is similar to my text we can say that in ‘Mother India’ the main female protagonist (Nargis) in the movie named Radha is the only female figure that is been portrayed to be hard working and is doing cheap labour, for example working on the farms with her sons. We can compare this to my text ‘Provoked’ and say that it is similar to my text because Aishwarya Rai goes to jail and is working there. The reason why we can say this is similar is because we would normally associate the men’s to commit murder and go to jail, however there is a role reversal here.
Focusing on the gender roles here a lot can be said. Nargis (Radha) has brought out the femininity in this movie and gave a new light to women’s. During the early days women’s were seen as ‘Sex objects’ and were seen to be looked at, as Laura Mulvey had quoted. However, looking art ‘Mother India’ it shows a new view of females. In this movie we see Nargis continuously working hard on the farms trying to get rid of her debts. We can easily link this back to ‘Provoked’ as looking at ‘Provoked’ Naveen was seen to be a very abusive husband that used to come home late and drunk, and Aishwarya was seen as the typical housewife cooking and cleaning and taking care of her children. Once she goes into jail and receives her rights we see Aishwarya in a new form. So altogether it can be argued that ‘Mother India’ had brought the new generation of females as she was seen to be the ‘Breadwinner’, thus t it links the same with ‘Provoked’.
Furthermore, the movie ‘Mother India’ looks a lot at issues such as poverty and nation. This was a typical problem in the early days in India, as they used to do farming they very much relied on the weather for their crops to grow and make money in that process. The men’s in this movie are seen to be very laid back and relaxed as they are very much just after their money, which again shows men to be very selfish and greedy. Looking at today’s generation females are now seen to be very independent and active in their own ways. They are no longer dependant on men’s to earn and bring the money home, as they earn themselves now. So it can be easily argued that since the early days femininity has changed a lot.
The text that I have chosen as a historical text to focus on is ‘Mother India’. Mother India was released in 1957 and was directed by Mehboob Kahn. To give a brief overview of what ‘Mother India’ is all about, or what themes revolve around the movie are themes such as, Feminism, rights, and poverty, again it can also be said that in this movie the representation of gender is seen greatly too.
First of all, looking at how this is similar to my text we can say that in ‘Mother India’ the main female protagonist (Nargis) in the movie named Radha is the only female figure that is been portrayed to be hard working and is doing cheap labour, for example working on the farms with her sons. We can compare this to my text ‘Provoked’ and say that it is similar to my text because Aishwarya Rai goes to jail and is working there. The reason why we can say this is similar is because we would normally associate the men’s to commit murder and go to jail, however there is a role reversal here.
Focusing on the gender roles here a lot can be said. Nargis (Radha) has brought out the femininity in this movie and gave a new light to women’s. During the early days women’s were seen as ‘Sex objects’ and were seen to be looked at, as Laura Mulvey had quoted. However, looking art ‘Mother India’ it shows a new view of females. In this movie we see Nargis continuously working hard on the farms trying to get rid of her debts. We can easily link this back to ‘Provoked’ as looking at ‘Provoked’ Naveen was seen to be a very abusive husband that used to come home late and drunk, and Aishwarya was seen as the typical housewife cooking and cleaning and taking care of her children. Once she goes into jail and receives her rights we see Aishwarya in a new form. So altogether it can be argued that ‘Mother India’ had brought the new generation of females as she was seen to be the ‘Breadwinner’, thus t it links the same with ‘Provoked’.
Furthermore, the movie ‘Mother India’ looks a lot at issues such as poverty and nation. This was a typical problem in the early days in India, as they used to do farming they very much relied on the weather for their crops to grow and make money in that process. The men’s in this movie are seen to be very laid back and relaxed as they are very much just after their money, which again shows men to be very selfish and greedy. Looking at today’s generation females are now seen to be very independent and active in their own ways. They are no longer dependant on men’s to earn and bring the money home, as they earn themselves now. So it can be easily argued that since the early days femininity has changed a lot.
Sunday, 23 December 2007
Med 5 Cw Task 14
How has Race and Gender been seen in British Asian Films, in particular reference to ‘Provoked’?
‘For 10 years I lived a life of beating and degradation’
‘Provoked’ by Jag Mundhra is a hard hitting Asian British film that tells the true story of Kiranjeet Ahuluwalia that had suffered violence and abuse by her husband. This essay will deeply be examining how race and gender is seen to in the British society we are living in and how it has been represented in British Asian films. Such areas will include looking at how the males are seen to be dominant and superior ‘masculinity…a privileged position of power and authority’ Gender Studies, Terms and Debates by Anne Cranny-Francis. This quotation simply explains to us how the males are perceived to have a god-like image and retain both physical and mental powers. In addition to this we will also be focusing on the role of females and how they have been seen in British Asian films. Mainly females have always been seen to be sex symbols and/or seen to be inferior towards the men’s as Laura Mulvey quotes: ‘ Women are simultaneously looked at…with their appearance’ Media, gender and Identity by David Gauntlett. This essay will examine how male dominance still does exist in today’s generation and how females are perceived to be inferior towards the men, due to them being a ‘female’.
How has Race and Gender been seen in British Asian Films, in particular reference to ‘Provoked’?
‘For 10 years I lived a life of beating and degradation’
‘Provoked’ by Jag Mundhra is a hard hitting Asian British film that tells the true story of Kiranjeet Ahuluwalia that had suffered violence and abuse by her husband. This essay will deeply be examining how race and gender is seen to in the British society we are living in and how it has been represented in British Asian films. Such areas will include looking at how the males are seen to be dominant and superior ‘masculinity…a privileged position of power and authority’ Gender Studies, Terms and Debates by Anne Cranny-Francis. This quotation simply explains to us how the males are perceived to have a god-like image and retain both physical and mental powers. In addition to this we will also be focusing on the role of females and how they have been seen in British Asian films. Mainly females have always been seen to be sex symbols and/or seen to be inferior towards the men’s as Laura Mulvey quotes: ‘ Women are simultaneously looked at…with their appearance’ Media, gender and Identity by David Gauntlett. This essay will examine how male dominance still does exist in today’s generation and how females are perceived to be inferior towards the men, due to them being a ‘female’.
Saturday, 15 December 2007
Med 5 Cw Task 11
TASK ELEVEN
Mulvey
Laura Mulvey, a typical feminist had based her study on the most famous work of ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema during 1973. What this really was about was the work of Hollywood films, and how the males were seen to be the main protagonist. This can be seen to be very ironic at the fact that looking at today’s generation females are seen to be the main protagonist as the audience can identify with them and relate back to them, however this was one of Mulvey’s aim in her study. She added on to say that the audience become familiar with the males protagonist by identification, admiration and aspiration.
Adding on to this, she also saw the relationship of gender and the text of the film and how the audience had perceived the female characters to be. Mulvey quotes: ‘women in film are simply objects for the ‘gaze’ of the protagonist/ male audience’.
The ‘male gaze’ simply means when females are seen to be sex objects, and in movies are only there to be looked at. Sigmund Freud used the concept of ‘Scopophilia’ which means looking at something and getting the pleasure out of it. This can be linked back to my study, as I can easily mention the male gaze, looking at Provoked, we see Aishwarya to be the main protagonist as she gets abused by her husband, hence, during the scene of her getting raped by her husband ‘ Sopophilia is seen, we as the audience (male) enjoy watching this happen even though Aishwarya is not portrayed to be a sex symbol.
Developing this on to a further step, Mulvey looked back at the Hollywood film, males were seen to be protagonist from the male audience view point, and saw the female to be passive. Adapting to this matter Mulvey examined the fact that this look can be seen in two ways, one ‘Voyeuristic’ this means when females are seen to be beautiful and the other as ‘Fetishistic’ this means when females are seen to be sexual.
Overall, looking at masculinity as a whole, it can be argued that males lack power, and the only power they really use towards the feminist is the ‘Phallic’ this simply refers to a male’s penis. In action movies, males are always seen to be dominant as we are living in a ‘Patriarchal Society’. A gun can easily be a Phallic symbol, so can a sword, a cucumber and so on. Hence if the males get ‘Castrated’, simply meaning chopping of a male’s penis which means taking away their masculinity means that they are losing power. So it can be seen that males are really not seen to be dominant and superior.
TASK ELEVEN
Mulvey
Laura Mulvey, a typical feminist had based her study on the most famous work of ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema during 1973. What this really was about was the work of Hollywood films, and how the males were seen to be the main protagonist. This can be seen to be very ironic at the fact that looking at today’s generation females are seen to be the main protagonist as the audience can identify with them and relate back to them, however this was one of Mulvey’s aim in her study. She added on to say that the audience become familiar with the males protagonist by identification, admiration and aspiration.
Adding on to this, she also saw the relationship of gender and the text of the film and how the audience had perceived the female characters to be. Mulvey quotes: ‘women in film are simply objects for the ‘gaze’ of the protagonist/ male audience’.
The ‘male gaze’ simply means when females are seen to be sex objects, and in movies are only there to be looked at. Sigmund Freud used the concept of ‘Scopophilia’ which means looking at something and getting the pleasure out of it. This can be linked back to my study, as I can easily mention the male gaze, looking at Provoked, we see Aishwarya to be the main protagonist as she gets abused by her husband, hence, during the scene of her getting raped by her husband ‘ Sopophilia is seen, we as the audience (male) enjoy watching this happen even though Aishwarya is not portrayed to be a sex symbol.
Developing this on to a further step, Mulvey looked back at the Hollywood film, males were seen to be protagonist from the male audience view point, and saw the female to be passive. Adapting to this matter Mulvey examined the fact that this look can be seen in two ways, one ‘Voyeuristic’ this means when females are seen to be beautiful and the other as ‘Fetishistic’ this means when females are seen to be sexual.
Overall, looking at masculinity as a whole, it can be argued that males lack power, and the only power they really use towards the feminist is the ‘Phallic’ this simply refers to a male’s penis. In action movies, males are always seen to be dominant as we are living in a ‘Patriarchal Society’. A gun can easily be a Phallic symbol, so can a sword, a cucumber and so on. Hence if the males get ‘Castrated’, simply meaning chopping of a male’s penis which means taking away their masculinity means that they are losing power. So it can be seen that males are really not seen to be dominant and superior.
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Cover Work for Mondays lesson...
How do the males view the movie ‘Provoked’.
If a male audience had watched this movie then their views would probably be very different. Some male would view themselves as being very dominant and superior. So their views would be that it is acceptable in our society to abuse females, and be superior towards them. Looking back to our society it can also be said that some females do see themselves as being very dominant.
However it can also be said that some males, maybe from the working class background will not accept this sort of behaviour and see it to be deviant. What this means is that some males see it to be wrong to use physical powers against a female. If a male audience did watch this then it can be seen that they will feel that Aishwarya is the protagonist in the film and they can probably identify with some males who treat there wife’s without respect.
How do females view the movie ‘Provoked’.
On the other hand if a female had seen this movie then their views would be very strong to this movie. Looking in today’s generation females are not seen anymore to be housewife’s they are seen to be independent and now share equivalent roles towards the male. Adding on to this, some females may get offended by watching this, as they are trying to show that males are seen to be superior and dominant. Some would like the fact that Aishwarya fights back and burns her husband as over here she is playing a active role, and looks up to her husband.
It can also be said that Aishwarya is seen to be very active in the film, as she may not show this. She fights back against her husband and goes to the court. Which many females will like, as she is fighting against her husband.
How do the males view the movie ‘Provoked’.
If a male audience had watched this movie then their views would probably be very different. Some male would view themselves as being very dominant and superior. So their views would be that it is acceptable in our society to abuse females, and be superior towards them. Looking back to our society it can also be said that some females do see themselves as being very dominant.
However it can also be said that some males, maybe from the working class background will not accept this sort of behaviour and see it to be deviant. What this means is that some males see it to be wrong to use physical powers against a female. If a male audience did watch this then it can be seen that they will feel that Aishwarya is the protagonist in the film and they can probably identify with some males who treat there wife’s without respect.
How do females view the movie ‘Provoked’.
On the other hand if a female had seen this movie then their views would be very strong to this movie. Looking in today’s generation females are not seen anymore to be housewife’s they are seen to be independent and now share equivalent roles towards the male. Adding on to this, some females may get offended by watching this, as they are trying to show that males are seen to be superior and dominant. Some would like the fact that Aishwarya fights back and burns her husband as over here she is playing a active role, and looks up to her husband.
It can also be said that Aishwarya is seen to be very active in the film, as she may not show this. She fights back against her husband and goes to the court. Which many females will like, as she is fighting against her husband.
Saturday, 1 December 2007
Sheila's Wheels is another comtemporary advert. They are 3 females that are dressed in the 60's look and are all wearing pink clothes. Now the connotations of this may be that they are seen as Bimbo's? Typical female that is in love with the colour pink.. They are promoting in the advert car insurance, however it can also be seen that they are seen to be independant and dominant because they are selling something and do not need the help of a male.
Now this advert is a contemporary advert. It is advertising the new fragrance for Hugo Boss, XX and XY. In this advert we see the female to be very seductive and yet dominant. We can say this because, both the males and females are seen to be wearing black, which we can say that both are seen to be equal. Also the female is giving the attention to the male with her seductive looks and he is coming close to her. This therefore shows us that females are seen to be sex symbols and so are males.
This advert is typically sterotyping a female to be a house wife. We can say this becuase of the way the female is seen to be really happy and is enjoying cleaning the house. It shows us the audience how females were precived back in the days, as typical housewives and were seen through 'cheap labour'.
Friday, 23 November 2007
More websites...
1) http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/index.html
2)http://www1.medialiteracy.com/representation.jsp
3) http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html
4) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/index.html
5) http://www.allisonmedia.net/Concepts/representation.htm
6) http://media.guardian.co.uk/race/0,11027,584215,00.html
7) http://theoryhead.com/gender/
8) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/femmedia.html
9) http://www.ape-connections.org/exorcisingpatriarchy.htm
10) http://feminism.eserver.org/
11) http://www.friesian.com/feminism.htm
12) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=398998&in_page_id=1879
13) http://www.aest.org.uk/survivors/female/
14) http://www.immi.se/ir/ir2001/yassine.htm
1) http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/index.html
2)http://www1.medialiteracy.com/representation.jsp
3) http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html
4) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/index.html
5) http://www.allisonmedia.net/Concepts/representation.htm
6) http://media.guardian.co.uk/race/0,11027,584215,00.html
7) http://theoryhead.com/gender/
8) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/femmedia.html
9) http://www.ape-connections.org/exorcisingpatriarchy.htm
10) http://feminism.eserver.org/
11) http://www.friesian.com/feminism.htm
12) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=398998&in_page_id=1879
13) http://www.aest.org.uk/survivors/female/
14) http://www.immi.se/ir/ir2001/yassine.htm
More 10 Keywords...
(1) ABC1 scale: This is a system of social classification, based on a independants job. This is really useful to my independant study because i will be able to talk about some of the links to my target audience. So for example if i had to say what the target audience are for my study i would probably say Asians who are middle class and then go into depth saying if they are C1 or C2? and so on
(2) Action code: This means when something is seen to be in a dramatic structure and the outcome result of it is violence, it grabs the readers attention immediately. This is really useful for my study because we ofen see this happening to Aishwarya by Deepak, which makes the audience have a effect and they view Aishwarya to be the main pratagonist.
(3) Active Audience Theory: This means when the audience to act as active participants to what they see and this has an influence/effect on them. This can be used in my study because when Aishwarya is being abused by Deepak it in a way involves the audience in as it is seen to be a real issue and is something in common.
(4) Actuality: Something that is filmed or even reported on real events. This can be easily related to my study as 'Provoked' is based on a real life story, of Kiranjeet Ahluwalia that had got abused by her husband. It shows the outer/real world we live in.
(5) Analogue: This is the way something is recored if it is seen as visual or sound images, it anchors the shape of something. This is seen to be quiet useful to my text as we see various shots like this e.g Aishwarya getting abused.
(6) Antagonist: The hero and Villian seen together but in a binary opposition. We see this is 'Provked' the jail seen when Aishwarya gets bullied by a white lady in the same jail as her.
(7) Anti-Climax- The narrative is seen to be slow and then reaches to the main bit of the narrative and then leaves the audience in disapointment/suspence? We can relate this back in the beginning of the text when Aishwarya burns her husband alive.
(8) Femininty: Feminsim fight for their rights and are against male dominance and the patriarchal society. The film of my text follows the theme of femininty.
(9) Racism: Making offensive comments against a religion/race. We see this in 'Provoked' when Aish goes to jail and is seen to be the only Asian.
(10) Flashbacks: When the narrative looks back at the stuff that has already happened. 'Provoked' takes us the audience back to remind us of what happened.
(1) ABC1 scale: This is a system of social classification, based on a independants job. This is really useful to my independant study because i will be able to talk about some of the links to my target audience. So for example if i had to say what the target audience are for my study i would probably say Asians who are middle class and then go into depth saying if they are C1 or C2? and so on
(2) Action code: This means when something is seen to be in a dramatic structure and the outcome result of it is violence, it grabs the readers attention immediately. This is really useful for my study because we ofen see this happening to Aishwarya by Deepak, which makes the audience have a effect and they view Aishwarya to be the main pratagonist.
(3) Active Audience Theory: This means when the audience to act as active participants to what they see and this has an influence/effect on them. This can be used in my study because when Aishwarya is being abused by Deepak it in a way involves the audience in as it is seen to be a real issue and is something in common.
(4) Actuality: Something that is filmed or even reported on real events. This can be easily related to my study as 'Provoked' is based on a real life story, of Kiranjeet Ahluwalia that had got abused by her husband. It shows the outer/real world we live in.
(5) Analogue: This is the way something is recored if it is seen as visual or sound images, it anchors the shape of something. This is seen to be quiet useful to my text as we see various shots like this e.g Aishwarya getting abused.
(6) Antagonist: The hero and Villian seen together but in a binary opposition. We see this is 'Provked' the jail seen when Aishwarya gets bullied by a white lady in the same jail as her.
(7) Anti-Climax- The narrative is seen to be slow and then reaches to the main bit of the narrative and then leaves the audience in disapointment/suspence? We can relate this back in the beginning of the text when Aishwarya burns her husband alive.
(8) Femininty: Feminsim fight for their rights and are against male dominance and the patriarchal society. The film of my text follows the theme of femininty.
(9) Racism: Making offensive comments against a religion/race. We see this in 'Provoked' when Aish goes to jail and is seen to be the only Asian.
(10) Flashbacks: When the narrative looks back at the stuff that has already happened. 'Provoked' takes us the audience back to remind us of what happened.
Monday, 19 November 2007
Meeting with Blog Buddy...
As my class buddy is Dips I met her over the weekend to have a talk about our research and what books will be both useful to me and her. We had spent rougly about 1-2 hours going through the books we both had gathered and some of the internet research we had. We then came to our final book and decided what we were going to share.
In my viewpoint I think the best book for Dips so far is the book about Gender Studies by Anne Cranny- Francis, Wendy Waring, Pam Stavropoulos and Joan Kirkby 2003. This book heavily focuses on Gender roles, and has alot to say about both females and males, and their roles have changed over the period of time. Some of the page numbers that i believe that will be helpful to Dips are pages 5and 6...The reason for this being is because they talk about Male dominance throughout and show how the they were precieved and how they are still seen to be dominant. Also i would recommend this book to Dips and myself because they talk in depth about Gender Studies and how females are portrayed.
The book has got excellent Theroies;theoriest, that give different views and ideas. I belive that this book will be a great use for the pair of us.
XxNaziyaXx
As my class buddy is Dips I met her over the weekend to have a talk about our research and what books will be both useful to me and her. We had spent rougly about 1-2 hours going through the books we both had gathered and some of the internet research we had. We then came to our final book and decided what we were going to share.
In my viewpoint I think the best book for Dips so far is the book about Gender Studies by Anne Cranny- Francis, Wendy Waring, Pam Stavropoulos and Joan Kirkby 2003. This book heavily focuses on Gender roles, and has alot to say about both females and males, and their roles have changed over the period of time. Some of the page numbers that i believe that will be helpful to Dips are pages 5and 6...The reason for this being is because they talk about Male dominance throughout and show how the they were precieved and how they are still seen to be dominant. Also i would recommend this book to Dips and myself because they talk in depth about Gender Studies and how females are portrayed.
The book has got excellent Theroies;theoriest, that give different views and ideas. I belive that this book will be a great use for the pair of us.
XxNaziyaXx
Cover Work: 19th Nov
Blog Summaries
Both me and Dips decided that we will work with Tanya, as she her blog buddy was not in today. We all somehow had managed to link our studies in some way inorder to give ourselves the oppourtunity to see what they have got to offer.
Some of the areas me and dips had a discussion was over how females are seen to be inferior and how the males are seen to be superior. Furthemore, me and Dips were also looking at areas such as Masuculinity and gender roles itself. This is some way had also benefited Tanya as she was looking at Females in EastEnders, and we discussed what theroist all 3 of us can use, and the books that can come in handy for us all.
Blog Summaries
Both me and Dips decided that we will work with Tanya, as she her blog buddy was not in today. We all somehow had managed to link our studies in some way inorder to give ourselves the oppourtunity to see what they have got to offer.
Some of the areas me and dips had a discussion was over how females are seen to be inferior and how the males are seen to be superior. Furthemore, me and Dips were also looking at areas such as Masuculinity and gender roles itself. This is some way had also benefited Tanya as she was looking at Females in EastEnders, and we discussed what theroist all 3 of us can use, and the books that can come in handy for us all.
Saturday, 10 November 2007
'Bibliography: Books'
(1) Media, Gender and Identity By David Gauntlett ( First published in 2002)
I have chose this book, for my Independant Study because it is very useful and has got some excellent reference to other authors that can be handy for me. As my Independant study is based on Race and Gender, this book has got excellent quotes for me that i will be able to use. Page 72 has got useful information how Gender Roles were seen in the past anh they are being percieved today. This will be very handy for me as i will be able to link this back to how both men and women were seen during the old days and how they are seen today. Page 6-9 heavily focuses on the issues about 'Masculinity' and how they are seen, in the 21st century.
(2) Knowing Women Feminism and Knowledge by Helen Crowley and Susan Himmelweit (1992)
This book explores some of the new developments in the Feminist theory, it also refers back to the status of women as both subjects and objects of knowledge. This book is very debative and also talks about womens and gender, and how we percieve them. This book will be very beneficial to me as in my Independant study one of the main ares that i am looking at is gender, and how women are portrayed as being subordiante to men. This book has got sme excellent information aboout, subordination, patruarchy and dominace. Iwill be able to make some excellent reference from this book.
(3) Studying the Media by Tim O' Sullivan, Brian Dutton and Philip Rayner (1998)
This bookk will be helpful to me as I belive that it has got some very handy information about realiam, representation and audience. It has got excellent references to theroirst such as Laura Mulvey and gives in-depth information about women and men. Adding on to this it also has got excellent reference to other useful authors which i can look at for my independant study and make refrence to.
(4) Gender Studies by Anne Cranny- Francis, Wendy Waring, Pam Stavropoulos and Joan Kirkby 2003
This is one of my sisters Uni books that i found lying in my room. It has got excellent informaiton of contemporary issues such as sex, Gender, Identity and Race. Also it has got a variety of theorist to this issues which i can relate to my study, and also add some quotes.
(5) Walter, Natasha (1998) The New Feminism, London: Little Brown.
I belive that this book will definately come in use, as whole book will talk about Feminism and how they are seen today,such as being independant and so on. This will be very useful for my study because towards the end of the film the main protagonist Aishwarya becomes independant and stands on her feet, i can get some useful quotes and add them in my study.
(6) Deveaux, Monique (1994) ' Feminism and Empowerment': a crucial reading of Foucault.
The reason for why i have chosen this book is because it also talks about sexuality, and Feminism and my study heavily looks at that. This book has also got some feminist scholars, that talk about how they view feminist to be, so i belive that this book will be worth making reference to.
(7) Farrell, Warren (2001) ' The Myth of Male Power, New York: Penguin'.
This book is very useful indeed. It has got some historical information in the book, such as how men's were preceievd during the old days, and it also heavily looks at male dominace and patriachy with excellent quotations. It focuses on Mens role in detail, which is very handy for me, as 'Provoked' shows this, we see Deepak being a abusive father and husband. I think this book will benefit me alot towards my study.
(8) Gray, John (1993) Men Are From Mars: Women Are From Venus, London: Thorsons.
This book discusses the realationship between husband and wife, and how they both can have a improving relationship. I went for this book because looking back at 'Provoked' we as the audience can clearly see that the relationship between Kiranjeet and Deepak are bad, as he is a very abusive husband and she is very passive towards him, in simple words helpless. I think this book will provide me with excellent information.
(9) Elasmar, Michael ' The Portrayal of Women in US prime time television' (1999)
I went for this book, as i belive that it will help me se how women's have been seen in TV. However it may also not be very handy for me because it might just focus on US and my film for my study is being focused on British Text. Yet i can just get some quotations that might be very useful to me.
(10) Transformations of Gender and Race: Family and Developmental Perspectives
This book, look at gender and differet Race, and how they seem to get along with their family, i think this will be very helpful to me as i can make links and also reference towards my study.
Sunday, 4 November 2007
'Blog Buddies'
I have chosen Dips as my class buddy. The reason for this being is because Dips talks about similar stuff which clearly links to my independant study for example the whole idea of Male dominance and womens being portrayed as being Passive. By working together not only can we share ideas but also be in use for one another.
I chose Amrit as my other buddy, as she is she basing her independant study on 'Provoked' and so am I. We both will be able to look at the major issues in the film and have a discussion over it, and to also help one another with the work. Also i chose Amrit because she has got some excellent websites that can come in handy with my Independant study. Amrit heavily focuses on the idea of Male dominance and the character of Deepak which i also do, and therefore it gives both of us the oppourtunity to help each other.
I have chosen Dips as my class buddy. The reason for this being is because Dips talks about similar stuff which clearly links to my independant study for example the whole idea of Male dominance and womens being portrayed as being Passive. By working together not only can we share ideas but also be in use for one another.
I chose Amrit as my other buddy, as she is she basing her independant study on 'Provoked' and so am I. We both will be able to look at the major issues in the film and have a discussion over it, and to also help one another with the work. Also i chose Amrit because she has got some excellent websites that can come in handy with my Independant study. Amrit heavily focuses on the idea of Male dominance and the character of Deepak which i also do, and therefore it gives both of us the oppourtunity to help each other.
Friday, 19 October 2007
Self Directed Report...
1) http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/index.html
2)http://www1.medialiteracy.com/representation.jsp
3) http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html
4) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/index.html
5) http://www.allisonmedia.net/Concepts/representation.htm
6) http://media.guardian.co.uk/race/0,11027,584215,00.html
7) http://theoryhead.com/gender/
8) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/femmedia.html
9) http://www.ape-connections.org/exorcisingpatriarchy.htm
10) http://feminism.eserver.org/
11) http://www.friesian.com/feminism.htm
12) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=398998&in_page_id=1879
13) http://www.aest.org.uk/survivors/female/
14) http://www.immi.se/ir/ir2001/yassine.htm
This is some of the links i have posted up,as these will help me in my study. They are useful sites that will come in handy with some useful information.
Books:
* Gender Studies, This book is about Females and Patriarchy and how the males are seen to dominant in today's world.
1) http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/index.html
2)http://www1.medialiteracy.com/representation.jsp
3) http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html
4) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/index.html
5) http://www.allisonmedia.net/Concepts/representation.htm
6) http://media.guardian.co.uk/race/0,11027,584215,00.html
7) http://theoryhead.com/gender/
8) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/femmedia.html
9) http://www.ape-connections.org/exorcisingpatriarchy.htm
10) http://feminism.eserver.org/
11) http://www.friesian.com/feminism.htm
12) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=398998&in_page_id=1879
13) http://www.aest.org.uk/survivors/female/
14) http://www.immi.se/ir/ir2001/yassine.htm
This is some of the links i have posted up,as these will help me in my study. They are useful sites that will come in handy with some useful information.
Books:
* Gender Studies, This book is about Females and Patriarchy and how the males are seen to dominant in today's world.
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Med 5 Cw Task 7
10 Keywords
* Male Gaze: Laura Mulvey, used this word to describe what she saw the male point of view adopted towards the Camera. This is very useful to me because throughout Provoked, we see alot of this.
* Zoom: When the camera lense takes a extreme close up of a object. This is useful to me because when Aishwarya shows her marks it is zoomed in so that the audience can identify with her.
* Realism: When a movie/television focus on a subject that is seen in the real world. This is handy for me because Provoked focuses on Abuse which is a current issue in today's world.
* Prejudice: Pre-judging of an issue or social group, in a negative way, or streotypical way. This is handy for me because alot of this is seen in Provked, they treat Aishwarya different due to her being the only Asian.
* Power: it's a type of control seen through economic, social, cultural and ideological dominance. This is useful for me because we see social power such as the Black Sisters.
* Edit: The way a text has been edited to see it's final result: Looking at Provoked, the edits are seen to be fast when Aishwarya gets abused. So that it can catch the audiences eyes.
* Fade: When a images fades or dissapeares often leaves a black screen. We see alot of fades when Aishwarya looks at her past or has flashbacks, lets the audience know that it's going in the past.
* Suspense: When a film creates tension for the audience: Provoked shows this, during the beginning of the film, when we see the cameara focusing on the fire, the audience are eager to know who is holding it.
10 Keywords
* Male Gaze: Laura Mulvey, used this word to describe what she saw the male point of view adopted towards the Camera. This is very useful to me because throughout Provoked, we see alot of this.
* Zoom: When the camera lense takes a extreme close up of a object. This is useful to me because when Aishwarya shows her marks it is zoomed in so that the audience can identify with her.
* Realism: When a movie/television focus on a subject that is seen in the real world. This is handy for me because Provoked focuses on Abuse which is a current issue in today's world.
* Prejudice: Pre-judging of an issue or social group, in a negative way, or streotypical way. This is handy for me because alot of this is seen in Provked, they treat Aishwarya different due to her being the only Asian.
* Power: it's a type of control seen through economic, social, cultural and ideological dominance. This is useful for me because we see social power such as the Black Sisters.
* Edit: The way a text has been edited to see it's final result: Looking at Provoked, the edits are seen to be fast when Aishwarya gets abused. So that it can catch the audiences eyes.
* Fade: When a images fades or dissapeares often leaves a black screen. We see alot of fades when Aishwarya looks at her past or has flashbacks, lets the audience know that it's going in the past.
* Suspense: When a film creates tension for the audience: Provoked shows this, during the beginning of the film, when we see the cameara focusing on the fire, the audience are eager to know who is holding it.
Evaluation
· Attainment: I would give myself a 3, for attainment. The reason for this being is because I feel as if I can produce more tasks towards my independent study and do more research.
· Effort: I would probably give myself a 2. This is because I feel that I do put in effort in my work and produce it to my ability.
· Punctuality: I would give myself a 1. I am never late to my lessons and I am always in the lesson.
· Submission and quality of Homework: For this I would give myself a 2. I do all the tasks set on time, and I produce it to my ability.
· Ability to work independently: I would give myself a 3. I do contribute to my independent blog, and do basic research but I feel I can do more.
· Quality of writing: I would again give myself a 3. I can do standard writing but at points I lack expression
· Organisation of Media Folder: this I would give myself a 1. I have all my previous class work on me, and I am always equipped.
· Standard of module 5 blog: I would give myself a 2. However I feel that I can add more.
· Standard module 6: Again I would grade myself about a 2, but I can add more.
WWW
1) I met all my homework deadlines.
2) I studied my text well
3) I have basic knowledge of theorist I can link to.
EBI
1) Do Background information.
2) Look at more texts.
3) Look at other theorists.
· Attainment: I would give myself a 3, for attainment. The reason for this being is because I feel as if I can produce more tasks towards my independent study and do more research.
· Effort: I would probably give myself a 2. This is because I feel that I do put in effort in my work and produce it to my ability.
· Punctuality: I would give myself a 1. I am never late to my lessons and I am always in the lesson.
· Submission and quality of Homework: For this I would give myself a 2. I do all the tasks set on time, and I produce it to my ability.
· Ability to work independently: I would give myself a 3. I do contribute to my independent blog, and do basic research but I feel I can do more.
· Quality of writing: I would again give myself a 3. I can do standard writing but at points I lack expression
· Organisation of Media Folder: this I would give myself a 1. I have all my previous class work on me, and I am always equipped.
· Standard of module 5 blog: I would give myself a 2. However I feel that I can add more.
· Standard module 6: Again I would grade myself about a 2, but I can add more.
WWW
1) I met all my homework deadlines.
2) I studied my text well
3) I have basic knowledge of theorist I can link to.
EBI
1) Do Background information.
2) Look at more texts.
3) Look at other theorists.
Saturday, 13 October 2007
Task six, Analysis of a scene from Provoked
Media Language:
Looking at this scene of Aishwarya and Naveen, it can easily be said that there is a lot to say. First of all the shots that are scene continuously throughout the scene are close up shots. The reason for this being maybe so that the target audience can get a sense of identification with the characters. Looking at the mise en scene, the setting is taking place in a Kitchen; we see cupboards and glasses that a typical family would have in their kitchen. Again the purpose of this is to give a sense of identification with the target audience and that it gives a sense of realism towards the audience. Looking at what both the characters are wearing, Aishwarya is seen to be wearing a Blue saree with gold jewellery while Naveen is seen to be wearing a jumper and trousers. The connotations of this are that Aishwarya is seen to be a typical housewife and belonging to her country, while Naveen’s clothing shows us that the weather maybe cold and that his clothes also connote that he is a every day man.
The abuse seen in this scene if a close up, the camera heavily focuses on the Protagonist Aishwarya while she is sitting down and crying. Again this may be done to show realism and her feelings, so that the audience can identify with her and would be able to tell who is seen to the main target.
The lighting seen in this is very bright as it coming from the kitchen in the scene. We call this type of lighting high key lighting also it can be seen as natural lighting. Adding on to this, we can say again that this was done so that the target audience get a sense of realism and identification.
The sound heard was the voice of the characters speaking which was Aishwarya and Naveen, having a argument. Shows the audience who to identify with. The edits seen in the scene are quiet slow, however when it comes to Naveen slapping Aishwarya it was fast, again it catches the audience’s attention and it makes the whole scene look dramatic.
Institution (I) Eros International have produced the text ‘Provoked’. The text as it’s on is a British Asian film. Trailers were seen in various cinema’s so that it can promote it and that audience get a insight into it. The certificate for this is 15, due to some of the scenes that are seen, may not be acceptable. The text overall is aimed at everyone as we are leaving in a multi cultural society.
Genre (G) The genre for ‘Provoked’ is a Drama. The themes that Provoked covers throughout the film is Feminism and abuse, it shows the whole idea how we are leaving in a Patriarchal society and that how males are seen to be Superior and women’s seen to be inferior. The film shows that how females are fighting for their rights.
Representation (R) in Provoked, the film focuses on gender a lot. We see the male figure being all superior through his abuse and we see the female being inferior as she does not fight back. Again it shows how our society is seen to be dominant, and that it portrays the males to be Breadwinners.
Focusing on the race, it shows us that how inequality is seen. As Naveen is from British, and Aishwarya from India, injustice is seen. He treats her different due to her being from India, so he feels that he will not tell her what he does. It makes people from India look Naive.
Audience (A) The audience for this film I would personally say are women’s aged about 20+, it also targets men’s due to the actions the film shows. The secondary audience can be couples who are married. I would say that the film targets Asians as well as White due to the race that it is portraying. Also it appeals to middle class people, as they might experience problems like this and would be able to identify with this issue, again it shows a sense of realism.
Ideology & Values (I) The message that the film portrays out is that the whole idea of active and passive. How females are seen to be passive due to the work they do, domestic work, and the males are seen to be active breadwinners. The film deals with issues such as Feminism, and how they can fight back for their rights. It also shows us that there is a role reversal in today’s society, as Women’s now are seen to be independent and hardworking. This shows us how females can be seen as superior and are fighting the Patriarchal society we are leaving in.
Narrative (N) The story is shown through a flashback and Aishwarya who is the main protagonist tell the story. It may have been does like this so that the target audience can identify with her and see her viewpoint. This is then known as a non-linear narrative. The film follows Barthes enigma theory due to a lot of dark scenes that are seen in the film, the whole point of this is so that it gets the target audience going and keeps their attention alive.
Media Language:
Looking at this scene of Aishwarya and Naveen, it can easily be said that there is a lot to say. First of all the shots that are scene continuously throughout the scene are close up shots. The reason for this being maybe so that the target audience can get a sense of identification with the characters. Looking at the mise en scene, the setting is taking place in a Kitchen; we see cupboards and glasses that a typical family would have in their kitchen. Again the purpose of this is to give a sense of identification with the target audience and that it gives a sense of realism towards the audience. Looking at what both the characters are wearing, Aishwarya is seen to be wearing a Blue saree with gold jewellery while Naveen is seen to be wearing a jumper and trousers. The connotations of this are that Aishwarya is seen to be a typical housewife and belonging to her country, while Naveen’s clothing shows us that the weather maybe cold and that his clothes also connote that he is a every day man.
The abuse seen in this scene if a close up, the camera heavily focuses on the Protagonist Aishwarya while she is sitting down and crying. Again this may be done to show realism and her feelings, so that the audience can identify with her and would be able to tell who is seen to the main target.
The lighting seen in this is very bright as it coming from the kitchen in the scene. We call this type of lighting high key lighting also it can be seen as natural lighting. Adding on to this, we can say again that this was done so that the target audience get a sense of realism and identification.
The sound heard was the voice of the characters speaking which was Aishwarya and Naveen, having a argument. Shows the audience who to identify with. The edits seen in the scene are quiet slow, however when it comes to Naveen slapping Aishwarya it was fast, again it catches the audience’s attention and it makes the whole scene look dramatic.
Institution (I) Eros International have produced the text ‘Provoked’. The text as it’s on is a British Asian film. Trailers were seen in various cinema’s so that it can promote it and that audience get a insight into it. The certificate for this is 15, due to some of the scenes that are seen, may not be acceptable. The text overall is aimed at everyone as we are leaving in a multi cultural society.
Genre (G) The genre for ‘Provoked’ is a Drama. The themes that Provoked covers throughout the film is Feminism and abuse, it shows the whole idea how we are leaving in a Patriarchal society and that how males are seen to be Superior and women’s seen to be inferior. The film shows that how females are fighting for their rights.
Representation (R) in Provoked, the film focuses on gender a lot. We see the male figure being all superior through his abuse and we see the female being inferior as she does not fight back. Again it shows how our society is seen to be dominant, and that it portrays the males to be Breadwinners.
Focusing on the race, it shows us that how inequality is seen. As Naveen is from British, and Aishwarya from India, injustice is seen. He treats her different due to her being from India, so he feels that he will not tell her what he does. It makes people from India look Naive.
Audience (A) The audience for this film I would personally say are women’s aged about 20+, it also targets men’s due to the actions the film shows. The secondary audience can be couples who are married. I would say that the film targets Asians as well as White due to the race that it is portraying. Also it appeals to middle class people, as they might experience problems like this and would be able to identify with this issue, again it shows a sense of realism.
Ideology & Values (I) The message that the film portrays out is that the whole idea of active and passive. How females are seen to be passive due to the work they do, domestic work, and the males are seen to be active breadwinners. The film deals with issues such as Feminism, and how they can fight back for their rights. It also shows us that there is a role reversal in today’s society, as Women’s now are seen to be independent and hardworking. This shows us how females can be seen as superior and are fighting the Patriarchal society we are leaving in.
Narrative (N) The story is shown through a flashback and Aishwarya who is the main protagonist tell the story. It may have been does like this so that the target audience can identify with her and see her viewpoint. This is then known as a non-linear narrative. The film follows Barthes enigma theory due to a lot of dark scenes that are seen in the film, the whole point of this is so that it gets the target audience going and keeps their attention alive.
Saturday, 6 October 2007
TASK FIVE
del.ici.ous Links x10
1) http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/index.html
I took this website because this website talk alot about Asian's and Bollywood. This will be very useful to me as I am focusing on how Asians are being portrayed.
2)http://www1.medialiteracy.com/representation.jsp
This website is useful because it tooks about various types of Race such as Black Afro Carribean, Asians and this is really useful as Provoked shows different races in the film.
3) http://www.asiansinmedia.org/
This website is good too, because it talks alot of Asian Representation and this will be in good use to me.
4) http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html
This website talks about various types of representaion such as Racism, which will be useful to me because in Provoked that is one of the themes seen. Also this website has got excellent links to theorist that talk about the race.
5) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/index.html
This website, talks about various types of gender, race and ethnicity such as Asian Americans. This will come in handy for me so that i can make links and comparisons.
6)http://www.allisonmedia.net/Concepts/representation.htm
I was told by Mr.Bush to get this link, i had a look over it and it's great. It tells alot about representation. Will come in handy.
7)http://media.guardian.co.uk/race/0,11027,584215,00.html
This link is from the Media Guadian website, it talks about religion and Race and gives alot of useful information.
8) http://theoryhead.com/gender/
This website talks about Gender. This will be useful to me because Provokes shows how gender is seen, such as Males being Active and Womens are seen to be Passive.
Sorry i could only find 8 that link to my study :(
del.ici.ous Links x10
1) http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/index.html
I took this website because this website talk alot about Asian's and Bollywood. This will be very useful to me as I am focusing on how Asians are being portrayed.
2)http://www1.medialiteracy.com/representation.jsp
This website is useful because it tooks about various types of Race such as Black Afro Carribean, Asians and this is really useful as Provoked shows different races in the film.
3) http://www.asiansinmedia.org/
This website is good too, because it talks alot of Asian Representation and this will be in good use to me.
4) http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html
This website talks about various types of representaion such as Racism, which will be useful to me because in Provoked that is one of the themes seen. Also this website has got excellent links to theorist that talk about the race.
5) http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/GenderMedia/index.html
This website, talks about various types of gender, race and ethnicity such as Asian Americans. This will come in handy for me so that i can make links and comparisons.
6)http://www.allisonmedia.net/Concepts/representation.htm
I was told by Mr.Bush to get this link, i had a look over it and it's great. It tells alot about representation. Will come in handy.
7)http://media.guardian.co.uk/race/0,11027,584215,00.html
This link is from the Media Guadian website, it talks about religion and Race and gives alot of useful information.
8) http://theoryhead.com/gender/
This website talks about Gender. This will be useful to me because Provokes shows how gender is seen, such as Males being Active and Womens are seen to be Passive.
Sorry i could only find 8 that link to my study :(
Thursday, 4 October 2007
TASK FOUR
Keywords x10
1) Ambient sound : This is the natural sounds we might hear in a moving text, for example a bird singing. It then becomes diegetic. Relevance to my study: This will be very useful for my study as i can use this to describe the Mise-En-Scene and how it relates back to the audience. So in this case, ut gives a sense of realism and makes the audience identify with what is happening.
2) BCU (Big Close Up): This is when the camera gets a extra zoom shot of an object, it may be a eye and goes in detail. Relevance to my Study: I can use this while I am analysing how the pratagonist Aishwarya gets abused by her husband, and how the camera focuses on her marks. This again gives the target audience to identify with her.
3) Chiaroscuro: When sharp lighting is used and dark shadows are created. We will often find this is horror films. Relevance to my Study: The opening of 'Provoked' alot of dark colours are seen and shadows are seen of Aishwarya, it creates alot of Enigmas and makes the audience think who is behind the shadows.
4)Dominant Ideology: This is when a society is dominant through being elite and passes down norms and values to the lower class. Relevance to my study: Provoked focues on alot of 'White culture' and the whole idea of White being dominant. I can talk about how the Asians are seen to be inferior comapred to them and how inequality is seen.
5) Enigma code: It's a structure of a narrative, alot of riddles and confusion may be left, in order for the audience to solve the problem it also gains their attention. Relevance to my study: Provoked shows alot of enigma codes such as Aishwarya crying in the blue, dark shadows, we see black screens with Aishwarya crying, the whole purpose of this is to gain the attention of the audience and make them think what is happening.
6) Feminism: The whole idea of a status of a women and how her role can be challenged by men: Relevance to my Study: Provoked's main genre/theme is about Feminism and how they are no longer seen to be inferior towards men, as they now can be seen as being Active and not subordinate due to the rights out now.
7) Gender: Behaviour and cultures of Femininty and Masculinity and how they behave towards the society: Relevance to my Study: Provoked looks in depth at the gender roles of both males and females. In this I will be able to see how both are portrayed for example males seen to be breadwinner and female seen to be Housewifes? The whole idea of cheap labour.
8) Hero: This can either be a male or female, one of the main Pratagonist and the audience look upto and can identify with. Relavance to my Study: This is one of the main parts to my study as Aishwarya is seen to be the Hero as she fights for her rights and fights back her husbans abusive behaviour.
9) Long Shot: The camera has a far distance of the object, this shot is often used in a scenery such as parks or buildings. Relevance to my study: There is a long shot of where Aishwarya lives it gives a idea to the audience of the area and can identify with it.
10) Narrator: An individual tells the story it can be seen as a voice over: Relevance to my Study: Aishwarya tells the story in her voiceover it makes the audience feel as if she is directly talking to them, gives a sense of identification.
Keywords x10
1) Ambient sound : This is the natural sounds we might hear in a moving text, for example a bird singing. It then becomes diegetic. Relevance to my study: This will be very useful for my study as i can use this to describe the Mise-En-Scene and how it relates back to the audience. So in this case, ut gives a sense of realism and makes the audience identify with what is happening.
2) BCU (Big Close Up): This is when the camera gets a extra zoom shot of an object, it may be a eye and goes in detail. Relevance to my Study: I can use this while I am analysing how the pratagonist Aishwarya gets abused by her husband, and how the camera focuses on her marks. This again gives the target audience to identify with her.
3) Chiaroscuro: When sharp lighting is used and dark shadows are created. We will often find this is horror films. Relevance to my Study: The opening of 'Provoked' alot of dark colours are seen and shadows are seen of Aishwarya, it creates alot of Enigmas and makes the audience think who is behind the shadows.
4)Dominant Ideology: This is when a society is dominant through being elite and passes down norms and values to the lower class. Relevance to my study: Provoked focues on alot of 'White culture' and the whole idea of White being dominant. I can talk about how the Asians are seen to be inferior comapred to them and how inequality is seen.
5) Enigma code: It's a structure of a narrative, alot of riddles and confusion may be left, in order for the audience to solve the problem it also gains their attention. Relevance to my study: Provoked shows alot of enigma codes such as Aishwarya crying in the blue, dark shadows, we see black screens with Aishwarya crying, the whole purpose of this is to gain the attention of the audience and make them think what is happening.
6) Feminism: The whole idea of a status of a women and how her role can be challenged by men: Relevance to my Study: Provoked's main genre/theme is about Feminism and how they are no longer seen to be inferior towards men, as they now can be seen as being Active and not subordinate due to the rights out now.
7) Gender: Behaviour and cultures of Femininty and Masculinity and how they behave towards the society: Relevance to my Study: Provoked looks in depth at the gender roles of both males and females. In this I will be able to see how both are portrayed for example males seen to be breadwinner and female seen to be Housewifes? The whole idea of cheap labour.
8) Hero: This can either be a male or female, one of the main Pratagonist and the audience look upto and can identify with. Relavance to my Study: This is one of the main parts to my study as Aishwarya is seen to be the Hero as she fights for her rights and fights back her husbans abusive behaviour.
9) Long Shot: The camera has a far distance of the object, this shot is often used in a scenery such as parks or buildings. Relevance to my study: There is a long shot of where Aishwarya lives it gives a idea to the audience of the area and can identify with it.
10) Narrator: An individual tells the story it can be seen as a voice over: Relevance to my Study: Aishwarya tells the story in her voiceover it makes the audience feel as if she is directly talking to them, gives a sense of identification.
Monday, 1 October 2007
Genre Theory (Theorist)
Rick Altman, in a 1984 article, proposed a semantic/syntactic approach to film genre. His aim was to ‘problematise’ the discussion of genre within film studies. He recognised that the development of film studies had seen a swing from ‘genre as history’ -- an approach which often used the film industries’ own terms to describe how genres changed over time -- to ‘genre as (semiotic) theory’ -- an approach which largely ignored industry practices.
Altman pointed out that genre (up until the 1960s) was often discussed in either ‘inclusive’ or ‘exclusive’ terms. Critics could refer in an almost tautological sense to a genre as comprising all the films that fulfilled a particular simple definition, e.g. westerns were films set in the American West between 1840 and 1900. But most analysis by scholars concentrated on a much more ‘inclusive’ list of ‘canonical’ films, which appeared to utilise the ‘essential’ elements of the genre.
Altman initially proposed an approach which would combine the ‘inclusive’ and ‘exclusive’ via a general semiotic/structuralist approach. Thus the semantic approach to genre attempts to take a broad definition of a genre repertoire and to include for potential study all the films that appear to share the elements of the repertoire or ‘common traits’ such as characters, locations, shooting style etc. By contrast, the syntactic approach looks at the relationships between these elements and how they are structured in narratives. Altman’s example of this is the western in which the semantic approach concentrates on identifying the constituent elements and how they are presented, whereas the syntactic approach (e.g. via Jim Kitses, 1969/2004) concentrates on thematics such as the opposition of ‘East’ and ‘West’ or ‘garden’ and ‘desert’.
In his 1999 book Film/Genre, Altman admits that the straight semantic/syntactic approach is lacking because it ignores the crucial key concepts that have since been re-inserted into film and media studies -- audience and institution. He adds a further ‘pragmatic’ approach which seeks to ask questions about exactly how producers conceive of genres and cycles etc. He also recognises that as ‘fluid’ groupings of elements, genre texts are open to a diversity of readings -- so audiences may, in effect, create and re-create genres through 'reading'. Earlier approaches had tended to see audiences as passive and to consider genre as formulae through which Hollywood ‘peddled’ its ideologies.
Altman’s earlier 1984 article is included as an appendix in the 1999 book. The genre events offered by itp largely follow Altman’s revised semantic/syntactic/pragmatic approach.
References
Rick Altman (1999) Film/Genre, London: bfi
Jim Kitses (1969, revised 2004) Horizons West, London: bfi
Nick Lacey (2000) Narrative and Genre, Basingstoke: Palgrave
Steve Neale (2000) Genres in Contemporary Hollywood, London: Routledge
Steve Neale (ed) 2002 Genre and Contemporary Hollywood, London: bfi
Steve Neale and Murray Smith (eds) (1998) Contemporary Hollywood, London: Routledge
Tom Ryall (2000) ‘Genre and Hollywood’ in John Hill and Pam Church Gibson (eds) The Oxford Guide to Film Studies, Oxford: OUP
Rick Altman, in a 1984 article, proposed a semantic/syntactic approach to film genre. His aim was to ‘problematise’ the discussion of genre within film studies. He recognised that the development of film studies had seen a swing from ‘genre as history’ -- an approach which often used the film industries’ own terms to describe how genres changed over time -- to ‘genre as (semiotic) theory’ -- an approach which largely ignored industry practices.
Altman pointed out that genre (up until the 1960s) was often discussed in either ‘inclusive’ or ‘exclusive’ terms. Critics could refer in an almost tautological sense to a genre as comprising all the films that fulfilled a particular simple definition, e.g. westerns were films set in the American West between 1840 and 1900. But most analysis by scholars concentrated on a much more ‘inclusive’ list of ‘canonical’ films, which appeared to utilise the ‘essential’ elements of the genre.
Altman initially proposed an approach which would combine the ‘inclusive’ and ‘exclusive’ via a general semiotic/structuralist approach. Thus the semantic approach to genre attempts to take a broad definition of a genre repertoire and to include for potential study all the films that appear to share the elements of the repertoire or ‘common traits’ such as characters, locations, shooting style etc. By contrast, the syntactic approach looks at the relationships between these elements and how they are structured in narratives. Altman’s example of this is the western in which the semantic approach concentrates on identifying the constituent elements and how they are presented, whereas the syntactic approach (e.g. via Jim Kitses, 1969/2004) concentrates on thematics such as the opposition of ‘East’ and ‘West’ or ‘garden’ and ‘desert’.
In his 1999 book Film/Genre, Altman admits that the straight semantic/syntactic approach is lacking because it ignores the crucial key concepts that have since been re-inserted into film and media studies -- audience and institution. He adds a further ‘pragmatic’ approach which seeks to ask questions about exactly how producers conceive of genres and cycles etc. He also recognises that as ‘fluid’ groupings of elements, genre texts are open to a diversity of readings -- so audiences may, in effect, create and re-create genres through 'reading'. Earlier approaches had tended to see audiences as passive and to consider genre as formulae through which Hollywood ‘peddled’ its ideologies.
Altman’s earlier 1984 article is included as an appendix in the 1999 book. The genre events offered by itp largely follow Altman’s revised semantic/syntactic/pragmatic approach.
References
Rick Altman (1999) Film/Genre, London: bfi
Jim Kitses (1969, revised 2004) Horizons West, London: bfi
Nick Lacey (2000) Narrative and Genre, Basingstoke: Palgrave
Steve Neale (2000) Genres in Contemporary Hollywood, London: Routledge
Steve Neale (ed) 2002 Genre and Contemporary Hollywood, London: bfi
Steve Neale and Murray Smith (eds) (1998) Contemporary Hollywood, London: Routledge
Tom Ryall (2000) ‘Genre and Hollywood’ in John Hill and Pam Church Gibson (eds) The Oxford Guide to Film Studies, Oxford: OUP
Texts i can compare my text to...
Bend It Like Beckham is a British film released in 2002 in the UK and released in the United States in March 2003. The film was directed by Gurinder Chadha and was based on the screenplay she wrote with Paul Berges and Guljit Bindra. The film was a box office success and has achieved a cult-like status. It tells the tale of two young London women from different backgrounds who share an aptitude for football (soccer) and pressure from their families to conform. One is a British Indian Sikh girl who struggles against her family's orthodox mindset to fulfill her dream of playing professional football; the other is a white girl who has to combat her mother's stereotypes about athletic prowess and lesbianism. The film's title is a reference to the English footballer David Beckham and his skill at scoring from free-kicks by "bending" (curving) the ball (making it swerve as it flies through the air).
The movie was filmed in West London, specifically Hounslow (where the main characters live) and Southall, and central London, including Soho for the football store and pub, and Piccadilly Circus. Scenes were also shot in Hamburg, Germany.
Plot
The film is a coming-of-age tale about 18-year-old Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), a Sikh girl living in the western suburbs of London, not far from Heathrow Airport. Her first-generation Punjabi immigrant parents push her hard to study to get into university and become a solicitor, and wish to arrange a marriage for her in due course. Jess instead dreams of football, inspired by one of England's most famous players, David Beckham. She displays unusual talent for the game in park matches with the local boys, running them ragged with her evasive skills.
While playing in the park Jess is spotted by Juliette "Jules" Paxton (Keira Knightley), the star player at the Hounslow Harriers, a local amateur women's football club. She happily accepts Jules's invitation to join the club, even though she knows her parents would disapprove. Jess becomes a key member of the side and Jules's best friend. She also develops a special bond with the team's coach, Joe (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), a young man whose dreams of football stardom were shattered when he injured his knee. Meanwhile, there are rumours that a scout from an American college is looking for players for the school's women's team. The resulting situation sets up a number of culture clashes ranging from the comical to the serious, as Jess, her friends (both from the Indian community and the football club), and family, try to negotiate their way between the expectations of two cultures and their own dreams and desires.
The movie also shows that immigrant families are not unique in their adherence to tradition. Jules's mother (Juliet Stevenson), who has very conventional views of femininity, pressures her daughter to wear frilly lingerie rather than sports bras and fears that her tomboy daughter is in a lesbian relationship with Jess. Instead of the standard plot device of the unyielding father and the understanding mother, the roles are reversed with the father having the wisdom to let his daughter fulfill her dreams and the mother clinging to her ideas and traditions. In Jess's case, her father (Anupam Kher) decides to let her play in the football tournament even when it means leaving her sister's wedding early. In Jules's case, her father encourages her to play football instead of chasing boys and doing normal "girl things".
When he realises she has sneaked out to play football, Jess's father takes ten minutes to watch Jess in her game and sees just how good she really is. He is surprised to find her a fantastic player and a key member of the team, but he is not as impressed when he finds her hugging her coach. During the wedding party, Jess's father allows her to go to the final football match, saying it would be the only way to see her happy on her sister's wedding day - her joy of playing is contrasted with her sister's joy of getting married, in a montage.
The American scout sees Jess and Jules at the game and offers them a place at a college in the USA with a well known and successful women's soccer program (Santa Clara University). Jules accepts straight away, but Jess does not as she knows her parents would never let her. She returns to the wedding party (which was just finishing) and tells her best Indian friend - Tony (a gay man who is infatuated with David Beckham) what has happened. Tony sees how much Jess wants to take up this opportunity, so he tells Jess's parents that he and Jess want to get married but he wants her to have a chance to go to the college of her choice first (i.e. the college in America to which she has been offered admission). Jess realises that she cannot let Tony make such a sacrifice for her, and she also wishes to stop deceiving her family, so she speaks up and asks permission to go to America.
Her father grants her permission to go, as during his youth in England he wanted to play cricket but he was unable to because the English men who were at the club he wished to play at made fun of the turban he wore and 'kicked him out like a dog'. He realises that Jess really wants to take up this opportunity and gives a speech in front of the relatives and friends there about how he was discriminated against and how he wants Jess to take up the opportunity he never had. Consequently Jess goes to America. The film concludes with family and friends assembled at the airport to bid Jess and Jules farewell. Jess and Joe, who throughout the film found themselves attracted to the other despite the restrictions of family and his position, kiss and decide to tell Jess' parents of the relationship when she comes back at Christmas. The credits roll with Joe and Jess's father playing cricket.
East is East
East is East is a BAFTA award-winning British comedy film released in 1999.
It is set in a mixed-race household with a Pakistani father and a British mother in Salford, in 1971. George Khan (played by Om Puri), the father, expects his family to follow his strict Muslim ways, but his children, who were born and raised in Britain, increasingly see themselves as British and reject their father's rules on dress, food, religion, and living in general.
East is East is based on the play of the same name by Ayub Khan-Din. It was directed by Damien O'Donnell
Synopsis
George Khan has been married to an English woman named Ella for 25 years, and has seven children with her. The trouble begins when Nazir, their first-born son (who later turns out to be gay), bails out of marrying the Pakistani girl his father has chosen for him at the last minute, leading to a bitter estrangement. Then the youngest son Sajid is discovered to be uncircumcised: the boy is horrified at his father's plans to have the ceremonial surgery carried out, and tries to resist, but in vain. Meanwhile, marriage is still on George's mind, and he accepts an introduction to Mr. Shah, who is looking for good Pakistani bridegrooms for his two ridiculously ugly daughters. Despite having seen the daughters' photographs, George promises Mr. Shah that his second and third sons, Tariq and Abdul, will marry them. Sajid overhears George's plans, and spills the beans to his brothers, which sends the family spinning into a crisis. At the end though they all see that George is wrong.
Bend It Like Beckham is a British film released in 2002 in the UK and released in the United States in March 2003. The film was directed by Gurinder Chadha and was based on the screenplay she wrote with Paul Berges and Guljit Bindra. The film was a box office success and has achieved a cult-like status. It tells the tale of two young London women from different backgrounds who share an aptitude for football (soccer) and pressure from their families to conform. One is a British Indian Sikh girl who struggles against her family's orthodox mindset to fulfill her dream of playing professional football; the other is a white girl who has to combat her mother's stereotypes about athletic prowess and lesbianism. The film's title is a reference to the English footballer David Beckham and his skill at scoring from free-kicks by "bending" (curving) the ball (making it swerve as it flies through the air).
The movie was filmed in West London, specifically Hounslow (where the main characters live) and Southall, and central London, including Soho for the football store and pub, and Piccadilly Circus. Scenes were also shot in Hamburg, Germany.
Plot
The film is a coming-of-age tale about 18-year-old Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), a Sikh girl living in the western suburbs of London, not far from Heathrow Airport. Her first-generation Punjabi immigrant parents push her hard to study to get into university and become a solicitor, and wish to arrange a marriage for her in due course. Jess instead dreams of football, inspired by one of England's most famous players, David Beckham. She displays unusual talent for the game in park matches with the local boys, running them ragged with her evasive skills.
While playing in the park Jess is spotted by Juliette "Jules" Paxton (Keira Knightley), the star player at the Hounslow Harriers, a local amateur women's football club. She happily accepts Jules's invitation to join the club, even though she knows her parents would disapprove. Jess becomes a key member of the side and Jules's best friend. She also develops a special bond with the team's coach, Joe (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), a young man whose dreams of football stardom were shattered when he injured his knee. Meanwhile, there are rumours that a scout from an American college is looking for players for the school's women's team. The resulting situation sets up a number of culture clashes ranging from the comical to the serious, as Jess, her friends (both from the Indian community and the football club), and family, try to negotiate their way between the expectations of two cultures and their own dreams and desires.
The movie also shows that immigrant families are not unique in their adherence to tradition. Jules's mother (Juliet Stevenson), who has very conventional views of femininity, pressures her daughter to wear frilly lingerie rather than sports bras and fears that her tomboy daughter is in a lesbian relationship with Jess. Instead of the standard plot device of the unyielding father and the understanding mother, the roles are reversed with the father having the wisdom to let his daughter fulfill her dreams and the mother clinging to her ideas and traditions. In Jess's case, her father (Anupam Kher) decides to let her play in the football tournament even when it means leaving her sister's wedding early. In Jules's case, her father encourages her to play football instead of chasing boys and doing normal "girl things".
When he realises she has sneaked out to play football, Jess's father takes ten minutes to watch Jess in her game and sees just how good she really is. He is surprised to find her a fantastic player and a key member of the team, but he is not as impressed when he finds her hugging her coach. During the wedding party, Jess's father allows her to go to the final football match, saying it would be the only way to see her happy on her sister's wedding day - her joy of playing is contrasted with her sister's joy of getting married, in a montage.
The American scout sees Jess and Jules at the game and offers them a place at a college in the USA with a well known and successful women's soccer program (Santa Clara University). Jules accepts straight away, but Jess does not as she knows her parents would never let her. She returns to the wedding party (which was just finishing) and tells her best Indian friend - Tony (a gay man who is infatuated with David Beckham) what has happened. Tony sees how much Jess wants to take up this opportunity, so he tells Jess's parents that he and Jess want to get married but he wants her to have a chance to go to the college of her choice first (i.e. the college in America to which she has been offered admission). Jess realises that she cannot let Tony make such a sacrifice for her, and she also wishes to stop deceiving her family, so she speaks up and asks permission to go to America.
Her father grants her permission to go, as during his youth in England he wanted to play cricket but he was unable to because the English men who were at the club he wished to play at made fun of the turban he wore and 'kicked him out like a dog'. He realises that Jess really wants to take up this opportunity and gives a speech in front of the relatives and friends there about how he was discriminated against and how he wants Jess to take up the opportunity he never had. Consequently Jess goes to America. The film concludes with family and friends assembled at the airport to bid Jess and Jules farewell. Jess and Joe, who throughout the film found themselves attracted to the other despite the restrictions of family and his position, kiss and decide to tell Jess' parents of the relationship when she comes back at Christmas. The credits roll with Joe and Jess's father playing cricket.
East is East
East is East is a BAFTA award-winning British comedy film released in 1999.
It is set in a mixed-race household with a Pakistani father and a British mother in Salford, in 1971. George Khan (played by Om Puri), the father, expects his family to follow his strict Muslim ways, but his children, who were born and raised in Britain, increasingly see themselves as British and reject their father's rules on dress, food, religion, and living in general.
East is East is based on the play of the same name by Ayub Khan-Din. It was directed by Damien O'Donnell
Synopsis
George Khan has been married to an English woman named Ella for 25 years, and has seven children with her. The trouble begins when Nazir, their first-born son (who later turns out to be gay), bails out of marrying the Pakistani girl his father has chosen for him at the last minute, leading to a bitter estrangement. Then the youngest son Sajid is discovered to be uncircumcised: the boy is horrified at his father's plans to have the ceremonial surgery carried out, and tries to resist, but in vain. Meanwhile, marriage is still on George's mind, and he accepts an introduction to Mr. Shah, who is looking for good Pakistani bridegrooms for his two ridiculously ugly daughters. Despite having seen the daughters' photographs, George promises Mr. Shah that his second and third sons, Tariq and Abdul, will marry them. Sajid overhears George's plans, and spills the beans to his brothers, which sends the family spinning into a crisis. At the end though they all see that George is wrong.
COMMENTS ON PEOPLE'S BLOG
Islamophobia said... HASNAA
WWW*Excellent research on the topic* Loads of Pictures and Videos which are analysed.* Good use of Delicious Links/Tags
EBI Maybe you could add in some bullet poin/too much wrting! (but that is good)XxNaziyaXX
AMRIT...
Islamophobia said...
WWW (what went well)* Good key points, which are short and snappy* Key concepts are short and handy, easy to refer back to.* Good Background information of the text
EBI More pictures can be added in and analysed and videos.
Dips
Islamophobia said...
WWW (what went well)* Good background iformation is provided about the text.* Pictures are also on your blog,makes it look visual and appealing.* Key concepts are put up, easy to refer back to.
EBI* Maybe you can add in some theorist about your idea?XxNaziyaXx
Pardeep
Islamophobia said...
WWW (What went well)* Good links of theorist you have put up, easy to refer back to.* Excellent in-dept study of the text.* Excellent background information, such as Interviews and newpaper articles.
EBI (Even better if)* You can probably get a few videos maybe 1 or 2 and just analyse them! XxNaziyaXx
Kirandeep
WWW (What went well)* Detail knowledge about the text* Loads of pictures which makes your blog look visual and appealing.* Background information in also provided.
EBI* You can add in a few video clips and analyse them, so that we the audience can get a insight into the text!XxNaziyaXx
Islamophobia said... HASNAA
WWW*Excellent research on the topic* Loads of Pictures and Videos which are analysed.* Good use of Delicious Links/Tags
EBI Maybe you could add in some bullet poin/too much wrting! (but that is good)XxNaziyaXX
AMRIT...
Islamophobia said...
WWW (what went well)* Good key points, which are short and snappy* Key concepts are short and handy, easy to refer back to.* Good Background information of the text
EBI More pictures can be added in and analysed and videos.
Dips
Islamophobia said...
WWW (what went well)* Good background iformation is provided about the text.* Pictures are also on your blog,makes it look visual and appealing.* Key concepts are put up, easy to refer back to.
EBI* Maybe you can add in some theorist about your idea?XxNaziyaXx
Pardeep
Islamophobia said...
WWW (What went well)* Good links of theorist you have put up, easy to refer back to.* Excellent in-dept study of the text.* Excellent background information, such as Interviews and newpaper articles.
EBI (Even better if)* You can probably get a few videos maybe 1 or 2 and just analyse them! XxNaziyaXx
Kirandeep
WWW (What went well)* Detail knowledge about the text* Loads of pictures which makes your blog look visual and appealing.* Background information in also provided.
EBI* You can add in a few video clips and analyse them, so that we the audience can get a insight into the text!XxNaziyaXx
Sunday, 9 September 2007
SUMMER HOMEWORK
Media Representations Who is being represented?
The text that I have chosen to study is Provoked, and within this movie manly Feminism is being portrayed with different race and gender.
In what way? I would say that the main Asian protagonist (Aishwarya Rai) has been seen in a negative way, making the Asians look low, and that the British still rule them. This is done through the racial comments made and pronunciation of her name.
By whom?
I would say that we as the audience perceive the protagonist, and they are getting perceived by the community (Asian community)
Why is the subject being represented in this way? I believe that the subject such as “ Feminism” and “Race” are being shown in this manner is because they are on the increase. Heavily focusing on Feminism we can argue that their position has changed a lot and are being seen as “active” and “breadwinners”.
Is the representation fair and accurate?
Provoked, heavily deals with the matters of Race, feminist and gender. At the start of the movie we see the main protagonist getting treated to others unfairly to the other stars (British Whites). Deliberately this is done, so that the audience be able to identify with the protagonist. I believe that the representation is not fair as they are deliberately making the Asian look and feel low.
What opportunities exist for self-representation by the subject?
As the film deals with rights and Feminists a lot, Aishwarya seeks help from her friend who is British White and is in jail with her, in order to get a appeal and win the case.
Media Languages and Forms
What are the denotative and connotative levels of meaning?
Looking at the text as a Whole, we can say that the denotative is Aishwarya Rai, as a female married. The connotative of this will be that, she has been portrayed as being passive, and inferior due to her accent as she cannot speak English well. Furthermore, her dress sense connotes that she is a typical Asian wife, and is seen as being inferior and passive towards the men.
What is the significance of the text’s connotations?
I believe it to be Female power, and status. What I mean about power is that looking at today’s world everything has changed, women now are seen to be superior and reject the patriarchal society. We can now say that a lot of females are being seen as dominant and fight back for their right and status. “Provoked” successful shows this and achieves.
What are the non-verbal structures of meaning in the text (e.g. gesture, facial expression, positional communication, clothing, props etc)
throughout the film we see various facial expression, the main type of facial expression we see is to be sad and emotional looks. We see Aishwarya crying throughout the film, and we see a lot of aggression also. This is done so that the target audience can identify with the protagonists.
What is the significance of mise-en-scene/sets/settings? “Provoked” has various types of mise en scene. The main obvious one is the house that they are all living in, this connotes that they are living in a Nuclear family. The outfit that we see in the movie is mainly Aishwarya wearing Indian clothes. This connotes that she is a typical Asian wife/mother. Adding on to this, Aishwarya also does not seem to be wearing make up in the movie, we can say that this connotes that Aishwarya is pure and is not viewed as being sexy. In the movie we also see that the shots are close ups and long shots. Close ups are seen when Aishwarya gets abused, we see some close up shots of Aishwarya bruised. This is again done so that the target audience can identify with her. Long shots are seen when Aishwarya first enters the jail, it shows the target audience the atmosphere in which she is in.
What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text? In the movie we hear a lot of parallel music, which the music is very emotional. We have sympathy towards Aishwarya, as she is the victim of abuse.
What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text? The dominant Images we see throughout the movie is abuse of marks on Aishwarya’s body. The connotation of this shows that we are living in a patriarchal society and that men are seen to be active and women are seen to be passive.
What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)? Throughout the movie, we see plenty of close ups which convey Aishwarya’s feelings. Editing in the movie is slow and not fast, the reason for this being is so that the audience can identify and have sympathy towards her. Music is only heard when Aishwarya is abused and is crying so that is creates an huge impacts towards the audience.
Narrative
How is the narrative organised and structured?
The storyline is based on Aishwarya and how she feels towards her husband’s behaviour. The way it is mainly structured is by flashbacks, which reminds the audience that she is the victim of abuse.
How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?
They are seen to be the witnesses, and are positioned to sympathise with the victim. Females especially will have a strong impact as they tend to be victims of abuse.
How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created? In
the movie the villain is Aishwarya’s husband. We can say this because he abuses Aishwarya all the time, for no reason. High angel shots are seen on him , which makes the audience look up at him.
What techniques of identification and alienation are employed?
Facial expression, and music. This is because when Aishwarya gets abused it is seen from a close up shot.
What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?
It make the whole movie going. And it has a great impact towards the audience, and makes things much easier and whom to identify with.
What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody?
I would personally say that the main themes are feminism, race, abuse and ethnicity. It makes the society look as of dominance still exists and that we are living in a patriarchal society.
Genre
To which genre does the text belong? I would say that it is feminism.
What are the major generic conventions within the text? Abuse and feminism.
What are the major iconographic features of the text? Abuse.
What are the major generic themes? Again I would say that it is abuse and feminism.
To what extent are the characters generically determined?
To what extent are the audience’s generic expectations of the text fulfilled or cheated by the text? Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically? I would say that it treats them ironically as we only see that Aishwarya getting abused and no one else.
Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have? Yes, as Aishwarya is a famous Bollywood star she is also known as being ‘Miss India’, I believe that her being the main leader of the film fits well with the genre. The genre heavily focuses on feminism.
Media Institutions
What is the institutional source of the text? Eros International
In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it? Eros International has produced the text, which is a big institution, by producing this text it has given it name much more bigger.
Is the source a public service or commercial institution? What difference does this make to the text?
Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter?
How has the text been distributed?
Media Values and Ideology
What are the major values, ideologies and assumptions underpinning the text or naturalised within it? I would say that the major values are how a woman is treated. And the message given out by the text I would say that is female power still does exists today and that woman now have more equal rights compared to men.
What criteria have been used for selecting the content presented?
Media Audiences
To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience? I would personally say that the text is addressed to 18 years and above. I would say that the text really hits females as they are the main protagonists.
What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text? They will be able to identify with the characters and have a strong impact towards them.
What assumptions about the audience are implicit in the text’s scheduling or positioning?
In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text? I would say that the text gets to them a lot due to the emotional music at the back and the shots that are seen.
What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience? They may share similar problems.
What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text? They would probably feel that dominance still exits or that female are no longer subordinate to men
How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc? I would personally say that the text is very powerful and dramatic. As I’m a Asian British myself I can identify with the protagonist, as I’m a female myself and people often believe that female are passive and subordinate.
Media Representations Who is being represented?
The text that I have chosen to study is Provoked, and within this movie manly Feminism is being portrayed with different race and gender.
In what way? I would say that the main Asian protagonist (Aishwarya Rai) has been seen in a negative way, making the Asians look low, and that the British still rule them. This is done through the racial comments made and pronunciation of her name.
By whom?
I would say that we as the audience perceive the protagonist, and they are getting perceived by the community (Asian community)
Why is the subject being represented in this way? I believe that the subject such as “ Feminism” and “Race” are being shown in this manner is because they are on the increase. Heavily focusing on Feminism we can argue that their position has changed a lot and are being seen as “active” and “breadwinners”.
Is the representation fair and accurate?
Provoked, heavily deals with the matters of Race, feminist and gender. At the start of the movie we see the main protagonist getting treated to others unfairly to the other stars (British Whites). Deliberately this is done, so that the audience be able to identify with the protagonist. I believe that the representation is not fair as they are deliberately making the Asian look and feel low.
What opportunities exist for self-representation by the subject?
As the film deals with rights and Feminists a lot, Aishwarya seeks help from her friend who is British White and is in jail with her, in order to get a appeal and win the case.
Media Languages and Forms
What are the denotative and connotative levels of meaning?
Looking at the text as a Whole, we can say that the denotative is Aishwarya Rai, as a female married. The connotative of this will be that, she has been portrayed as being passive, and inferior due to her accent as she cannot speak English well. Furthermore, her dress sense connotes that she is a typical Asian wife, and is seen as being inferior and passive towards the men.
What is the significance of the text’s connotations?
I believe it to be Female power, and status. What I mean about power is that looking at today’s world everything has changed, women now are seen to be superior and reject the patriarchal society. We can now say that a lot of females are being seen as dominant and fight back for their right and status. “Provoked” successful shows this and achieves.
What are the non-verbal structures of meaning in the text (e.g. gesture, facial expression, positional communication, clothing, props etc)
throughout the film we see various facial expression, the main type of facial expression we see is to be sad and emotional looks. We see Aishwarya crying throughout the film, and we see a lot of aggression also. This is done so that the target audience can identify with the protagonists.
What is the significance of mise-en-scene/sets/settings? “Provoked” has various types of mise en scene. The main obvious one is the house that they are all living in, this connotes that they are living in a Nuclear family. The outfit that we see in the movie is mainly Aishwarya wearing Indian clothes. This connotes that she is a typical Asian wife/mother. Adding on to this, Aishwarya also does not seem to be wearing make up in the movie, we can say that this connotes that Aishwarya is pure and is not viewed as being sexy. In the movie we also see that the shots are close ups and long shots. Close ups are seen when Aishwarya gets abused, we see some close up shots of Aishwarya bruised. This is again done so that the target audience can identify with her. Long shots are seen when Aishwarya first enters the jail, it shows the target audience the atmosphere in which she is in.
What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text? In the movie we hear a lot of parallel music, which the music is very emotional. We have sympathy towards Aishwarya, as she is the victim of abuse.
What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text? The dominant Images we see throughout the movie is abuse of marks on Aishwarya’s body. The connotation of this shows that we are living in a patriarchal society and that men are seen to be active and women are seen to be passive.
What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)? Throughout the movie, we see plenty of close ups which convey Aishwarya’s feelings. Editing in the movie is slow and not fast, the reason for this being is so that the audience can identify and have sympathy towards her. Music is only heard when Aishwarya is abused and is crying so that is creates an huge impacts towards the audience.
Narrative
How is the narrative organised and structured?
The storyline is based on Aishwarya and how she feels towards her husband’s behaviour. The way it is mainly structured is by flashbacks, which reminds the audience that she is the victim of abuse.
How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?
They are seen to be the witnesses, and are positioned to sympathise with the victim. Females especially will have a strong impact as they tend to be victims of abuse.
How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created? In
the movie the villain is Aishwarya’s husband. We can say this because he abuses Aishwarya all the time, for no reason. High angel shots are seen on him , which makes the audience look up at him.
What techniques of identification and alienation are employed?
Facial expression, and music. This is because when Aishwarya gets abused it is seen from a close up shot.
What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?
It make the whole movie going. And it has a great impact towards the audience, and makes things much easier and whom to identify with.
What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody?
I would personally say that the main themes are feminism, race, abuse and ethnicity. It makes the society look as of dominance still exists and that we are living in a patriarchal society.
Genre
To which genre does the text belong? I would say that it is feminism.
What are the major generic conventions within the text? Abuse and feminism.
What are the major iconographic features of the text? Abuse.
What are the major generic themes? Again I would say that it is abuse and feminism.
To what extent are the characters generically determined?
To what extent are the audience’s generic expectations of the text fulfilled or cheated by the text? Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically? I would say that it treats them ironically as we only see that Aishwarya getting abused and no one else.
Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have? Yes, as Aishwarya is a famous Bollywood star she is also known as being ‘Miss India’, I believe that her being the main leader of the film fits well with the genre. The genre heavily focuses on feminism.
Media Institutions
What is the institutional source of the text? Eros International
In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it? Eros International has produced the text, which is a big institution, by producing this text it has given it name much more bigger.
Is the source a public service or commercial institution? What difference does this make to the text?
Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter?
How has the text been distributed?
Media Values and Ideology
What are the major values, ideologies and assumptions underpinning the text or naturalised within it? I would say that the major values are how a woman is treated. And the message given out by the text I would say that is female power still does exists today and that woman now have more equal rights compared to men.
What criteria have been used for selecting the content presented?
Media Audiences
To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience? I would personally say that the text is addressed to 18 years and above. I would say that the text really hits females as they are the main protagonists.
What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text? They will be able to identify with the characters and have a strong impact towards them.
What assumptions about the audience are implicit in the text’s scheduling or positioning?
In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text? I would say that the text gets to them a lot due to the emotional music at the back and the shots that are seen.
What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience? They may share similar problems.
What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text? They would probably feel that dominance still exits or that female are no longer subordinate to men
How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc? I would personally say that the text is very powerful and dramatic. As I’m a Asian British myself I can identify with the protagonist, as I’m a female myself and people often believe that female are passive and subordinate.
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