1B Response: AS Film Representation

1B Response: AS Film Representation

1. Laura Mulvey (1975)

   • GENDER: Mulvey argued that the dominant point of view is masculine. The female body is displayed for the male gaze in order to provide erotic behaviour for the male (voyeurism), therefore women are objectified.
     • We both followed and challenged Mulvey's theory.
       • Film example: In our film opening, Rosalie is wearing a short tight white dress, and is wearing make up (although, it is smudged). This could be interpreted as the female body being displayed for the male gaze, due to it being quite short and tight and therefore Rosalie could be seen as objectified.
       • Film example: However, we have also challenged Mulvey’s theory by making our short film have the dominant point of view as feminine, rather than masculine. We have done this through making Rosalie the main antagonist, and so this meant that the female character is not marginalised, like in most films. We have also challenged the traditional stereotype of women being dependent and weak, by making Rosalie independent as she protects herself from her stalker and does not seek help. She is also seen as a strong character through her reaction to finding out that her boyfriend’s shoes are the same as the stalkers, as she reacts in a strong, dominant way (through defending herself, by inflicting pain on the stalker) rather than a weak, dependent way.

2. Longmore (1987)

   • DISABLILITY: Longmore argued that people with disability are represented as dependent, maladjusted and even evil.
     • We both followed and challenged Mulvey's theory.
       • We have followed Longmore’s theory through representing Rosalie’s mental illness in a somewhat negative way, as her mental illness has caused her to become paranoid and unpredictable. We have represented this through playing the voices in her head and showing blurred subjective shots which emphasise Rosalie’s disorientated and confused state. Her mental illness also causes her to become paranoid and dangerous, and this leads her to become suspicious of her boyfriend and she eventually stabs him. This creates a negative view of mental disability and supports Longmore’s theory of disabled people being represented as maladjusted and evil.
       • Film Example: However, we have also challenged Longmore’s theory by creating an open meaning around Rosalie’s mental illness. In our opening, we never explicitly state that Rosalie is mentally ill but instead hint at it by showing the voices she is hearing and emphasising her paranoia, such as when she thinks that the group of girls are laughing at her. This allows the audience to interpret whether they think Rosalie is mentally ill or not. We have also created an open meaning by allowing the audience to decide whether Rosalie is in control of her behaviour and so should be blamed for her actions, or whether her mental illness is what has caused her to become paranoid and dangerous, and so her actions are not her fault. We have tried to emphasise this through Rosalie being morally ambiguous, such as her being constantly shown in Rembrandt Style side lighting and her costume. Her costume is a white dress, connoting purity and innocence, however this is disrupted through the red blood on