Obsessive Avenger

            Apart from homosexuality in film, there is also one other group that I haven’t quite gotten around to talking about yet. I’m speaking of course about the portrayal of disabled people in film. Individuals with “congenital impairments and/or other physical anomalies” (Benshoff) were typically depicted as “freaks” in early film, these characters allowed “normal” people to develop a curiosity and to use there disabilities to entertain themselves. There are many different stereotypes that are associated with individuals with disabilities. The stereotype I’m going to be focusing on is the Obsessive Avenger.

            The Obsessive Avenger is a “stereotype of a disabled or disfigured man who exacts revenge on “normal” society; often found in crime or horror films” (Benshoff). This character can be found in a number of films today. The Lion King, for example, is a Disney growing up film about a young cub, named Simba, who flees and abandons his role as future king after he is tricked into believing that he was responsible for his father’s deaths. When in fact it was actually is Uncle Scar (his father’s brother) who killed him. Scar fits into the stereotype of the obsessive avenger because (1) he’s a man, (2) He is slightly disfigured. There is a huge scar that is shown across his eye and, (3) He plays an evil character who is seeking revenge against his brother.  Scar wants to become king, so he comes up with a plan to murder his own brother.

            One other famous Disney character that would also fall under the stereotype of the Obsessive Avenger would be Captain Hook from the film Peter Pan. The story is about a young boy named Peter Pan who refuses to grow up. He lives in the magical world of Neverland which is where his adventures take place. Captain Hook plays the antagonist of the film. Hook’s character would defiantly fall under the Obsessive Avenger for the following reasons. (1) He is a man, (2) Hook wears a big iron hook on his hand. Peter Pan was partly responsible in his injury when he lured a crocodile to come bite off his hand, and (3) He plays a villainous character who is bent on seeking revenge against Peter Pan.

            The Harry Potter films could also be another great example. Harry Potter is a story about an orphan named Harry who discovers that he is a wizard and is whisked off to attend a Wizarding School called Hogwarts. Lord Voldermort plays the murderous villain who is determined to kill Harry Potter.  Voldermort would fall under the stereotype of an Obsessive Avenger because (1) He’s a male, (2) In the books he is described to be slightly disfigured in the face. In the movie as you can tell by the picture above, he is missing a nose and has a slightly creepy look about him . Voldermort recieved his injuries after a failed attempt to kill Harry when he was a baby. (3) Voldermort is clearly evil. He is responsible for the death of many different characters in the film. (4) Voldemort specifically wants revenge against Harry for nearly destroying him.

       Through these examples, you could see characters that embody characteristics of the Obsessive Avenger. One thing I realized as I was writing this blog was the number of villains that have disfigured faces or missing limbs. These characters are normally always mocked as villainous characters. It sort of makes you wonder how individuals in the real world who may suffer from these same conditions feel when they are confronted with these images. I feel like it’s time to shed some new light on this stereotypical role.

Work Cited :

Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. Malden, MA, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.

Homosexuality

One topic I’ve continued to discuss throughout my blogs would be the issue of white patriarchal capitalism. A deeply ingrained ideology within our society “that suggests that heterosexual Caucasian males and gaining wealth are the most important things in this world.”(Benshoff). In my blogs I’ve discussed the issues concerning women in film, masculinity, femininity, and even the portrayal of a few minority groups today. However, one topic I’ve yet to discuss is the issue surrounding homosexuality within film.

            As I mentioned earlier, society is brought up around the ideology of white patriarchal capitalism. Therefore heterosexual characters are often the main characters in many films today.  When you look at romance films, for example, you see two (typically white) heterosexual couples. “In these films not only is heterosexuality considered better than other sexual orientations, it is presented as the only orientation” (Benshoff). When homosexuals are presented they usually take the role of the supporting character.  Although viewers are becoming more aware and accepting of homosexuality. There are still a number of people who still feel uncomfortable with the idea. Most people are only comfortable with the topic unless it is presented in a comic way. When the concept of homosexuality was first being introduced in early film, the pansy stereotype was used to distinguish homosexual males from straight ones. The pansy stereotype showcased men acting in a very feminine manner. This stereotype can easily be associated with many different shows and films today. One television show that immediately comes to mind is the show Will and Grace.

            Will and Grace was a popular American television sitcom about a man named Will Truman, a gay lawyer, and his best friend Grace Adler. The show featured two other supporting characters named Karen Walker, a rich socialite, and Jack McFarland another homosexual character. Jack’s character plays the stereotypical role of a homosexual man. He carries himself in a very feminine manner. Jack’s character is very flamboyant and shallow. He lives a very unstable life drifting from boyfriends to boyfriend and job to job. One other thing to note about the show is the fact that it is a comedy. As I mentioned before, most people only feel comfortable with homosexuality if it is presented in a comic way. There is rising of homosexual characters being presented in a the media, however these characters are more often than not placed in shows and movies that have a comic feel to it.

In contrast homosexual women are stereotyped as being very masculine. Dot Jones, an actress from the popular television show Glee, is scheduled to play a lesbian in the comedy Are You There Vodka? It’s me, Chelsea.The following clip features a promo with the Dot Jones and her fellow co-star Laura Pepron.

            As you can see from the clip, Jones’s character is depicted as a very masculine homosexual woman. It’s also important to point out that just like Will and Grace this show also happens to be a comedy.

The reason why people have certain stereotypical images of homosexuals is because of films and television shows that help reinforce these images. Changing the way homosexuals are presented may help change the way people view them.

Work Cited :

Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. Malden, MA, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.

"Will & Grace (TV Series 1998–2006) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 28 May 2011. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157246/>.

Rating Red Headed Woman

      Last week in my Cinema class, I was placed in a group that was assigned to come up with our own Rating system. We were then asked to rate a film that was watched in class based on our own system. In this blog I thought I’d rate another movie based on the ratings we’ve come up with, but I’ll begin by explaining what the different rating categories are.

Our Rating system is modeled as a suggested advisory to the audience rather than implementing restrictions. Its main concepts are not to discriminate age groups, which will give film makers the freedom to create movies without restrictions that can potentially discourage talent and creativity. The focus is mainly on the content of the movie, and the freedom of watching movies. It’s the responsibility of the audience and parents to monitor their children.

            We have created three rating systems:

1.      Family rated (F): Movies that have a family rating are intended and are appropriate for all audiences. An advisory for this kind of movie would be, very minimal violence (effects of violence are not depicted in explicit ways), and suggestive language. What you can expect to not see in a family rated movie would be anything pertaining to: sex, drugs, alcohol, blood, smoking, and explicit violence.

2.      Moderate Rated (MO): A movie that is rated as Moderate is acceptable for all audiences with parental advisory SUGGESTED for viewers under 12. The movie will contain moderate levels of physical violence and may contain: sex (no nudity), blood (no gore), murder, drugs, alcohol, and the use of profane language are acceptable in these films.

3.      Mature Rated (M): A movie that is rated mature contains explicit sex and violence. Parental guidance is highly advised for audiences under the age of 18, however it is the responsibility of the audience to be cautious of a mature rated movies. A mature rated movie will contain a high level of violence that may contain the following: sex (nudity), blood (gore), murder, illegal drug and alcohol use, and profane language.

The film Red Headed Women is about a gold digging seductress named Lillian (Red) who falls in love with one of her fellow business employees named Bill. Despite the fact that he is married, Red continuously tries to seduce him in anyway that she can. Bill unable to resist eventually gives in and when Bill’s wife Irene discovers that he has been unfaithful she divorces him. After the divorce Bill and Red get married, but little does he know that he’s not the only man in Red’s life. In fact, she has two other men that she is secretly seeing behind his back. When Bill gets suspicious of Red’s odd behavior he hires a private investigator to find out whether she has been cheating on him. When he discovers the truth he immediately divorces Red and starts to realize that he made a huge mistake with Irene. The story ends happily with Bill and Irene getting back together.

Based on the rating system I’ve constructed with my group. I would rate the film Red Headed Women as Moderate. Although no nudity is displayed in the film, there was a lot of references to sex/sexuality. None of which would be appropriate for a Family Rated movie.  The content/plot of the film is targeted to a more mature audience (Teenagers included). The film also contains some violence at the end of the film. When Bill discovers that Red has been unfaithful he decides to leave her. Red unable to control herself shoots Bill out of anger(no blood).There is also one other scene where Bill  gets angry at Red for causing his divorce and hits her out of frustration.

The examples given all demonstrate why  it is rated as Moderate. Although the film contains mature material it doesn't contain anything that would  be strongly inappropriate for teenagers or pre-teens. 

BLACK AND WHITE BUDDY FILM

      During the World War II era a new image of masculinity was beginning to be formed. Films that centered on male relationships or “bromances” were starting to make there way into Hollywood. These films known as, buddy films, centered on the adventurers of two white (heterosexual) men and the developing friendship between the two characters . Not long afterward a new formula was coming into play called the black and white buddy formula. These films are Hollywood comedy or action-adventure films, or TV comedies that pair an African American star with a white star. This strategy was first used by the film industry to attract both white/ black audiences and still continues to be used today

            One television show that immediately comes to mind when I think of this type of buddy system would be the hit comedy-drama show Psych.  The show ‘Psych’ is about a U.S detective named Shawn Spencer who pretends to be psychic in order to keep his job. Shawn’s father is a police officer and growing up he was always encouraged to be more watchful of his surroundings. “His father told him that he must take note even the smallest detail that is present in his surroundings”. As a result Shawn has developed exceptional observational skills and photographic memory that makes him a good detective, and helps him appear to be psychic. Burton ‘Gus’ Guster is an African American man and he plays Shawn’s best friend. He plays the role of the supporting character and is one of the only people that actually knows about Shawn’s secret. The series follows these two characters and different situations that come their way.

Rush Hour is another example of a buddy film, however it doesn’t follow the same format as Psych does. Instead of focusing on the relationship between a black and white man, the movie focuses on the ‘friendship’ between an Asian and black one. Rush Hour is an action-comedy film about two cops named Inspector Lee and detective James Carter, who team up to save a kidnapped daughter. This film has always been a favorite of mine because of its unlikely pairing. The characters couldn’t be any more different yet have such great chemistry together. This film is different than most traditional Hollywood films because instead of centering the story around two white male characters. It focuses two non-white characters that come from different minority groups.

One thing I realized that I’ve never given much thought to before was the absence of buddy-buddy relationship between women in film. The only film that really comes to mind would be Charlie’s Angles. Hopefully some changes will start being made soon so that friendships in women films could also be shown.

Work Cited :Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. Malden, MA, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.

Men in Film



When you speak of women in film, it’s also important to mention men’s role. As I discussed in my blog, Women in film, Hollywood is based on the dominant ideology of white patriarchal capitalism. Throughout film history white, heterosexual, and mostly wealthy men have been the main characters in many Classic Hollywood films. Part of this reason may be strongly due to the fact that white men were primarily the founders of cinema and also many men hold higher positions of power in the film industry. Although new doors have been opened for people of color, homosexuals, and women to get involved in the industry. There are still a limited number of roles that are available for these groups to play. Many of these characters are the same stereotypical roles that have just been tweaked over time. In Classic Hollywood stories white (heterosexual) men are considered the standard or “norm” in films. When films are released from the view point of another group these films are considered “others”. Comedies that represent African Americans, for example, are considered black comedies. It’s placed in a different category as opposed to being just called a comedy.

In film men are normally portrayed with very strong masculine traits. Men normally play tough and strong heroic characters. When men show emotion (sensitive/romantic) they are normally placed in the romance genre, which most consider chick flicks (or women’s films). In many Hollywood movies many of the plots show stories of men who are faced with an obstacle and who by the end of the film are able to overcome that issue. Men in most Classic Hollywood films are normally responsible for saving the day.  Supporting characters typically include a female love interest. In many action/thriller films men are usually being desired by beautiful young women. In many films there’s normally a huge emphasis put on a female characters sexual appeal. There are many films that embody these different stereotypical roles, but one movie that seems to stand out to me would be the film Disturbia.

Scene from the movie Disturbia.Shows hero (shia labeouf) with his female love interest.

Scene from the movie transformers.Shia Labeouf(right) plays the hero of the film with Megan Fox playing the love interest.

Disturbia is a film about a troubled teenager on house arrest who witness a murder when spying on his neighbor . When the people he loves are put in jeopardy he comes in and saves the day. The story includes a beautiful female love interest named Ashley who eventually ends up dating the hero (Kale) by the end of the movie. This movie follows the typical Hollywood format with a heroic white (heterosexual) male playing the main character. In the movie Kale is able to overcome his obstacles when he defeats the antagonist(serial killer) of the story.





Scene from Titanic with Jack (Leonardo Dicaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet)



 Romance movies which are targeted toward women also show men in a heroic light. The movie Titanic for example is about two characters named Jack and Rose who fall in love on the RMS Titanic, despite the fact that they come from two different social backgrounds. This film breaks the typical image of the traditional hero by making Jack poor rather than rich. In Classic Hollywood movies wealthy men were the protagonist in most films. One traditional image that was still being portrayed in the movie was the image of a white (heterosexual) male hero who ends up saving the day. Throughout the film Jack saves Roses life a number of different times and he even ends up dying for her.

WOMEN IN FILM

Hollywood film has evolved greatly over the years. The visual effects, sound and other technical equipment used have significantly enhanced the quality of film today. However, one thing that hasn’t completely changed would be the representation of women in film. Although the film industry has been more open about letting people of color, homosexuals, and even women getting involved in the film industry. The characters in these films are represented with the same old stereotypes that have just been tweaked over time. Films today very much center around white patriarchal capitalism. White patriarchal capitalism is the “dominant ideology of the western world; that suggests that heterosexual Caucasian males and gaining wealth are the most important things in this world.”(Benshoff) .White, heterosexual and wealthy men are considered the standard or “norm” in film. Anything outside of the norm would be considered the other.
When films are centered around women for instance these films are generally considered “women films” or “chick flicks”. In most Hollywood movies with male leads, the character usually has a female love interest that plays the supporting character. There is usually a huge emphasis put on a women’s sexual appeal and more often then not, she normally plays the damsel in distress. Most “women” films that are told from the female perspective could also be guilty of reinforcing the ideology of white patriarchal capitalism. The Bechdel Test is a type of litmus test to assess the presence of women in movies.( Sarkeesian) There are three main requirements that are essential to passing the test: (1) There has to be 2 or more female characters, (2) These characters have to talk to each other, and  (3) The females must be able to talk about something other than a man. It’s surprising when you realize how many films actually fail this test. Many of the films I grew up watching and loved have mostly failed. The film P.S I love you is one film told from female perspective that fails the Bechdel Test.

      The film P.S I love you is beautiful love story about a young women named Holly who struggles to cope with her husband’s death. On the day of her birthday, Holly receives some tapes recorded by her husband, Jerry, with 10 messages that are intended to ease her pain and encourage her to move on with her life. The film features two female supporting characters her best friends Sharon and Denise. Although the film passes the first two requirements on the Bechdel Test. It fails because the conversations they discuss center mostly around Jerry or the other men in their lives.

      One other movie that fails the Bechdel Test (that may not really come as a surprise to anyone) would be Twilight. This film is another women’s film or chick flick told from the female perspective. Twilight is a movie about a teenage girl named Bella Swan who falls for a vampire named Edward Cullen.  Although the film includes other female characters (with names), they don’t really play a major role in the story. All of Bella's time and attention is focused on her boyfriend Edward.  When Bella is talking to one of her female “friends”, the topic is typically centered around a guy.

    Before learning about the Bechdel test, I never even realized how often movies center around male characters. Keeping this mind I’m going to start paying closer attention to other movies I watch from here on out.

Work Cited
Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. Malden, MA, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.

Sarkeesian, Anita. "The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies." Feminist Frequency. 7 Dec. 2009. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. <http://www.feministfrequency.com/2009/12/the-bechdel-test-for-women-in-movies/>.

Protagonist vs. Antagonist

       When watching any Hollywood film today you’ll probably recognize a certain pattern that plays out in these movies. The structure that is played out is called the Classic Hollywood Narrative form. The Classic Hollywood Narrative form refers to the classic Hollywood structure of stories on film. These structures usually include a linear narrative—meaning that the story includes a beginning, middle, and end. The climax, which is the most intense scene of the film, and the closure/happy ending are also two other components that are important to storytelling. One other important element that contributes to a story line would be the protagonist and antagonist characters in a story.

        In any typically Hollywood film, there’s usually one main central character. This individual normally plays the hero in the movie. In most Classic Hollywood films, this character is nearly always played by a white heterosexual male. When women are introduced into these films they normally play a minor or supporting roles. They generally serve as the female love interest on the side. In these films there’s a huge emphasis on the female characters physical attributes such as their beauty and/or sexual appeal. Whereas men are defined by their “ actions,job,and/or principles” (Benshoff). The antagonist in Hollywood film would  be the villain of the story. These roles a mostly reserved for non-white individuals. The antagonist in any story normally creates obstacles that will get in the way of the protagonist reaching his or her goal. The status quo of society through out history(and even today)  has been white patriarchal capitalism. It’s because of this belief that this message is translated on screen.“Good and evil are thus reduced to simplified and racialized stereotypes: white male hero versus villains of color” (Benshoff) This is typical of most Hollywood films today.

       One example that shows white patriarchal capitalism seeping into the film industry would be in Western films. In this film genre white heterosexual males normally play the protagonist of the story. They are morally good and the Indians portrayed in these films are bad. The Native Americans in most Western films are depicted as ruthless killers. It’s usually up to the cowboys to save the day.

        One modern day example that is introduced in the preface of  the novel “America on Film”  would be the Disney animated film the Lion King. Although the story takes place in Africa. The voice of the main character Simba is voiced by a white male actor. The villains in the story are not entirely white. Scar’s evil sided kicks( the hyenas in the film) are played by people of color.The female charcters in the story also play a minor role.

 

     Story's of superheros such as spider man or superman are played by white male actors. A love story is included as a sidebar in both of the stories. The female characters in both Superman (Lois Lane) and Spider man( Mary Jane) are young attaractive women who more often then not need recusing. Both Lois Lane and Mary Jane play supporting characters in both the stories.

Work cited
 Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. "Native Americans and American Film." America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. Malden, MA, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print

   

                       

Native Americans and their portrayal in film

     Throughout film history, many different groups have been misrepresented in cinema. Women, homosexuals, and people of color typically being the three most targeted groups. One group that is often not discussed when it comes to the issue of misrepresentation would be Native Americans. Their stories are often told from the white man’s perspective and attitudes regarding Native Americans during early film. There are many different stereotypical images used to represent Native Americans. The noble savage and the blood thirsty savage are both very common representations. The blood thirsty savage is a stereotype of an “aggressive, violent Native American always ready to attack white settlers” (Benshoff). Films with these stereotypical roles show images of Natives raping women, killing, and kidnapping white settlers.

“The noble savage portrays Native Americans as childlike and primitive, but instilled with purer and more ‘natural’ instincts” (Benshoff). One example of a “noble” savage character would be in the film Pocahontas. Pocahontas was a Disney Animated film about Native American women (Pocahontas) and her encounter with an Englishman, John Smith and some white settlers that arrived from the Virginia Company. In the film these settlers are hoping to look for some gold and hoping to expand land in the "New World". Pocahontas’s character is presented as a good, nature loving, and spiritual individual. In most films, the “noble savage” is shown coming to the white mans aid. In the film Pocahontas did exactly that when she fell in love and saved John Smith from being executed by her father.                

            Although this image of a noble savage may seem like an improvement from the early description of  a  blood thirsty savage, both still conceive Native Americans as being barely one step above animals. “Guided by instinct rather than complex thought.” (Benshoff).In the movie, Pocahontas, the song “Savages” gives a good description of how early Native American were portrayed to white settlers during that time period:

What can you expect
From filthy little heathens?
Their whole disgusting race is like a curse
Their skin's a hellish red
They're only good when dead
They're vermin, as I said
And worse
They're savages! Savages!
Barely even human

        The image of Native Americans continues to be misused even in film today. Contemporary Native Americans are not represented in modern day movies. Native Americans are probably one of the most underrepresented minorities in North America. Films that are based on Native Americans are based on traditional 19^th-century versions. These Natives are typically shown carrying bows and arrows, wearing a feathered headdress and moccasins, sleeping in a teepee’s, and smoking on a piece pipe (Benshoff).

    

        In the mid-1910s, the Western genre was being formed. These movies are the most common portrayals of Native Americans. Western movies are a movie genre that “centers on a cowboy hero as he attempts to tame the wilderness, including its Native American inhabitants” (Benshoff).  In early Western films, Native Americans were portrayed as blood thirsty savages. The cowboys normally played the good guys.  This genre was also popular during the 1920s and 1930s. Although Native Americans were offended with these stereotypical images that were being portrayed, Native actors had no other choice but to accept these roles because there was such a limited number of roles open to them. Non-Natives began taking larger Indian parts and started playing Native Americans at that time as well.

A popular western movie named “Cheyenne Autnumn” features two Latino actors (Gilbert Roland and Dolores Del Rio) playing the role of two Native Americans.     

   

          Before reading chapter three of the book titled America on Film,I'd never given much thought to how Native Americans are represented in society. There is such a limited number of roles open for Native Americans today.We’re stuck with images of  noble and blood-thirsty savage images from the past.
A contemporary portrayal of Native American needs to be displayed. 

Works Cited

Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. "Native Americans and American Film." America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. Malden, MA, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.