SIN CITY

                                              SIN CITY  -TYPICAL CONVENTIONS

ROBERT RODRIGUEZ AND FRANK MILLER'S SIN CITY  IS A HYBRID OF BOTH NOIR AND COMIC BOOK FILM. IT CREATES FORMS OF DILUTED CHARACTERS AND VISUAL CODES TO CREATE AN EXPERIMENTAL, POST MODERNISM FILM.

 IN A SCENE AT THE BEGINING OF THE TEXT WE ARE INTRODUCED TO THE FIRST PROTAGONIST JOHN HARTIGON. IN THE SCENE WHERE HE IS GETTING OUT THE CAR WE SEE HIS TRENT COAT FLAPPING IN THE WIND. THOUGH IT MAY BE FAR FEATCHED, THE FACT THE TRENT COAT IS FLAPPING COULD SYMBLOIZE A HERO IN A COMIC BOOK. HOWEVER THE FACT HE IS WEARING A TRENCH COAT FIRLMY SUITS THE NOIR ELEMENTS AS THEY USUALLY INCLUDE DARK, DREARY AND RAINY SCENERY WHERE PEOPLE WEAR LONG TRENCH COATS. PEOPLE IN NOIR FILMS ARE ALSO USUALLY DETECTIVES OF SOME SORT.

THE USE OVER EDITING ALSO CONFORMS TO COMIC BOOK CONVENTIONS IN SIN CITY AS THE CHARACTERS AND THE SCENES ALMOST LOOK ANIMATED. A SCENE THAT INTRODUCES THE USE OF THIS OVER EDITIING IS THE FIRST SCENE OF A PROTAGONIST AND FEMME FATALE ON THE BALCONY. THE SCENE SUDDENLY CHANGES FROM FILM TO ANIMATION WHEN THE CAMERA SHOWS A LONG SHOT OF THEM. THE BLACK AND WHITE COLOUR IS ANIMATED AND THE RAIN IS EMPHASISED BY TURING INTO THE COLOUR WHITE. THE RAIN MAY ALSO BE USED TO EXAGERATE HOW THE CHARACTERS ARE FEELING.

AS I SAID BEFORE, THE TEXT IS A POST MODERNISM TEXT THAT MIXES ELEMENTS TOGETHER TO CREATE SOMETHING ORGINAL. THIS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH THE USE OF 1950'S CARS AND MODERN DAY CARS SUCH AS SPORTS CAR FERREI THIS IS SHOWN WHEN NANCY FIRSTLY DRIVES A 1950'S CAR, BUT LEAVES THE FARM SCENE IN A FERREI. THIS ESTABLISHES THE TEXT AS EXPERIMENTAL AS WELL AS POST MODERN, MIXING CONVENTIONS ROGETHER TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW AND EDGY.  THE TEXT ALSO IS VERY EXPERIMENTAL WITH ITS STRUCTURE, SCENES JUMP TO DIFFERENT STORIES AND CHARACTERS ARE INTRODUCED WHEN THEY ARE YOUNGER AND OLDER, ALLOWING THE AUDIENCE TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING EACH STORY THEMSELVES.  AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE USE OF SCENES JUMPING BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS TO THE TEENAGE AND CHILD OF NANCY.

THOUGH THERE IS OBVIOUS FORMS OF FEMME FATALES SUCH AS GALE: A PROSTITUTE WHO ALSO KILLS MEN IN A GANG, THERE IS ALSO DILLUTED FORMS OF A FEMME FATALES TO CREATE A NEW TYPE OF REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN FILM. SIN CITY CONFORMS TO THE FILM NOIR CONVENTION BY INCLUDING FEMME FATALES HOWEVER ALSO RESISTS IT BY INTODUCING DILUTED FEMME FATALES.  A CHARACTER WHO CONFORMS TO THIS IS NANCY THOUGH SHE RELIES ON HER PROTAGONIST HEARTIGON SHE DOES NOT INTENTIONALLY HURT HIM OR USE HER BODY TO MANIPULAE HIM, ALTHOUGH SHE  STILL HOLDS CONVENTIONS OF A FEMME FATALE.

CONVENTIONS OF FILM NOIR INCLUDE CHARACTERS WHO ARE UNTRUSTWORTHY AND ARE PARANOID. THOUGH WE DO NOT WITNESS THIS WHEN SHE IS FIRST INTRODUCED, BECKY CONFORMS TO THIS TYPE OF CHARACTER BY GOING AGAINST THE PEOPLE WHO PROTECT HER (GALE AND THE PROSTITUTES). HOWEVER WE DO NOT EXPECT THIS AS THE USE OF HER BLUE EYES WHICH STAND OUT GIVES HER A SENSE OF PURITY, INNOCENE AND NIAVITY. AGAIN THIS CONSIDERED AS DILUTED AS THE CORRUPT/UNTRUSTWORTHY CHARACTER IS NOT OBVIOUS.

THE USE OF THE CONSIST PLACE IN THE FILM "KADIES BAR" ALSO FITS THE FILM NOIR CONVENTIONS, IT SHOWS PEOPLE LETTING GO OF THEIR MORALS DRINKING AND SMOKING. THIS LINKS TO THE COLD WAR AS PEOPLE WERE WORRIED ABOUT ANOTHER WAR ARISING, THEY LET GO OF THEIR MORALS AND SAW NO POINT IN LIVING LIFE SAFELY ANYMORE. THE CORRUPT COP CONFORMS TO THIS AS WELL AS POLICE ARE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW RULES, HOWEVER THE TEXT INTRODUCES "JACKIE BOY" WHO IS SEEN MORE OF A GANGASTER BEFORE WE DISCOVER IS A COP. THIS COULD REFLECT WHY THIS CHRACTER DID NOT ABIDE BY RULES BECAUSE OF THE ERA IT IS SET AND TO FIT TO THE NOIR GENRE.

To what extent are your chosen texts typical of their genre?- Fish Tank

To what extent are you chosen text typical of their genre? - Fish Tank

My chosen text is is fish tank and is typical of its social realism genre through its use of hand held camera positioning, this creates a sense of empathy by putting the audience into the characters position. the use of the camera bouncing, whilst the character is moving, creates the illusion that we are with the character as the camera moves the way the audiences eyes move. this is justified through the scene where Mia has just discovered Connor has gone, due to the fact that they had sex the night before, and she runs out of her home going after him. the camera follows her from behind, viewing her from the back as if we were following her. It creates the feeling that we are with her on her journey, we are looking through her eyes.

moreover the use of the technical code of the shallow depth field creates a sense that the character is mimicing the human eye, this is also to create empathy and give the audience a sense of realism. this is demonstrated when Mia has discovered where Connor is and confronts him outside of his real home. the fact the houses are blurred behind them and they are in focus makes the audience feel they are there viewing the conversation live. The fact the characters in film are not famous actors, and some not even real actors (Mia), also give the audience more belief that this plot is a harsh, gritty reality because they are known to be in the fictional films.

Diegetic sound is used constantly throughout the film, this is typical of the social realism genre as the director want the audience to hear exactly what the character does as we embark on their journey with them. it makes the plot serious and believable to be true as the sounds are actually with in the picture of the scene. an example of this would be at the beginning when we are first introduced to Mia and she is walking down the street, we are greeted with the sound of traffic and her breathing. However an element that goes against the convention in a particular scene is the scenes of the diegetic sounds of breathing and the technical code of slow motion. this creates a sense of fantasy and dream. an example of this would when Connor carries Mia on his back after she cuts her ankle, the shot slows down and there is an emphasis on breathing. This also creates the idea that Mia lusts after Connor reminding us that she is still an innocent young, niave girl. In addition to this it could be creating an enigma code for their sex scene later on into the text.

Fish tank

Fish Tank - applying iconographies, narrative, representations and ideologies




Scene 1- in this particular scene Mia has cut her ankle whilst out with her mum, Tyler and Connor. Tyler and their mum leave to go to the car, leaving Connor and Mia behind. Connor sees Mia's ankle is hurting therefore gives her a piggy back instead.

Iconographies-  the use of natural daylight as the lighting allows us to establish that the text is social realism, as there is nothing special about the scene it is what it is. the fact the tracking shot is wobbly  gives us sense that we are walking along side them, we are physically there watching what is happening. however it also gives a sense that the text is quite a low paid film, along side the natural lighting. the use of slow motion allows the audience to focus on how she is feeling, as if she is almost in a fantasy. the focus on the slow breathing creates enigma codes foreshadowing the later sex scene. the slow breathing also contributes the fact she is fantasying, the fact she is the main focus in camera allows the audience to know she is the one feeling like this.

Narrative-  this particular part of the text supports Valdimer Propp's theory, the use of the damsel distress/ princess figure (Mia) being saved by the male protagonist acting as the hero (Connor), however later on in the text we soon discover Connor turns out to be the fake hero. we view Mia's mum as the villain as we see her abusing Mia and mistreating her, Joe is viewed as the donor/helper. As Mia is fantasising in this particular scene we view her as the stereotypical niave young girl fantasising over a physically handsome man.

Representation- due to the mise en scene, Mias clothing shows that she is very low class- tracksuit , trainers and hopped ear rings. due to accent and use of slang also contributes to her low class and lack of education. However this differs from Connor who has a more sophisticated accent, however his use of slang and manual job shows his low level of class as well. Mia is represented as naïve, innocent and pure being of a young age of 15.

Ideologies- dominant ideology in this text would be the way lower class people live. the fact that Mias mother is an alcoholic with no job, and the fact that Mia is out of education and uses slang. However what differs from the ideologies is that fact Mia is not a criminal and has ambition to be a dancer, this differs from the ideology of a chav which she portrays through the way she dresses.

Applying Todorov to Transformers

 Applying Todorov to Transformers

1) State of equilibrium
At the beginning of the text we see the character (Shia Labouf) sam living his normal life, there is shots of the town, the girl he is obviously interested in and and him living in his home. more importantly we engage in him getting his first car as a young high school student.












2) A disruption of that order
The protagonist (sam) then discovers his car is actually an alien robot, obviously disrupting his norm. he becomes engaged with alien robots, named auto bots, to help try and save the world from the the decepticons (another form of alien robots). However he does not do this alone as the protagonist female (who he shows an interest in at the start) Michela (Megan Fox), is also caught up in it

3) the recognition that the order has been disrupted
we then witness a battle between the protagonist alien robots (the auto bots) and the antagonist alien robots (the discepticons) over the cube ( a powerful object that has landed on earth from their planet), killing lots of people in the world showing that order has been disrupted. Moreover there is also a narrative where there is soliders' fighting in another country, showing a bigger disruption.














4) An attempt to repair the damage 
the protagonists sam and Michela try to help the auto bots to defeat the dicepticons along side the members of sector seven (a secret organisation in which the president is also involved) which the soliders are part of as well. As the deceptions hacked into the computers of sector seven this is also trying to be solved by members of sector seven.

5) A state of new equilibrium 
The main Protagonists (sam and Michela) and sector seven, along side the auto bots, defeat the decepticons. order is restored however Sam and Michela are now dating each other and sam has a transforming car and robot in which chooses to stay with him.

Western film conventions

The film 'the good, the bad and the ugly' has western film conventions due to the setting of a isolated and deserted waste land, made up of mountains and rocks, western films portrays the conquest of the the wilderness. the use of the costume such as: cowboy boot and hats, ponchos also fits the western conventions. props used such as guns and the scene of a shot out is also a huge ideology for a western film, due to the fact the game was created there. the film also includes conatations of a western film by the use of the close ups of the guns and the extreme close ups of the mens faces, this has became a convention of the western genre as people expect it. the non diegetic sound of the music is also conventional as it is western music. The fact men are over represented in western films as they only include men, usually, showing a fake ideology as there is more women then men in the world. the character roles of the text show men stereotypically being aggressive and unemotional. the scene includes the protagonist (Clint Eastwood) and the supposed villian, in which he shoots,  which links to the title the good, the bad and the ugly. however this links to Props theory of there being conventional characters. the mexican race is represented as both evil and weak as there is two mexican characters, one of the characters is shot (which is the villian). however the other character who is mexican is portrayed weak as the close ups show him sweating and shaking nervously during the shoot out scene. the text portrays American's as heroes, as the only American character is the one who wins the shoot out. this is also conventional as it is a constructed aspect that in most action films the American wins. the text also includes ideologies that men are the ones that are cowboys, where as women can be as well. it carries the idea that men do shoot outs and use guns due to the fact there are no women I the text.

James Bond - die another day - analysed

the james bond franchise is clear example of film objectifying females and forcing the audience to view females via the male gaze. the scene within, "die another day" when james bond meets the character jinx demonstrates my previous statement through laura mulveys theory f the male gaze. at the beginning of the text we have a view of a building through banoculas, shot then moves to a mid shot of male holding them suggesting the male is dominating as we are viewing the text through his eyes. the text then moves on to a mid shot, viewing through the banoculas, of woman in the water viewing the top half of her body. the male gaze applies to this part of the text as the woman is viewed in slow motion, objectifing her as the consumers are able to view her body for longer. the text denies her human identity, at this point, relegating them to the status of objects to be admired for physical appearance. the fact the consumers are viewing the female protagonist in slow motion creates a hyper reality, thus linking to the theory of of post modernism. this particular part of the text is not reality, reality is not in slow motion.

moreover the fact we view the woman through the mans eyes, as i said before, links to the idea that we live in a patriarchal society where men construct are ideals. As we are viewing the text through his eyes we begin to believe only the woman's appearance matters, before we know her identity we see her body. Viewing through the male eyes we believe that it is the males story that matters, we see through his eyes therefore he is the active character. the female is passive as she is only what he is seeing, nothing important, just there for visual pleasure.

(draft) A2 Media question

How women are represented in men's fragrance advertisements, applying the theories: male gaze by laura mulvey, post modernism and the cultivation theory 

(focusing on dolce and Gabanna's campaign "light blue" and Calvin Kleins "eternity" )

Dolce and Gabanna - the male is holding the woman in a possessive way, showing he has power over her. the fact her body is exposed shows she is a sexual object, however she obstructs our view of  him suggesting she is . visual codes - her facial expression and the use of the open mouth suggest she is being seductive. the fact the he is looking straight on at the camera portrays a sense of  power in contrast to her more passive facial expression.

Women, girls, and self-objectification

Primarily, objectification theory describes how women and girls are influenced as a result of expected social and gender roles.Research indicates not all women are influenced equally, due to the anatomical, hormonal, and genetic differences of the female body; however, women’s bodies are often objectified and evaluated more frequently. Females learn that their physical appearance is important to themselves and society. As a result, females consider their physical appearance often, expecting that others will also.
Sexual objectification occurs when a person is identified by their sexual body parts or sexual function. In essence, an individual loses their identity, and is recognized solely by the physical characteristics of their body. The purpose of this recognition is to bring enjoyment to others, or to serve as a sexual object for society.Sexual objectification can occur as a social construct among individuals