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Critical Approaches to Film. Screen Theory. More than 22,000 people have signed a petition for Disney to make its next princess character plus-sized.
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Critical Approaches to Film Screen Theory
More than 22,000 people have signed a petition for Disney to make its next princess character plus-sized.
"To use these big doe eyes as standard in supposedly realistic human females reduces the characters' individuality and sends out a message: to be a princess, you must not only be brave but have a specific, unattainable brand of beauty.“ Journalist Anna Smith
Barbie's extreme proportions 'make her easy to dress' say the designers Mattel is often critiqued by feminist scholars who claim that Barbie exemplifies hegemonic beauty ideals and reinforces patriarchy
Final Assessment: Class Test • It is worth 30% of your mark for the module • It will be a two hour class test: under strict test conditions • You can use the PCs but only word - REMEMBER to save as going along! • You will have a choice of 3 questions and you must pick one • The questions will refer to extracts of readings and ask you to discuss films in relation to these extracts. • The readings are: • Cinema/ Ideology & Criticism reading & discuss that with reference to one or two films studied on the course. • Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema: You will discuss one or two films studied on the course in relation to this piece of writing. • Colonialism, Racism and Representation: you will discuss a film/ or two studied and apply the thoughts from the reading to those films • You must not use a film that you’ve used for the exercise or essay • Your answer should be in form of essay
Screen Theory Grew from 1970s British Film publication ‘Screen’
Screen Theory Feminism Ideology Psychoanalysis Realism
Screen Theory Interest in the encounter between texts & spectators Important in establishment of film studies as An academic discipline Argues that meanings not just produced by texts (unlike auteur) Concerned with political implications Of cinema Interest in how texts position spectators Provided dominant way of thinking about film at the time
What is ideology? What is an ideology?An ideology is a world view, a system of values, attitudes and beliefs which an individual, group or society holds to be true or important; these are shared by a culture or society about how that society should function. In fact, these beliefs are often so close to us that we do not realize that they are there. We simply think that our beliefs are natural and obviously true. Religion is one type of ideology, and religious belief affects a person’s views.
What is a dominant ideology? Ideologies that are told to us repeatedly by important social institutions such as the church, the law, education, government, and the media are called dominant ideologies.
Dominant Ideology: You should be free to buy What you want if you have the money private deck $200 million helipad own fully equipped gym has a crew of 26 has an infinity pool with a 15 foot glass surface that can be used as a movie screen can house 12 guests
Dominant Ideology: Consumerism world view that a person has more worth if she or he has more material possessions and that we are made happier by consuming more goods.
Where do Ideologies come from? Who came up with this Concept of ideology?
Louis Althusser 1918-1990 Thought that: Texts can persuade audiences to adopt ways of thinking of its creator Texts reinforce what it means to feel a ‘normal’ member of society Reinforcing ways of thinking that keep society’s structures in place Ideologies: ‘representation of reality’ Reality becomes a ‘constructed’ thing Ideas of the ‘ruling and powerful classes’ Ideological State Apparatus (ISA)
Family Religion ISAs Media School
Screen Theory & Ideology Louis Althusser’s thoughts were picked up and used by the Screen theorists. They started to analyse film’s role in society’s dominant ideology Sought to examine how films reflect and uphold ideology How they present that ideology as truth How they address and position us as spectator
Comolli & Narboni thought that: All films are political regardless of whether or not they have explicitly political subject matter Claimed vast majority of films upheld dominant ideology Identified films that appeared to completely uphold ideology then subtly disrupted it by allowing spectators to ‘see’ the ideology. This applied to a number of mainstream classic Hollywood films Do this reading for homework!
Why is ideology important to film studies? Chance to uncover ideologies through analysis and deconstruction we might not be aware of. Study of film & ideology allows us to consider and question dominant ideologies Allows us to consider the implications of the ideologies We can look for which views are represented and which groups are represented and who hasn’t been represented.
