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Film Analysis Worksheet
QUESTION 1:
According to Brenda Wilson, what two primary tendencies are demonstrated in the films of Kathryn Bigelow? How they are also present in her film Strange Days (1995)? Using lecture materials explain how that film melds together science fiction and film noir to perform a political critique about relations in contemporary Los Angeles. Finally, does how does new technology help engender political change in the film?
The two primary tendencies that are demonstrated in the films by Kathryn Bigelow are that there can be a film where the heroes are females and that the traditional Hollywood like heroes can exhibit some changes. Unfortunately, over the past years, the movie industry had had men taking significant roles and women being at the back. In situations where they assume main roles, it would be as supporting roles to the main characters either as their assistants or as their family members who may, for example, need to be rescued. There has also been the idea of the Hollywood hero, who is, in most cases, quite masculine and would fight an entire army alone or command a group of people going for some war. Bigelow would like to break away from this and show that the main character can be an ordinary person who has some weaknesses and not necessarily invincible.
Strange Days film can be argued out to be a feminist film by portraying that a woman can take a leading role in action contrary to it having been only males. Mace was seen as a strong female character in the movie as on several occasions; she was involved in violence by rescuing Lenny from situations. It is a role that is always portrayed to be traditionally the preoccupation of male characters. Although Mace is a female, she does not dwell on fantasy but is slightly more realistic and is given a representation of hard-edged and reality-based individuals (Wilson). She plays the role of a bodyguard that in the days of the female, has been seen as one that is reserved for male figures. She handles the pistol with a lot of masculinity from the cocking to the identification with power and the representation of the law. There is the idea of the Hollywood hero or heroine who is supposedly physically endowed and has some invincible aspects in undertaking missions. Strange Days sways from this form of a plan, and we end up having someone who does not have the physical characteristics expected. Contrary to the invincible aspect, the lead role does not come out as a winner in every situation and is not in charge of a group of people where she is the most intelligent or has the highest skills.
Strange Days can be described as a science fiction movie through the form of technology that is portrayed. However, the director does not restrict it to that but does combine it with some cinematography styles to criticize what she sees wrong in the political relations in Los Angeles. With the use of the SQUID technology, one can perceive what was seen or experienced by someone in a place where one was not present (Wilson). This makes one be able to retell what was taking place despite the fact that it may have been hidden when the law enforcement agencies temper with such scenes. It is a representation of the corruption, fear, and mistrust that has bedeviled relations among our leaders and the ones in charge of various sectors in Los Angeles. As people go about their daily activities, and they happen to get some misfortune, some will use them to pursue their selfish interests.
The SQUID technology allows us to see that which we are not supposed and not allowed to see. If the system has the capability, then it would prevent the use of such technology or restrict it to specifically authorized personnel. Hence it can be easy for them to manipulate things and events to suit their interests. This technology allows us to see some voyeuristic tendencies that appeal to the inner satisfaction of most people. It has been taken to a different level with current matters in Los Angeles (Wilson). It is the case of getting to see what goes on in the lives of politicians and other prominent people through videos that get uploaded to the internet in various forums. Some of the pictures and video clips that are circulated are not healthy as they end up showing that which is not supposed to be seen, which is a concern when it comes to the politics of the day.
The new technology that is portrayed in the film, like SQUID technique, allows people to get access to most of the material that they would not have had. It seeks to show that technology should take a second role to gut feelings and intuition as it does not always have the best interests of human beings. The author asserts that if technology takes over, then nature will be destroyed; human beings will compromise their freedom, among many other harmful effects.
QUESTION 2:
According to theorist Fredric Jameson, what are two major characteristics of postmodernism? How are they deployed in Lip Sync Battle “Jenna Dewan Tatum vs Channing Tatum”? In what two ways does Fantastic Mr. Fox demonstrate its postmodernism and Anderson’s auteurship?
Postmodernism has to do with the departure from modernism and going to a time that will come after the current in various aspects of expression, which could take the form of language, arts, and other similar forms (Jameson). It implied that it would take various forms of approaches and disciplines in its explanation for the concept to be clarified. It is, in a way, some criticism or contradiction of what is associated with the modern. It seeks to dispute or criticize that which is believed in the form of modernism and calls thinkers to reevaluate their thoughts and notions on objective reality, morality, and the truth, among others. The other areas that fall under the category that is to be reevaluated are reason, science, language, and social progress as is known and understood currently. Unfortunately, according to Jameson, the unfamiliarity with the concept leads to resistance to encompass it in our thinking. He goes ahead to give two main characteristics of postmodernism as pastiche and a peculiar way with time.
The most common feature with postmodernism is a pastiche that is better understood when explained using visual arts terminologies. This characteristic is related and can be represented by the word parody, where one acts as if he or she is the other (Jameson). It can be said to be the copying, imitating, or mimicking styles, such as mannerisms or ways of expressing oneself, as is seen in modern literature. In this aspect, Jameson notes that the earlier writers were great in that they came up with specific notable styles of writing or expressing themselves that cannot be confused with others. Once one learned a particular style, then he was going to use it and hence bringing out the pastiche or concept of having mimicked the one that came up with it in the first place.
The second major characteristic of postmodernism is the peculiar way that it handles time. Jameson finds it easier to discuss the characteristic using the current theories of schizophrenia. It is purely for explanation purposes and not to be confused with the diagnostic aspect of the condition associated with schizophrenia. Since most postmodern artists have come up with ways that are far from normalcy, then one would be forgiven to refer to them as schizophrenics who they are not. This is because this characteristic looks at their language development as having some form of disorder similar to the experience that schizophrenics have in language acquisition.
The Lip Sync Battle “Jenna Dewan Tatum vs Channing Tatum” depicts the main characteristics of postmodernism mentioned above of pastiche and the peculiar way of time that appears schizophrenic. The Lip Sync Battle features celebrities who come to battle each other with their performances during the live shows. Just like in a wrestling fight or any other duel, they seek to outdo each other with their famous hits. The show was popular since it was taking fans away from the usual live performances involving one artist or several but without appearing to compete among themselves. It is a way of bringing about some differences or postmodernisms to the performances, moving them away from the norm. In this aspect, the shows ended upbringing about what could be referred to as postmodernism.
During these shows, there is a lot of pastiche since what the viewers are being presented with is not the real music as was played. Real music in this sense where the artist will sing out, and the voice heard over the microphone. In some instances, real music involves a live band on stage, which was not the case with Lip Sync Battle. First, the artists were mimicking the songs that they or other people had played before. They were moving their lips and appearing to sing when they were not doing it. The most they were doing is singing along during the choruses, but in the other parts, they were moving their lips along with the words. This form of mimicking is the first major characteristic of postmodernism mentioned (Jameson). The second characteristic of the peculiarity with time was seen in their dances and the language aspect. If one closely followed what was taking place, he or she could be forgiven to think that the artists had some language disorder. Were it not for the performances they could have easily been mistakes to be having some mental problem.
There are some instances of postmodernism demonstrated by Fantastic Mr. Fox through Anderson’s auteurship. First, he is using animals to represent human beings, which are mimicking people. It is an aspect of postmodernism with the concept of not having the real characters or the original players as they should be but instead imitates what they could have done. It is all over in the film, like their walking and doing human clothes that they do not do in their natural setting. If one comes across an animal that is using the sounds like the ones in the film, then it would not be normal, which brings out the second characteristic of postmodernism (Jameson). Since the animal is having a problem with language or sounds that it is supposed to make then, it can be likened to having schizophrenic tendencies.
Works Cited
Jameson, Fredric. “Postmodernism and Consumer Society.” The Cultural Turn. Selected Writings on the Postmodern (1998):
Wilson, Brenda. Blurring the Boundaries: Auteurism & Kathryn Bigelow. n.d.