Representation

All aspects of film form including narrative contribute to the representations of cultures and societies (gender, ethnicity and age) including the ideological nature of those representations

Performance

Age, ethnicity, wardrobe, facial expression, body language, and gestures are all examples of representation through performance.

Stereotype

A stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example, an expectation about the group’s personality, preferences, appearance or ability. Stereotypes are often overgeneralized, inaccurate, and resistant to new information. A stereotype does not necessarily need to be a negative assumption. They may be positive, neutral, or negative.

Countertype

A representation that actively seeks to subvert and challenge negative stereotypes usually of a person, group or place.

Sarah Connor Examples

Countertype

Although Sarah Connor was shown as a submissive female character in the first movie, in the second she is shown a lot more masculine, donning more utilitarian costuming and displaying tight muscles and shorter hair. These all hint towards Sarah fitting a much stronger character type in the second movie, one commonly assumed to be fit with men.

Stereotype

In the first movie, Sarah is shown to be a lot more ditzy and feminine, wearing light colours and having large styled hair, whilst working in a service job, we get the idea that this is the “damsel in distress” type character

Representations In Trainspotting

  1. WHO IS DOING THE REPRESENTATION? (DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT)

Danny Boyle

2. WHO IS BEING REPRESENTED ? (Identify specific social groups)

Heroin addicts, Scottish people

3. WHAT SOCIAL GROUPS ARE OMITTED FROM THE REPRESENTATIONS?

POC, women

4. WHAT MESSAGES ABOUT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS ARE BEING CONVEYED?

People who do drugs are generally less intelligent than clean people

5. WHICH CHARACTERS OR SOCIAL GROUPS HAVE POWER WITHIN THE REPRESENTATIONS?

White men have power, and older people are given the most

6. DO THE CHARACTERS ADHERE TO OR CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES?

Begby adheres to the stereotype of Scottish men being very aggressive and angry

7. ARE THE CHARACTERS TYPICAL OF FILMS IN THAT GENRE?

They don’t fit the typical character types of dark comedies like itself, but the ensemble matches casting of similarly “British” films

8. WHAT DO REPRESENTATIONS TELL AUDIENCES ABOUT SOCIETY AT THE TIME THE FILM WAS MADE AND/OR SET?

As this film is set in Edinburgh, Scotland, the main theme being about drug addiction tells us that Scotland has an issue with drugs

9. HOW ARE ELEMENTS OF FILM FORM (MISE EN SCENE/PERFORMANCE/SOUND/EDITING/CINEMATOGRAPHY) BEING USED TO CONSTRUCT THE REPRESENTATIONS?

The grimy setting of “Mother Superiors” den conveys the idea that drug addicts usually dont pay much attention to taking care of their surroundings, and end up living in nasty conditions

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