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.
ideology- a system of ideas and ideals, a set of opinions or beliefs of a group or an individual.
Performance- what carries representation?
age, costumes, gestures, body language, setting/background
Stereotype- A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
Countertype- Countertypes can construct an alternative ideology which reflects a less mainstream view point. Casting someone against the stereotype.
Sarah Connor, Example.
In the first movie, Sarah Conner is a young woman working a job as a waitress. She doesn’t have ambition to succeed in her job, as we see her turning up late and not being attentive to customers when but in a stressful situation in the diner.
In the second movie, terminator 2. We see Sarah Conner dressed in masculine clothes unlike the previous movie. She’s also extremely comfortable about guns and smokes. In this movie she is transformed into a action heroine
Representation in Trainspotting.
- Who is doing the representation? – Danny Boyle, the director.
- Who is being represented? – white young Scottish men and people who abuse drugs.
- what social groups are omitted from the representations? – People of colour, wealthy people
- what messages about particular social groups are being conveyed? – Drugs have a negative impact on people, leading to them to do things out of character.
- which characters or social groups have power within the representations? – people who interviewed spud had the power to turn him down, due to their wealth and position within the company. They looked down on spud due to his working class nature, this can be shown through clothes.
- Do the characters social adhere to or challenge stereotypes? – It shows the negative impact of drugs and how bad your life can get.
- Are the character’s typical of films in that genre? – The characters actions could be typical of a drama, with the arugementive nature of the character’s and suspense in the storylines
- What do representations tell audiences about society at the time the film was made and /or set? – I think the representation of the young men doing drugs shows that there wasn’t a lot of educational push or information about drugs, this stands out to me in the choose life monologue where the film is set young people don’t have a interest in leading a normal materialstic life and instead choose drugs.
Consider the ways in which the following groups are represented in the film-
Young people
In train-spotting the young people are seen often acting against following a ‘normal life’ for example in the choose life monologue it shows the uninterested nature of the young people to live a simple life with families and jobs. I also see the young people in train-spotting to have a great influence on each over, showing that young people are subject to peer pressure. For example Tommie who lived a normal life is suddenly introduced to drugs by his friends. We also see this effect with Diane who often smokes due to Renton.
Older people
The representation of older people in transporting from my point of view is they are the people who do choose life, for example Renton parents are seen to own their own home and have a family with a quiet life.This is everything the younger people act against. We also see the young people steal perceptions from the older generation making them seem gullible and vulnerable.
Working class people
The working class in trainspotting is represented in the way that you are never going to get any fulfilment from the job you work, the scene which represents this to me is spud in his job interview. He is applying for a job in leisure which he has no real interest in. The scene is shot in a gloomy grey room showing the mundane nature of the job he is applying for. This shows that the working class aren’t given any opportunities to build their career.
Scottish people
In the movie the scene which stands out to me about Scottish people is when they are waiting nearby the trains tracks looking at the beautiful Scottish mountains, however none of the boys there are proud to be Scottish and talk about how they dislike where they live. This belief is also followed up by Renton moving to London showing that it was easy for him to leave Scotland behind.
Addicts
The addiction in trainspotting is not glamorised like some over films choose to do. In trainspotting we see the characters do drugs in dirty rundown spaces and the movie also shows the negative effects drugs can have on your life. Addicts are represented in the movie by constantly being in a battle against moving away from drugs but being quickly pulled back into the world. ” one last hit” the phase is used a lot in this movie showing how the characters addiction never truly disappears.
Men
The men in the movie, are represented by having toxic relationships with each over but also by violence. Throughout the movie the men betray and lie to each over. For example tommie’s video tape which is his downfall but little reaction or guilt is shown to his death, showing that the men in this movie are represented as morally bankrupt.
Woman
The woman in this movie are reperneted as almost side pieces to the men, for example Renton in the nightclub is searching For a woman just because his friends have one brings on the desire not because he wants to form a romantic relationship. The woman in the movie such as Diane also are only present due to their male relationships showing that they are seen through the male gaze.
