As discussed, on your new A2 blogs, you will complete:
the analysis of the FILM TRAILERS. Add the hyperlink and an image. Ensure that you have followed CIE's bullet points. Pick out the key terms in colour, such as introduction of the central characters, or central conflict, to make it easy to see that you have dealt with each of the genre conventions. Post all this work on the PAGE entitled FILM TRAILERS. Work straight to this page rather than use a Word document and attempt to copy / paste.
the analysis of three FILM POSTERS using an appropriate format like this. Pick films that speak to you personally, ones that may be of the genre that you are interested in making trailers for.
make a start analysing SOCIAL MEDIA: how is it used to promote awareness of films, engage target audiences, create a buzz, sustain audience interest?
make a start on the TEACHING TRAILERS research. Use last year's cohort to see how to present your research form this excellent FDA resource. Post this research on your main blog roll.
UK studio-backed films (UK films wholly or partly
financed and controlled by US studios but featuring UK
cast, crew, locations, facilities, post-production and
often UK source material) shared 7% of the worldwide
box office in 2020, with earnings of $852 million, a substantial fall from 2019’s market share of 22%. While
none of 2020’s planned releases were expected to earn
as much as 2019’s Avengers: Endgame (the second
highest grossing film of all time), major UK studio-
backed films removed from 2020’s schedule included
titles from franchises that traditionally generate
substantial revenues at the worldwide box office, such
as Black Widow, Fast & Furious 9 and No Time to Die.
UK independent films earned 2% of global revenues in
2020, with a gross of $242 million, a fall from 2019’s
market share of 2.5%. While many UK independent films
planned for release were also delayed (including
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, The French Dispatch
and Supernova), the reduced number of studio-backed
films being released in the second half of the year meant
that those cinemas which were open screened more
independent films and older releases than would
otherwise have been expected.
The annual global market share for UK films is closely
aligned with the success of inward investment titles
supported by the major Hollywood studios (Figure 1).
The share of the market achieved by these studio-backed
films fluctuates from year to year and is largely dependent
on the performance of a small number of titles. The high
points in the chart were propelled by the success of Star
Wars: The Force Awakens ($1.9 billion) and Avengers: Age
of Ultron ($1.4 billion) in 2015 and Avengers: Endgame ($2.4 billion) and The Lion King ($1.4 billion) in 2019. In
comparison, the highest grossing UK qualifying film
released in 2020 was Tenet which, although it was the
fifth highest grossing film worldwide, made $293 million.
The annual global market share for UK qualifying
independent films has ranged from 1% to 3% over the
period. The highest earning UK independent release in
2020 was The Gentlemen ($98 million).
The top 10 highest earning UK qualifying films released at the worldwide box office in 2020 grossed $977 million (Table
2). Tenet was the top grossing title with earnings of $293 million. Unlike in 2019, when the top 10 was comprised entirely
of studio-backed titles, all of which were either franchise films, ‘live-action’ remakes or sequels, 2020’s top 10 contains
four UK independent titles (The Gentlemen, Emma, The Personal History of David Copperfield and Hellboy). As another
indication of the atypical nature of 2020, Hellboy appears in the top 10 list with earnings generated in just one territory,
China. (It was released in other territories in 2019.)
TENET
The highest earning UK film at the
worldwide box office in 2020 was Tenet
with a gross of $293 million.
John David Washington stars as The Protagonist, a man who is recruited
into a mysterious spy organization, given only the word “tenet” to guide
him as he’s ushered into a world where terrorism and war can be
prevented by examing the artifacts that fall backward through time from
the future to the present. The war in question is one that seems to be
caused by Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh), a Russian oligarch married to
Kat (Elizabeth Debicki). Helping him are the scientist who explains how
time inversion works named Laura (Clémence Poésy) and his handler Neil
(Robert Pattinson).
Warner Bros. made some drastic changes to their release slate in 2020, but Christopher Nolan's
latest movie remained steadfast in its place, unchanging even in
the face of a literal pandemic. Given how big a deal the film is to the
studio, and the great financial cost at risk, it would be reasonable to
assume that Warner Bros. would be doing everything in their power to
safeguard Tenet; yet, everything surrounding the mysterious
movie has only raised further questions. Even if the current situation
wasn’t as dire as it is, the marketing for Tenet would be very strange. As it is in this historical context, it’s kind of inexplicable.
How Warner Bros. is selling the single most important movie of the year.
The stakes could not be higher.
Whether or not theaters are open, and how safe they might be amidst the
ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, has been endlessly discussed and debated.
It’s been the subject of more hot takes and think pieces than defunding
the police.
Writer/director Christopher Nolan’s latest film comes with more
baggage than Princess Vespa fleeing her wedding on Druidia and more
expectations than an only child going to the same college where her
father was student body president.
Warner Bros. originally planned a July release for the film, putting
it in the middle of what was sure to be a hot summer movie season. The
world had other plans, though, and after a number of delays because of theater closures resulting from the pandemic it is finally coming to U.S. theaters, a week after its international release, which brought in about $53 million.
Over the course of 2020 it has been held up as the great savior of
theaters, the title that would bring audiences back after months of
watching movies at home or at drive-ins.
The Trailers
The first trailer
(24 million views on YouTube), released in December, is as enigmatic as
you’d expect from a Christopher Nolan movie. The Protagonist has passed
some kind of rigorous test and now finds himself in “the afterlife,”
though whether that’s the name of an organization or some other
designation is unclear. Whatever the case, he’s now part of a team
tasked with preventing the end of the world, and his role allows him to
see things in a non-linear, wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey kind of way.
There are car chases and expertly choreographed action sequences and, at
the end, more questions then there were at the beginning.
The Protagonist is introduced to the word “tenet” almost as soon as the second trailer
(28.7 million views on YouTube), released in late May and debuting in
Fortnight, begins. From there he – and we – learn about the job he’s
undertaking, one that has implications including preventing something
much worse than armageddon. There’s discussion of how the time
“inversion” he and others are capable of works and how it helps them do
their job, and a more or less clear statement of who it is behind the
threat they have to extinguish. Throughout the trailer the audience is
reminded that Nolan is the creative force behind the film and, at the
very end, an emphatic statement that the movie will be coming to
theaters.
The “final”
trailer (9.8 million views on YouTube) came out in late August, just
after release plans were finalized by the studio. There’s a bit more of
the story offered here, though not enough to come close to fully
explaining what exactly is happening. But we see how The Protagonist is
being trained and is given a mission to, essentially, prevent a war that
hasn’t happened yet by manipulating time. It’s all very slick, sold
like a James Bond adventure complete with fast car chases and more.
Notably, it features an end card reminding fans the film opens September
3 “where theaters are open.”
A brief look at the still-secret film was shared with attendees of CCXP in Brazil in December of last year.
As the first trailer was being released a massive ad buy took place, including a big digital ad on Times Square signage.
The second trailer received a similar but different big stage, debuting and screening hourly in Fortnite, an attempt to gain the attention of that game’s players. Some of Nolan’s previous films were also screened within the game environment.
How Warner Bros. is selling the single most important movie of the year.
The stakes could not be higher.
Whether or not theaters are open, and how safe they might be amidst the
ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, has been endlessly discussed and debated.
It’s been the subject of more hot takes and think pieces than defunding
the police.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, Tenet is finally here.
Writer/director Christopher Nolan’s latest film comes with more
baggage than Princess Vespa fleeing her wedding on Druidia and more
expectations than an only child going to the same college where her
father was student body president.
John David Washington stars as The Protagonist, a man who is
recruited into a mysterious spy organization, given only the word
“tenet” to guide him as he’s ushered into a world where terrorism and
war can be prevented by examing the artifacts that fall backward through
time from the future to the present. The war in question is one that
seems to be caused by Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh), a Russian oligarch
married to Kat (Elizabeth Debicki). Helping him are the scientist who
explains how time inversion works named Laura (Clémence Poésy) and his
handler Neil (Robert Pattinson).
Warner Bros. originally planned a July release for the film, putting
it in the middle of what was sure to be a hot summer movie season. The
world had other plans, though, and after a number of delays because of theater closures resulting from the pandemic it is finally coming to U.S. theaters, a week after its international release, which brought in about $53 million.
Over the course of 2020 it has been held up as the great savior of
theaters, the title that would bring audiences back after months of
watching movies at home or at drive-ins.
Now we see if that hope was in any way justified. Nolan is a beloved
filmmaker whose work is largely praised, but initial reviews have been
somewhat mixed, giving it a 78 percent
“Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That lukewarm reception may be
giving theater owners additional concern. Even if they acknowledge that recovery may not be quick,
this is the basket in which they have placed most – if not all – of
their eggs. AMC Theaters has put off reopening a few times, largely in
reaction to this movie’s delays, but is now touting how 70 percent of its locations
will be open this weekend. Other chains like Regal have also promoted
how many of their screens will be open and in what states, depending on
local restrictions on group gatherings.
In some ways, it benefits by not actually being the first big studio
release to come back to theaters. After a few smaller titles have come
out recently, last week Disney put The New Mutants on screens, and while the $7 million take for that film might have been disappointing, it essentially served as the warm-up act for this week.
With all that on the record, let’s look at how Warner Bros. has
selling the film over the last several months, right up to release.
The Posters
The Protagonist strides toward the camera on the first poster (by
marketing agency BOND), released last December. The image is split down
the middle, showing him walking away on the other side, which is also
turned upside down, hinting at the fractured nature of the story.
In July the second poster (by marketing agency Concept Arts) came
out, once more showing a split image of The Protagonist, a scene of
apparent devastation in the background. Note that this one still has the
mid-August release date.
An IMAX poster came out later in July that features multiple versions
of The Protagonist placed around the expanded canvas, similar war-like
scenes again shown in the background. Nolan is not only mentioned on
this one but also identified as the director of Inception and Dunkirk.
The Trailers
The first trailer
(24 million views on YouTube), released in December, is as enigmatic as
you’d expect from a Christopher Nolan movie. The Protagonist has passed
some kind of rigorous test and now finds himself in “the afterlife,”
though whether that’s the name of an organization or some other
designation is unclear. Whatever the case, he’s now part of a team
tasked with preventing the end of the world, and his role allows him to
see things in a non-linear, wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey kind of way.
There are car chases and expertly choreographed action sequences and, at
the end, more questions then there were at the beginning.
The Protagonist is introduced to the word “tenet” almost as soon as the second trailer
(28.7 million views on YouTube), released in late May and debuting in
Fortnight, begins. From there he – and we – learn about the job he’s
undertaking, one that has implications including preventing something
much worse than armageddon. There’s discussion of how the time
“inversion” he and others are capable of works and how it helps them do
their job, and a more or less clear statement of who it is behind the
threat they have to extinguish. Throughout the trailer the audience is
reminded that Nolan is the creative force behind the film and, at the
very end, an emphatic statement that the movie will be coming to
theaters.
The “final”
trailer (9.8 million views on YouTube) came out in late August, just
after release plans were finalized by the studio. There’s a bit more of
the story offered here, though not enough to come close to fully
explaining what exactly is happening. But we see how The Protagonist is
being trained and is given a mission to, essentially, prevent a war that
hasn’t happened yet by manipulating time. It’s all very slick, sold
like a James Bond adventure complete with fast car chases and more.
Notably, it features an end card reminding fans the film opens September
3 “where theaters are open.”
Online and Social
The official website
for the movie seems to just have the trailer and a gallery of posters
along with a button to buy tickets. There were also the usual social
profiles that offered promos and links over the last few months.
Advertising and Publicity
In a surprise move, the first teaser was attached to Hobbs and Shaw
when it was released in early August. That teaser was not immediately
released online, generated more questions about the movie – still in
production at the time – than it answered, but it certainly created a
good amount of buzz.
A brief look at the still-secret film was shared with attendees of CCXP in Brazil in December of last year.
As the first trailer was being released a massive ad buy took place, including a big digital ad on Times Square signage.
The second trailer received a similar but different big stage, debuting and screening hourly in Fortnite, an attempt to gain the attention of that game’s players. Some of Nolan’s previous films were also screened within the game environment.
A video was released in mid-August by Skyscape,
a company that trades in the history and techniques of spycraft
throughout the ages. Narrated by Hayley Atwell, the video digs into the
mysteries surrounding the word “tenet” that date back to ancient times
and some of the places it has appeared along with what those appearances
might mean.
Initial U.S. screenings were scheduled for three days beginning
August 31 at select venues like Chicago’s Music Box Theater and others.
Tickets went on sale for those previews went on sale on 8/21.
Rapper Travis Scott teased a song he created for the film, one that was previewed before its scheduled debut during TNT’s broadcast of the Mavericks/Clippers game on 8/21. The song was released online that day and is featured in the final trailer.
Commercials reportedly began running in select markets as recently as mid-August. That included one from IMAX that encouraged audiences to see the mind-bending action on the biggest screen available.
Washington, Pattinson, Debicki, Branagh and others praised Nolan in a behind-the-scenes featurette that explored how massive the movie is, what the primary story themes are and how it was all made.
Media and Press
Casting and other details came out last year in fits and starts, adding to the mystery of the project while building anticipation.
Because shooting had just begun there wasn’t footage to show, but
Warner Bros. still included the film among the upcoming releases it
promoted to CineEurope attendees in June of last year.
A first look photo was released just before the first trailer came out.
Around May the movie began to become something of a lightning rod
with regard to the state of movie theaters. In the weeks prior some
states had begun to open up the economies a bit more, releasing some of
the pandemic-restricting rules, including on theaters. It seemed likely,
then, that Tenet would become the first major studio release since almost all screens were closed, and theater owners were hoping built up anticipation could push it to a $100 million opening weekend.
Nolan even publicly stated
that he hoped that would be the case, reiterating his commitment to
theatrical releases. And Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff made similar statements,
name-dropping this movie specifically, all in an attempt to both set
audience expectations that it would not be coming to streaming and to
reassure theater owners the studio was not abandoning them entirely.
Around the end of May the scale of the production began to become the
focus of the press, including interviews with Nolan where he talked
about the massive practical effects employed. At the same time Washington commented on the fan theory that this was some kind of sequel to Nolan’s Inception.
One theme that was consistent in the press through June was that the cast wasn’t much more in-the-know than the audience. A profile
of Washington had both him and Pattinson talking about how little they
understood the mind-bending nature of the story, with similar comments made by Branagh. Nolan, though, stated he thought the cast got what was happening. He also spoke about helping editor Jen Lame get the rhythm of the story down and more.
A lot of previous ground was covered in an EW cover story
package that included fresh looks at the film along with the usual
comments about its groundbreaking nature. Debecki revealed a few new
details about her character in another interview while also talking about working with Nolan and more.
Overall campaign
The campaign sells a slick spy thriller
wrapped in a time-twisting sci-fi adventure, James Bond meets “Legends
of Tomorrow.” Many of the hallmarks of Nolan’s brand of filmmaking are
present, from the slick production values to the stylized lens
everything is viewed through. Nolan’s movies are known for being layered
mysteries the audience is asked to wade through and that’s exactly
what’s being sold here, with few of the story’s details being revealed
while lots of great set pieces are shown off.
Washington appeared on “Kimmel” when Samuel L. Jackson was cohosting.
Christopher Nolan has some thoughts about what lessons should or shouldn’t be learned from how the movie fared in theaters during the pandemic.
In May 2020, the world was in a state of unnerving precarity. Hollywood
came to a grinding halt in March when the pandemic became impossible to
ignore. With theater chains still keeping their doors closed, Hollywood played it safe by delaying major releases or
trying their luck with the VOD market. The big tentpoles of the season
– including notable works like No Time to Die, Mulan, Black Widow, and Wonder Woman 1984 – had their premieres pushed back to the fall season. Summer 2020's release schedule looked pretty bleak.
Tenet's first trailer was released exclusively to cinemas at
first, a tactic that seemed in line with Nolan's oft-discussed
commitment to the theatrical experience. The most recent trailer,
however, came to the world via a Fortnite event. The pandemic certainly forced Hollywood to find alternative means of promotion, but a virtual outdoor theater on the Fortnite party royale island was especially unique and unexpected. This wasn't a first for Fortnite, which also premiered the Emperor's speech from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's opening crawland Quibi's reboot of Punk'd, but Tenet didn't seem like a natural fit in the same way as the aforementioned titles.
On top of this development, there was another major aspect of Tenet
that remain curious: Warner Bros. was committed to a 2020 Summer theatrical release.
Christopher Nolan is one of the few directors working today who can
command a massive budget, total creative control, and original IPs, and
do so while making major money at the box office. It's safe to say that
he's earned a level of trust from Warner Bros. and his strident
commitment to theaters, even during this tumultuous time, is part of
that. With a reported budget of $205 million – making it the most expensive film Nolan has ever directed – the studio needs Tenet
to be a huge hit and a significant event in the pop culture calendar.
That means keeping up the film's mystique, putting Nolan front and
center, and reaching as many people as possible during a time when
traditional methods of marketing aren't available.
The movie has also become a marker of sorts for Hollywood to see if
the industry and audiences are ready to return to cinemas so early. A
lot is riding on Tenet's success. As Anne Thompson of IndieWire noted, "No release date has ever seen the attention, or pressure, currently placed on Christopher Nolan's Tenet." Nolan’s films have never been marketed as bog-standard blockbuster titles, but the drama surrounding Tenet
is a reminder that, during unprecedented times of uncertainty when the
old ways don’t work, sometimes you just need to throw everything at the
wall to see what sticks.
A small handgun made of ice sits in a glass of whiskey on the first poster
(by marketing agency BOND) from October, helping to establish the movie
as being about a high class of violent criminal. That’s reinforced by
the “Criminal. Class.” copy at the bottom, while the rest of the poster
is all about showcasing the big names in the cast.
Each character got their own poster. Another series of posters covers the same basic ground but puts an ornate frame around the photos.
The theatrical poster
brings all the characters together on
the same image. It seeks to sell the movie based on the star power
of the cast as well as Ritchie’s name recognition.
The Trailers
Early October saw the release of the first trailer
(6 million views on YouTube), which centers on a conversation between
Fletcher and Raymond. That conversation serves as a recap of
the events of the story, allowing for footage to be shown that
coincides with the story he’s telling. There are double-crosses and
threats thrown in various directions, all of which adds up to just the
kind of high-end gangster flick Ritchie is known for.
About a month later, the studio compiled footage from various fan videos to show how they reacted to the trailer.
A second trailer
(393,000 views on YouTube) came out in late December and features a lot
of the same footage. One thing that’s made more clear here is the
rivalry between Mickey and Dry Eye (Henry Golding), an ambitious young
criminal eager to take over Mickey’s operation, with the older drug
dealer not eager to cede the stage to the upstart.
Advertising and Publicity
At the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, Miramax stepped up to acquire the movie and provide financing. It then changed hands in February 2019 when STX bought it and changed the name from Toff Guys to Bush.
It then received another name change to its current moniker, an
update revealed when it was part of the studio’s CinemaCon presentation,
which included some of the cast as well as studio heads who promised it
was a return by Ritchie to the director’s crime roots.
A clip
released in late December had Mickey pitching Matthew (Jeremy Strong)
on the “gold rush” that is weed and the need for his criminal empire to
have a new leader with a less tarnished reputation.
Digital video ads
and TV commercials began running in early January, with spots that
reinforced the messages conveyed by the trailers that the movie was a
violent good time with fast-talking criminals and the morally
compromised individuals around them.
Online ads placed around the web at about the same time used elements
of the key art, particularly the photos of the assembled cast.
Promotional partners for the film include:
Flaviar released a limited-edition, movie-themed single-malt whiskey. The
company also gave away tickets to exclusive screenings in New York and
Los Angeles earlier this week.
Eaze created a special movie-inspired menu of its cannabis items for
people to try out, with those who do entered to win a screening of the
pic for themselves and 20 of their friends.
How to tackle essay questions about different types of cinema? How to defend independent cinema which has smaller budgets and more national concerns?
You can start by identifying the different types of products and the different ways in which global, international, national and niche audiences are engages and served. Using your case studies, you could analyse what Hollywood majors offer audiences and how those audiences are reached; then look at UK cinema (WT films, Loach films, Bait) as comparison; add in Cuaron's Roma.
One aspect that characterizes some Big Six productions is the franchise film.
For Martin Scorsese, Marvel films are not cinema: "I’ve tried to watch a few of them and
that they’re not for me, that they seem to me to be closer to theme
parks than they are to movies as I’ve known and loved them throughout my
life, and that in the end, I don’t think they’re cinema. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.
"Some
people seem to have seized on the last part of my answer as insulting,
or as evidence of hatred for Marvel on my part. If anyone is intent on
characterizing my words in that light, there’s nothing I can do to stand in the way.
"Many
franchise films are made by people of considerable talent and artistry.
You can see it on the screen. The fact that the films themselves don’t
interest me is a matter of personal taste and temperament. I know that
if I were younger, if I’d come of age at a later time, I might have been
excited by these pictures and maybe even wanted to make one myself."
To understand what Scorsese means byfranchise filmsandtheme
parks, we turn to Dalecki's 4S megafranchise model (below). Scorsese's opinion and Dalecki's analysis contributes to discussions about the different audience pleasures and qualities of franchise action films and independent cinema.
We look at Hollywood and 'the Big Six' who, according to Dalecki are characterised by the 4S megafranchise model:
The 'big 6' Hollywood studioschase mass mainstream audiences often with formulaic films that Dalecki called 'the 4S megafranchise model' (sequalization, story, spectacle, synergy).
To explain this model: Hollywood is renowned for producing blockbusters with strong narratives, often part of a sequel, usually with larger than life characters, using exciting, spectacular, complex sets often in exotic or extravagant locations.
Sequalization You
look up Box Office Mojo and see for yourself how many of the current
box office successes are sequels. Sequels often command a loyal,
ready-made audience, although some brands aim to expand their
traditional audiences. Captain Marvell(directed by Boden and Fleck, 2019) starred Brie Larsen as the first female captain Marvell, to address female audiences.
Story Notice that this kind of film tends to prioritise story over character development
Spectacle Exotic locations, expensive sets, elaborate post production (VFX), motion capture - these are all examples of 'spectacle'
Synergy Distributors target audiences via
an interconnected web of companies which all promote the film as a
package of products, through horizontal integration. This is synergy (we
will give as many details as possible from our Disney / Warner case
studies).
Extract from Hotel Babylon HERE January 2010:
Hotel Babylon, Series 1, Episode 5 (Alrick Riley, Iain B MacDonald and Keith Boak, 2006,
BBC) Extract location: Episode 5, Chapter 2 In point: 6 mins 22 seconds Out point: 11 mins 52 seconds Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs representations using the following:
Camera shots, angles, movement and composition
Editing
Sound
Mise-en-scène [50]
The examiner drew particular attention to candidates' failure to analyse editing:
'As
with the January and June 2009 series, this technical area proved to be
the most problematic for candidates and the one technical area of
analysis that was often omitted in candidates’ answers. Many
candidates ignored editing altogether and only a few of those that did
cover it were able to make meaningful links to representations by, for
example, showing how the editing created particular viewpoints which we
are encouraged to identify with or how screen time indicated
the shifting relationship between characters in the sequence, for
example through the discussion of the rule of thirds.
'Most candidates made reference to the pace of editing to reflect the frantic situation and emotions
of the immigrant characters. The use of shot reverse shot and cuts to
aid continuity were mentioned by many candidates, as was the use of
cross cutting between the two situations to enhance tension. More able
candidates demonstrated the ability to link the use of editing to the
representation of characters, such as the use of long and short takes to
represent power and the use of eye line matches to reinforce a sense of
dominance. Most candidates who addressed editing were able to address
the type of transitions used and could comment on the pace of
the editing. There was evidence on occasion where students engaged with
the rule of thirds and juxtaposition of characters in the narrative
using editing devices, which is very encouraging.
'However,
many candidates’ responses seem to be very limited in address of the
issues of editing and all too frequently it was absent from their
responses – which does not enable candidates to reach a level four on
the marking criteria for the use of examples. Weaker candidates often
omitted any discussion of editing or offered quite simplistic accounts
of how editing was used, for example in the use the shot reverse shot
sequence between characters. A common error in the terminology of
editing continues to be with the use of jump cuts.'
We watch extracts and analyse the representations of people, places and ideas.
Yasmin (Kenneth Glenaan, 2004)written
by Simon Beaufoy and starring Archie Panjabi as Yasmin and Renu Setna
as her father, Khalid. The film was a response to the demonisation of
Muslims as terrorists. It was made a a time when British Muslims felt
that they were being treated badly by the wider population, the media
and the government because of growing concern over an extremist minority
within Islam. The variety of different representations of this ethnic
group could be viewed as positive as it does not simplify what it means
to be Asian. In the film, Yasmin is seen changing her clothes in secret
in her car as she moves between her family identity and her work
identity.
Despite this, the film still uses several stereotypes. Yasmin has been criticized for its representation of white people in so far as there are few likeable white characters in the film. They are also shown as racist. This starts lightly but gathers momentum over the course of the film with remarks such as ‘get back to your own country’. The collective term ‘you’, to describe anyone from an ethnic minority, becomes important as a symbol of the way that racism simplifies difference as a simple case of ‘us’ meaning white and ‘them’ meaning non-white.
The
film is clearly critical of these attitudes. It is set amongst a
British Pakistani community in parts of Keighley (in West Yorkshire,
England) before and after the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks
on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon Building.
At
the start of the film, English-Pakistani girl, Yasmin, lives two lives
in two different worlds: in her community, she wears Muslim clothes,
cooks for her father and brother, Nassir, and has the traditional
behaviour of a Muslim woman. On top of this, she has a non-consummated
marriage with the illegal immigrant Faysal Husseini who is a friend of
the family from Pakistan. From Yasmin's perspective, she has gone along
with the arranged marriage just in order to facilitate his getting a
British passport, before divorcing him.
In
the second act, we see the instant and the immediate aftermath of the
September 11th attacks. The effect of those terrible events meant an
upsurge in prejudice against the Muslim communities in many parts of
Great Britain. In her job she endures prejudice when people start
sticking notes on her locker stating 'Yaz loves Osama'. She is
eventually asked to take some paid leave and given no valid explanation.
We see ordinary people in the pub looking down at her as well as yobs
on BMXs attacking an innocent old Asian woman in the street who Yasmin
rescues. We see how young male members of the once harmonious Pakistani
community in Keighley go against their parents and start to become
radicalised by corrupt readers of the Koran to rise up and fight against
the West for the way that they have started to demonise Islam and
persecute their people. Yasmin's younger brother is easily recruited by a
Radical Muslim Group. Finally, after Yasmin's husband is arrested on
suspected terror charges that turn out to have no basis in reality, she
too takes sides against the British establishment and changes her life,
dressing in traditional costume, waiting for her husband outside a
police station for days and eventually comforting him when he is
released, traumatized, without charge. Yasmin refuses to grant her
blessing to him as he prepares to go to a training camp in Afghanistan.
Between the White English characters, both of the young
British-Pakistanis, the old Pakistani father and the newly arrived
immigrant Faysal there are many huge contrasts in belief about what it
is to be British.
East is East(Damien O’Donnell, 1999)is
a comedy drama based on a Punjabi family in the 1970’s based in
Salford. It is arguably one of the first hits to have established
British Asian cinema as a true contender across the world. The film
touches upon the controversial topic of arranged marriages and
traditional families. Based on award-winning actor and playwright, Ayub
Khan-Din’s play of the same name, it depicts BrAsian family life as a
site of conflict with Bollywood actor, Om Puri, leading the cast in his
role as father Zahir George Khan with British actress Linda Bassett
playing his wife.
Media
representations can only ever be just that: individual stories, not
stereotypes anchored in 'truth'. Khan Din rejects the notion that George
Khan is 'typical' Muslim father.
Bend It Like Beckham(Gurinder Chadha, 2002)
Theory: Erving Goffman and Performance
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959)
is Goffman's seminal sociology book. It uses the imagery of the theatre
in order to portray the importance of human social interaction.
Goffman writes about the nature of social interaction e.g. notions of ‘performance’ reflecting a certain identity. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life is
relevant when looking at the whole idea of identity and can be mapped
onto contemporary media. Identity can be a site of conflict, especially
between generations and often more so between second and third
generation immigrants. There are several film that explore this.
Many second and third generation immigrants openly and confidently challenge their parents (like Anita in Anita and Me), whilst others 'bend', showing flexibility and moving between two cultures (like Jess /Jasminder in Bend It Like Beckham). Some feel forced to hide their real identities in the face of entrenched traditional values (East Is East, where 'east' and 'west' Do not meet).
For Erving Goffman, identity
becomes a matter of performance, with front and back stage behaviours,
which serve to define appropriate behaviours in two different spheres.
For example, in East is East, Tariq pays lip service to obeying hisMuslim
father but morphs into his western identity as ‘Tony’ at college and in
the night club. Some conflict leads to outright war, with positions
taken that are poles apart, as when Nazir is disowned by George after
fleeing an arranged marriage for a homosexual relationship. The message
of this film is that hybrid identities are not accepted by traditional
Muslim parents.
In the autumn, during your research, you created Pinterest boards collating images of social groups and issues in your film opening. Your production is now nearly completed and you have a clear concept not only about who and what is in your film but also how you want them to come across to your audience.
In this presentation, you will use your knowledge of theoretical frameworks to present your characters in their social contexts and the issues / ideas that inform their world.
In class, you watch two presentations that are core concepts in your entire course:
For
Stuart Hall, there is no one single fixed 'meaning' of any media
representation or text; different audiences understand representations
differently. A film maker may encode a character in a particular way, but different audiences decode the same character differently. Hall writes about these different understandings of any media text as the dominant (or preferred) meaning /reading, a negotiated meaning /reading and an oppositional meaning /reading.
In class, we look at how you have used visual and sound codes to construct your characters.
We discuss how your audiences may 'read' your characters.
For instance, Vendetta includes a scene in which the murderer plays his guitar in front of what resembles a shrine to the girl who has betrayed him. Her picture, the flowers and the darkened room along with the music, suggest an element of ritual, of displaced self-righteousness, of warped justice. Is he made mad by love? Crimes of passion and jealousy are familiar themes in literature and a teenage / young adult audience may see in this central character similarities with the Duke of Ferrara from Robert Browning's dramatic monologue My Last Duchess in whichthe Duke justifies his murder of his young wife:
