How typical are your three main texts of their genre?
PLAN
Post-apocalyptic unconventional MM
SG - social realist, poverty, friendship
Spectre - action, the bond genre!
SPect - stereotypical characters
MM - themes of insanity
[Uses grats]
Hegemonic power!!! S= patriarchal!
Argument.... mad max atypical! Feminism! Postmodern!
Steve Neal - repetition and difference
Selfish marxism
Conventions/paradigms
Introduction - DAC
(Definition) Genre is a way of categorising media texts. This allows the audience identify what type of media product to select based on their own expectations and prior knowledge. Genre is also important to producers, as it allows them to specifically target audiences, and thus ensure profit. However, certain films fit in to their genre more easily than others. (Argument and context) I shall argue that Spectre (Mendes, 2015) and The Selfish Giant (Barnard, 2013) are highly typical of their genres, while Mad Max Fury Road (Miller, 2015) is extremely atypical of its genre. Furthermore, I shall argue that Mendes' and Barnard's ideologies are conventional and straightforward, while Miller uses the genre of Mad Max Fury Road to subvert patriarchal hegemony.
Mad Max: Fury Road - Max vs. Furiosa
Initially, MM:FR seems like a typical post-apocalyptic/action hybrid film. However, as the film develops, it is made clear to the audience that the film is actually highly subversive of it's genres. This is primarily conveyed through the unconventional protagonist of Furiosa.
- Soundtrack (non-diegetic) - heavy emphasis on drums, violence and action. Emphasises the violence inflicted on Max. Also deliberately sparse instrumentation.
- Fast paced and chaotic editing emphasised through jump cuts - gives equal screen time to both Max and Furiosa, emphasising their equality
- Furiosa's appearance - bald, female, disabled
- Pounces aggressively on Max, pleonastic sound of trigger pulled, MS LA of Furiosa emphasises her power, positioning the audience with the weak, helpless and male Max.
- In these ways Miller subverts stereotypical patriarchal society. [internet reaction]
Spectre - The train fight
However, in most examples, films are highly typical of their genres. This is primarily to achieve a stable target audience, and to maximise profit.
- Orders a 'dirty martini'. Unconventional of the Bond Genre. Intertextual reference to earlier Bond films. Excellent example of what Neale refers to as repetition and difference. Offers the audience the pleasure of familiarity with something new.
- For the majority of the scene it lacks a non-diegetic soundtrack, which emphasises the danger of the situational.
- MS of Madeline lying on floor, MES of perfect blonde hair, lack of blood and bruises and flawless makeup highly conventional of the action genre, through the sexualisation of her character. MES of broken glass emphasises her fragility
- Character roles - Bond's hero saves Madeleine's princess from Hinx's villain. Highly stereotypical
- CU of reflection in the luxurious silver spoons functions as an action code for the male, middle class audience. Additionally, Hinx's appearance is a binary opposition
- Hinx - foreign villain. Silent, potentially stupid, darker skin, brown suit, ill fitted suit lacks sophistication
- Through providing gratification for the male middle class audience, Spectre reinforces patriarchal hegemony, which is highly conventional of the action genre. This potentially cultivates this negative ideology for the target audience, which will ultimately affect how women are treated in every day life.