Liesbet Van Zoonen argues that the representations of men and women are constructed through media language, and that representations reflect the ideology of the producer. Evaluate this feminist theory of representation. Make reference to Les Revenants in your answer
Knee jerk reaction: In general, there are clear differentiations between men and women in Les Revenants. However, Van Zoonen's theory is often basic and straightforward, and the representations of gender in Les Revs is far more complex.
One couple who represent a clear gender binary in Les Revs is Simon and Adele. In the scene where Simon returns to Adele, a clear binary opposition is constructed between the male and female characters. Simon is dressed prominently in a black suit, with connotations of death and masculinity, while Adele is dressed in a white nightgown, which here has connotations of innocence of the wedding they could never experience. Simon is situated outside in the pitch black, while Adele is positioned indoors in soft, low key lighting. Finally, while Simon shouts in a detatched and perhaps stereotypically masculine, Adele screams in an emotional and again stereotypically emotional way. The ideology of the producer here is clear: that there are clear differences between men and women. By depicting men and women in stereotypical ways, it can be argued that a stereotypical and even sexist ideology is cultivated for the target audience. Yet, as we shall see, the representation of gender in Les Revenants tends to be far more complicated.
However, many of the representations of gender in Les Revs are highly unconventional. Perhaps the most unconventional is Julie. Julie is introduced in an establishing shot of her apartment, where she is sprawled out on the sofa, watching the horror film The Texas Chainsaw massacre. Her flat is cluttered but not dirty, and is stuffed with stacks of books. Along with her oversized jumper and shirt, Julie is constructed in a stereotypically masculine and therefore highly atypical manner. Julie's manner and performance is cold, which forms a binary opposition with her flirtatious and clearly sexualised neighbour. And Julie, unlike Adele is completely unfazed by the appearance of the stereotypical terrifying Victor, who stalks her home through her housing estate at night, which is a clear subversion of how women often react in horror films. The character of Julie is clearly subversive, and reflects the subversive ideology of the producer. While Julie may be a subversive character, by challenging stereotypical representations of how women typically function in horror narratives, the character of Julie will be far more appealing to certain audiences, and may also be far more relatable to feminist audiences too. In this way, Les Revenants challenges Van Zoonen's straightforward theory.
Another woman who subverts typical expectations of women is Lena. While Lena is hegemonically attractive and perhaps stereotypically flirtatious, her representation is subtly unconventional. Lena's appearance is stylish but scruffy. Her oversized jacket is wildly at odds with her small dress and her tights, which means her performance of gender is rather complicated. Additionally, Lena is coded as being sexually active. In the bar scene, she says to Simon 'if you buy me a drink, I'll show you [where Adele lives]'. The preferred reading of Lena and her actions here is that she is a relatable, typical and sexually active young woman