Friday, 16 January 2009
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Bond girls are feminist icons.
Internet-Secondary
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1060699/Bond-girls-ARE-feminist-icons.html
An article about bond women exploring how the films may be seen as feminist.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1060699/Bond-girls-ARE-feminist-icons.html
An article about bond women exploring how the films may be seen as feminist.
How the role of women has changed in movies.
Internet-Secondary
How the role of women has changed in movies - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/81677/how_the_role_of_women_has_changed_in.html?cat=40
In the fifties men would flock to the movie screens all because of one sensation. A blonde lady with the perfect lips who went by the name of Marilyn Monroe was the reason behind the huge attraction of men to the cinema. She had become every man’s desire, not because of her acting ability, but because of her appearance. She was merely a sexual desire and an object to them. This role of men viewing women as sexual objects has not changed. On the other hand, the roles of women on screen have changed drastically.Alien, released in 1979 and directed by Sir Ridley Scott was the first action movie to have a woman as its protagonist. The reason why this movie really stands out is because the lead character “Ripley”, played by Sigourney Weaver set the template for what is now known as the “Final girl”. According to Roz Kaveney, the “Final Girl”, is “the androgynous female without vices who will always make it through to the last scene”. This technique is used in science fiction, thriller, suspense and horror movies.Alien set the center stage for movies such as “Courage under Fire”, “G.I Joe”, “Final Fantasy: Spirits Within”, etc. These movies which can be found under the action genre and all share some similar characteristics.The first characteristic is that the leads roles are played by women. At the beginning of the movie when we are initially introduced to the woman leads, we are not represented with a character conflict. This is introduced as the film goes on which leaves the movies highly unpredictable. The women are usually included in a group but break away as leaders in their own right which gives a higher importance on them.
How the role of women has changed in movies - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/81677/how_the_role_of_women_has_changed_in.html?cat=40
In the fifties men would flock to the movie screens all because of one sensation. A blonde lady with the perfect lips who went by the name of Marilyn Monroe was the reason behind the huge attraction of men to the cinema. She had become every man’s desire, not because of her acting ability, but because of her appearance. She was merely a sexual desire and an object to them. This role of men viewing women as sexual objects has not changed. On the other hand, the roles of women on screen have changed drastically.Alien, released in 1979 and directed by Sir Ridley Scott was the first action movie to have a woman as its protagonist. The reason why this movie really stands out is because the lead character “Ripley”, played by Sigourney Weaver set the template for what is now known as the “Final girl”. According to Roz Kaveney, the “Final Girl”, is “the androgynous female without vices who will always make it through to the last scene”. This technique is used in science fiction, thriller, suspense and horror movies.Alien set the center stage for movies such as “Courage under Fire”, “G.I Joe”, “Final Fantasy: Spirits Within”, etc. These movies which can be found under the action genre and all share some similar characteristics.The first characteristic is that the leads roles are played by women. At the beginning of the movie when we are initially introduced to the woman leads, we are not represented with a character conflict. This is introduced as the film goes on which leaves the movies highly unpredictable. The women are usually included in a group but break away as leaders in their own right which gives a higher importance on them.
Movie equality finds women in leading roles.
Internet - Secondary
http://media.www.westerncourier.com/media/storage/paper605/news/1998/10/09/opinion/Movie.Equality.Finds.Women.In.Leading.Roles-443284.shtml
The classical portrayal of women in movies used to feature them as minor characters, always causing trouble for the leading male actors.The women would always look in a closet for a killer instead of running away from him. That image of women is being used less and less in movies and it's nice to see that films are depicting women as stronger characters. There have been some new movies out that are giving women the respect that they deserve and which may lead toward the beginning of movie equality. Even though equality is a long ways away, these new movies might be able to jump-start people's vision that women should play better parts in a movie than giving blood curdling screams in horror flicks or being used purely as sex objects.Three fairly new movies that are depicting women in stronger and even lead roles are "Scream" and "Scream II," "Urban Legends" and "Wild Things." In each of these films there are the traditional male roles, but the women actresses stand out as the dominant characters.Whether it is a woman fighting a psychotic killer who likes to wear Halloween masks or masterminding a plot where she is the winner, the roles that these women are playing could never have been imagined years ago when the top roles where male-dominated. Women have proven to the movie elite that they can play lead characters in successful movies. It is now up to us that those in charge continue to give them the chance that they deserve in moviemaking. There are actresses out there that are making large sums of money for movies, but in a lot of cases, their roles in those films are small. Women have the ability to do much larger roles. The society that we are living in is male-dominated and has been in the past. If there is to be an equality of the sexes, it is going to take large jumps from different areas of society to help women's cause. Films and media are an extremely strong force in our society, and now that women are given the opportunity to play dominant roles in movies, these selected ladies might start to revolutionize people's ideas about women in films. Even though it may take more then just women being lead characters, it is a big jump from them being portrayed as the characters they were just years ago.
http://media.www.westerncourier.com/media/storage/paper605/news/1998/10/09/opinion/Movie.Equality.Finds.Women.In.Leading.Roles-443284.shtml
The classical portrayal of women in movies used to feature them as minor characters, always causing trouble for the leading male actors.The women would always look in a closet for a killer instead of running away from him. That image of women is being used less and less in movies and it's nice to see that films are depicting women as stronger characters. There have been some new movies out that are giving women the respect that they deserve and which may lead toward the beginning of movie equality. Even though equality is a long ways away, these new movies might be able to jump-start people's vision that women should play better parts in a movie than giving blood curdling screams in horror flicks or being used purely as sex objects.Three fairly new movies that are depicting women in stronger and even lead roles are "Scream" and "Scream II," "Urban Legends" and "Wild Things." In each of these films there are the traditional male roles, but the women actresses stand out as the dominant characters.Whether it is a woman fighting a psychotic killer who likes to wear Halloween masks or masterminding a plot where she is the winner, the roles that these women are playing could never have been imagined years ago when the top roles where male-dominated. Women have proven to the movie elite that they can play lead characters in successful movies. It is now up to us that those in charge continue to give them the chance that they deserve in moviemaking. There are actresses out there that are making large sums of money for movies, but in a lot of cases, their roles in those films are small. Women have the ability to do much larger roles. The society that we are living in is male-dominated and has been in the past. If there is to be an equality of the sexes, it is going to take large jumps from different areas of society to help women's cause. Films and media are an extremely strong force in our society, and now that women are given the opportunity to play dominant roles in movies, these selected ladies might start to revolutionize people's ideas about women in films. Even though it may take more then just women being lead characters, it is a big jump from them being portrayed as the characters they were just years ago.
Women and film.
Internet - Secondary
Women and film - http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824060/
To look separately at the role of women in the fields of film, video and television in Britain is to recognise that the experiences of women in these areas are somehow different to those of men. The work by women in moving image production both reflects and informs the position of women within British society since the 1920s.
In the silent period, Mary Field and sisters Marion and Ruby Grierson took advantage of the camaraderie and pioneering spirit of the time by joining the British documentary movement, where they made opportunities for themselves and other women to enter the system of film production. Their influence and impact on the movement was significant: Field is noted for her work on the Secrets of Nature series (1922-33) and for her inauguration, in 1944, of the children's entertainment division of British Instructional Films.
During the Second World War, women were among many filmmakers employed to make films for the Ministry of Information. Muriel Box, once a continuity girl, began directing short documentaries. In the postwar period, there were great changes for women in society; women demanded more autonomy and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. In contrast, the film industry, unions and work conditions retained a rigid structure, and many women directors were rejected or moved to less influential roles.
By the 1950s, women already played a key role as audience members and consumers of film culture. Understanding female audiences became an important factor in the success or failure of a film. The melodrama genre is designed to appeal to a specifically female audience because of its emotional and sentimental content, and its depiction of femininity. Although great consumers of the film, few women directed during this period, although one notable exception is Wendy Toye.
The British new wave saw a new depiction of women and sexuality, in films like Poor Cow (d. Ken Loach, 1967) and A Taste of Honey (d. Tony Richardson, 1961), which departed from the romantic vision of melodrama. Female characters were seen to break moral codes and defy expectations of how they should behave. But in the hands of male directors, the representation of women in these films tells us more about the position of men and their feelings about women than about the way women feel about themselves.
It was not until the early 1970s that feminism and women's consciousness began to influence the production, exhibition and distribution of film and television, as well as education and the emerging film theory. In 1972, the Edinburgh Film Festival included a women's section for the first time. Women began to engage in debates about their position in society and the ways women were represented in film, television and advertising. Using film and television as a communication tool to meet and educate women, groups like the London Women's Film Group began working within communities in regional locations.
The arrival in 1982 of Channel 4, with its remit to cater for 'minority audiences', brought some hope to women film and video directors. Although there was no specific remit to support women's work, a number of documentary series by women were commissioned, including the weekly current affairs programmes 20/20 Vision and Broadside, and the magazine show Watch the Woman. The ACTT Workshop Declaration of 1984 offered further opportunities for groups of women filmmakers to break through the barriers that had previously prevented them entering the industry, and became the basis for Channel 4 commisions.
The 1980s brought increased awareness of discrimination against women technicians and pressure on institutions such as the British Film Institute to support women's work. Through the BFI's education department and production fund there was some temporary support for British feminist films and funding for feminist distributors.
During the 1990s, shifts in politics and a transformation of production and exhibition technologies allowed greater accessibility to the media, but the new market economy and a backlash against feminism contributed to a move away from overtly feminist practice.
Today, despite the successes of Sally Potter, Antonia Bird and Lynne Ramsay, there are still relatively few women directing, particularly in feature films; they are more commonly found in production roles. In the areas of documentary and experimental film, however, women have directed a substantial body of work. This suggests that away from the constraints of the commercial film industry, greater opportunities exist to explore the representation of women's lives and their subjective experience.
Women and film - http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824060/
To look separately at the role of women in the fields of film, video and television in Britain is to recognise that the experiences of women in these areas are somehow different to those of men. The work by women in moving image production both reflects and informs the position of women within British society since the 1920s.
In the silent period, Mary Field and sisters Marion and Ruby Grierson took advantage of the camaraderie and pioneering spirit of the time by joining the British documentary movement, where they made opportunities for themselves and other women to enter the system of film production. Their influence and impact on the movement was significant: Field is noted for her work on the Secrets of Nature series (1922-33) and for her inauguration, in 1944, of the children's entertainment division of British Instructional Films.
During the Second World War, women were among many filmmakers employed to make films for the Ministry of Information. Muriel Box, once a continuity girl, began directing short documentaries. In the postwar period, there were great changes for women in society; women demanded more autonomy and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. In contrast, the film industry, unions and work conditions retained a rigid structure, and many women directors were rejected or moved to less influential roles.
By the 1950s, women already played a key role as audience members and consumers of film culture. Understanding female audiences became an important factor in the success or failure of a film. The melodrama genre is designed to appeal to a specifically female audience because of its emotional and sentimental content, and its depiction of femininity. Although great consumers of the film, few women directed during this period, although one notable exception is Wendy Toye.
The British new wave saw a new depiction of women and sexuality, in films like Poor Cow (d. Ken Loach, 1967) and A Taste of Honey (d. Tony Richardson, 1961), which departed from the romantic vision of melodrama. Female characters were seen to break moral codes and defy expectations of how they should behave. But in the hands of male directors, the representation of women in these films tells us more about the position of men and their feelings about women than about the way women feel about themselves.
It was not until the early 1970s that feminism and women's consciousness began to influence the production, exhibition and distribution of film and television, as well as education and the emerging film theory. In 1972, the Edinburgh Film Festival included a women's section for the first time. Women began to engage in debates about their position in society and the ways women were represented in film, television and advertising. Using film and television as a communication tool to meet and educate women, groups like the London Women's Film Group began working within communities in regional locations.
The arrival in 1982 of Channel 4, with its remit to cater for 'minority audiences', brought some hope to women film and video directors. Although there was no specific remit to support women's work, a number of documentary series by women were commissioned, including the weekly current affairs programmes 20/20 Vision and Broadside, and the magazine show Watch the Woman. The ACTT Workshop Declaration of 1984 offered further opportunities for groups of women filmmakers to break through the barriers that had previously prevented them entering the industry, and became the basis for Channel 4 commisions.
The 1980s brought increased awareness of discrimination against women technicians and pressure on institutions such as the British Film Institute to support women's work. Through the BFI's education department and production fund there was some temporary support for British feminist films and funding for feminist distributors.
During the 1990s, shifts in politics and a transformation of production and exhibition technologies allowed greater accessibility to the media, but the new market economy and a backlash against feminism contributed to a move away from overtly feminist practice.
Today, despite the successes of Sally Potter, Antonia Bird and Lynne Ramsay, there are still relatively few women directing, particularly in feature films; they are more commonly found in production roles. In the areas of documentary and experimental film, however, women have directed a substantial body of work. This suggests that away from the constraints of the commercial film industry, greater opportunities exist to explore the representation of women's lives and their subjective experience.
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