Questions for Women and Cinema
Part I
1. Transgender
It is a state in which an individual’s gender is not matching his or her assigned sex responsibility. It refers to the trans-genders, such as homosexual, bisexuals, heterosexual. In the Paris burning film, the issue of Transgender is explored using various characters men and women. For instance, Trans women used as members of the club to show realness. The women are sued to enhance transgender in the film, this shows that as much as they are women they can also compete men and become real (Besnier and Kalissa 34).
2. Monstrous-feminine
The female physical and sexual features that form her reproductive organs, but they are the reverse of male monsters to enhance transgender and realness. Most films use the term to imply female monsters or vampires, as the reverse of the older male monsters. The female monsters are sued to horrify the audience. It is used to enhance and emphasize on gender issues that even women can be more horrifying than men (Whittle 10).
2. Oppositional gaze; is the empowerment of men and women against gender inequality. It was a term used in various films to explore the opposition of men and women from the white dominated regime. The Africans give the oppositional gaze; for instance, to imply the fight over the white dominated region with discrimination against the Africans. In addition, women give an oppositional gaze to give limits to the male domination over women. The gaze is used to sexualize and objectifies the female gender.
3. Heteronormativity; is the social-cultural bias by favoring the opposite-sex interactions of a sexual issues, as well as against people with a same-sex relationship. Heteronormative is used in various modern films to explore various techniques and an organization of various roles based on gender. It implies that men should not act like women or women acting like men. For instance, the term is used in the film boys do not cry, to imply that men should be strong and hard to endure all circumstances without having to show their emotions to the public. Men should be superior over women; therefore, in the aspect where the gender cannot be defined in terms of sexual roles then it is complicated. For example, the homosexuals and lesbians are not identified in the marginalized areas since the sexual identity cannot be established (Currah, Richard and Shannon, 25).
4. Vagina dentate
It is the term that describes the folk narratives that woman's vagina is said to have teeth as they relate to the implications of the sexual intercourse, which might cause injury, or castrate a man. The term is used to enhance transgender in the male-dominated culture. For instance, the female monsters are sued to horrify the audience. It is used to enhance and emphasize on gender issues that even women can be more horrifying than men.
5. “Realness” is having the actual existence, not factual or fake; in this case, the film uses various characters men and women in the ball completion to explore realness. It means that authentic of men and women in the Paris burning and women are used to enhance the theme of Tran’s gender by proving to be real. The real men and women are part of the ball competition club this empowers women to work hard to define their position so that they are also termed to be real. In the game of ball competition in Paris, those who win the competition are termed as real.
6. Transnational Cinema is the process of developing concepts in the film that has various theories that relate to the effects of globalization that changes the cultural and economic aspect in the film. It consists of the films such as post-nationalism, and postcolonialism, consumerism as well as a cinema.
8. Film Discourse is the event in the narrative as they unfold from one to another to develop the story as represented through various characters in a narrative form. It is a term used to analyze the media or film texts. The codes and the signs are used to shape the discourse of the film in a given social context. An analysis of the film is more than the language use, but rather it applies the issues of shaping the world identities based on the context. The term is used to analyze both language and images in the film as used in various contexts. It is to make it clear of what the writer or the speaker is trying to imply in the social identity to the audience.
9. Queer theory/film is a theory that explores the way the schools have categorized students based on the racial discrimination, gender, as well as the class-grid. That reflects the life of the Americans the way they are divided into various social classes, race, gender and promoting discrimination. The theory states that women think more about what men do, whereas, men are busy thinking about important things in school. For instance, the student boys are making brain while women are men, men, men, yet the men are ignoring them and thinking about things that can make life better (Flannery 25).
10. Black Aesthetic is the act of racial identity based on an individual’s gender, race, as well as sexual identity based on their work celebratory. This process was a movement that the blacks formed against the white dominated regime and treatment. It was enhanced by the Negro during the First World War; there was when the blacks managed to get new ways to change their future. The term is used to express the African’s racial pride, through work of art and paintings in the American, dominated the land. They develop an appreciation and embrace beauty. It is the black dynamism that was done consciously in the film to establish an aesthetic self and existence of the platform that can be used to articulate the grievances of the Africans.
Part II
How our discussion of “The Gaze” changed in has regards to the films and theories we have watched from the first half of the semester to the second half of the semester?
The term, ‘gaze,’ has changed in most of the current films. Even though, at first it was a term used in the introduction of the film theory, and it is now applied in other media (Cadieux 13). It is now used to criticize, in the advertisements, as well as art. Some films have used the term male gaze to mean inequality in the gender relations, as well as sexualism of the image of the female. However, currently it is used centrally to assure men that the current power that men have is also shared by women (Gallagher 56). It is evident in most films, even with the way female characters use the effort that a man violates instead
How does the notion of history as interpreted by the black people function as a central theme in the film, “Daughters of the Dust?"
The perception of the history as interpreted by the black people is presented as the main theme because it recalls back to the sixties during the reconstruction of the cultural memory of the blacks. The daughters of dust explore the family history and the preservation of the culture and traditions of the black people (Grayson 45). This film was set back in the in the white regime. The blacks did not expect freedom. It took us to the times of the colonial period and the times when there was the slave trade (Dash et al. 90). Most of the blacks in the film are those born in the diaspora, slaves. However, it spiritually inspires and gives the blacks a different perception, though the actors in the film are motivated and appreciate the African history. The black communities in this film are portrayed as an egalitarian made of men and women where the elders are revered (Vollmann 16). However, the camera clearly puts the characters together.
Discuss the significance of fire in Deepa Mehta’s film, “Fire” about the film’s ending
The Deepa Mehta’s film “Fire” ends with the use of fire, which represents the female problems. The problems include gender issues, cultural aspects, as well as the national and the public places of women in the film. In addition, the film tries to dislocate the desire of women as well as the sexual identity from the domestic violence that surrounds them (Jain 77). The fire stands for the filial duties of women. The fire burns to represent the denial of the neo-orientation of women in the film. In this film, the director uses fire to represent the complexity that women are subjected in at home by the male gender (Das et al. 99). Their aspects of intimacy have not reduced in the public perception of the male dominated era. The fire consumes the transformation processes to enable proper have freedom and different choices to make.
What are the political/ideological motivations (how they might help form or support the beliefs/opinions of the audience) behind these representations?
The political motivations observed in the scenes encourage the black community to feel like part of the American people, and hence, have the right to participate politics. As known, racism had secluded them in taking part in the political fields since they were regarded as a minority and had little chance to vie for any seat in the American politics. The film’s scenes have the ideological motivation of praising and appreciating their culture and way of life, hence, making them confident and accepted, thus, having the psyche to fight for their rights. As a result, the black community is a now playing a critical role in the American politics. Also, they have one of them as the American president, a sign showing their political growth and command.
The issues of sex and gender inequality are emphasized in this film, the theorist tries to criticize the nature of people and the way women are presented in the whole world (Phillips 11). The gender roles of the women are different from those of men (Hilderbrand 38). It also states the way, if a woman becomes a lesbian it is their nature, but when a man becomes gay then, he need to be destabilized. The theory is also part of the response towards the school setting sin 1970s, where feminism where they believe that the female are only sex objects. They have essential characteristics; women are calm, as well as thoughtful. Whereas men are spontaneous as well as compassionate through opportunistic (Stryker, Susan, and Stephen 30).
The queer theory is unhappy with the way the female is presented in the film; they do not like the way the female is under perceived, yet even women are hardworking and are great thinkers. According to Sigmund Freud, it is no difference between women and men; in fact men only have the society and social power over women.
Describe one way the film, “Boys Don’t Cry”, helps open discussion about transgender, and one way the film fails to represent the Trans experience adequately.
The film boys do not cry transgender by showing how men should be different from female as they should be hard and be ready to endure any situation. The song of the cure in the boys does not cry the deep pain that men have to endure. It shows the traditional destruction of the aspect that men should endure the pain as they try to hide what they feel. The song shows the emptiness in men as they feel inside, but hide the truth because of the societal perception (Swank 12). There is a cure at the end, though its cure is only popular with the young audience, the cure appeals to those who watch and not those who endure. The band also demonstrates the issue of melancholy sense of sex, love, as well as the gender identification of people in the society. Most film directors try to appreciate men as the female rebels against gender transgression.
However, the film fails to represent the transexperience since one of the genders suffers adequately, and that is represented as a symbol of suffering. Secondly, the film fails to achieve the vision of masculinity by depicting boys who cry the time of tragedy and victory. In addition, Brandon Teena fails in the biological aspect of men in the film where the state that his genitalia does not match that for men for gender identity. Other men in the film are obeying the cultural values and believe that they should not express sadness, empathy or soft emotions like women. It is in order to help in the promotion of gender identity ad Trans- gender (Nair 21). Nevertheless, Teena expresses full emotions, according to the film, they seem to have used him as a fake male species based on those, who are around him, but that is ironical to the audience.
In the film, Incendies, how does the film's structure function to mirror (or support) the storyline?
The film reflects the realities in the modern life; it has a structure, as well as the atmosphere that represents the ancient folk narratives where children search for mysteries. The film explores residual impacts of the past trauma of people on the modern life. For instance, the author uses one character used in the film Incendies “Death is never the end of the story. It leaves traces.” There are several instances where a character Jeanne is warned not to find so much about her past because it will be rather traumatizing. The film explores the important contemporary generations that can easily fight the aspects of violence that has overwhelmed their ancestors.
Describe two of the many different categories performed in the Ball competitions in Jenny Livingston’s “Paris is Burning.”
1. The categories that exist are those that represent the rich and the poor, and the American dream prompts people to play the ball competition (Livingston, Paul and Jonathan 40). It is used to represent the way the poor struggle with life to change their social life in the materialism and capitalism dominated world of the whites.
2. What is their significance for the performers?
People struggle for fame and others for class, the category of those who represented the realness reflects the privileged category like the dynasty, business executives, cities, and countries. While the other category was that of the less privileged who were blacks, and poor people who struggled to make ends meet. The ball competition represents the satirical nature of the Americans, gender, social, and racial discrimination (Cahill and Sarah 85). The Paris way of life which is the ironic nature of the white, middle class, and low class American’s delusional social concepts and fabrications
(Three part questions)
1: Name one film that represents cross dressing and one film that represents transgender.
Cross dressing; Boys don’t cry
Transgender; Paris is Burning
2: Discuss the difference between representations of cross-dressing and transgender in mainstream film.
It is one of the documentaries that talk about the gay people, as well as the transvestites Hispanic men. The story of Parris burning by Jennie gives us the freak message that allows people to be in their humanity senses. In this case, the author makes us realize the perception of homosexuality, men, women, aspirations, and hopes, as well as their disappointments that reflect the real-life of people. The director shoots the movie in the nude world, though it does not mean that. Instead, it means people who are marginalized, but they are let down by the society in general (Corrales and Mario 67). The author presents clearly the gender issues, materialism, cultural and racial differences, and gender roles based on the social classes, media and the celebrities as well as fame. Though, it is more about humans, but very sad
3. Briefly describe the “Bechdel Test” (1 point)
The Bechdel test is the process of assessing if the work of art or fiction shows the gendered character where the women talk more than men. It is done through evaluation of the films as an indicator for gender bias in all fictions. Most of the films fail the test leading to female film industry.
Part III
The most memorable scene you watched
Incendies
The Incendies is one of the most compelling films, where he has presented the plot in such a way that it stretches back and comes to present in the Lebanon, and Canada. With Oedipus, who is the king, the film explores the traumatic events that have been endured in the time of war and the transitions across the generations of the current world. The author uses Marianne Hirsch to symbolize the powerful exploration of the postmodern memory.
Daughters of the Dust
It is the film that has developed its plot through the Holywoodism way of thinking. It is an excruciating film that someone cannot fail to watch. It illustrates the facts of the American Qilombos, the slavery, runaways, as well as the maroon societies that have managed to maneuver through life and come up with the other life. It explores the consciousness of modernity in the European dominance. The scenes that present the struggles that the slaves and the blacks went through are very emotional though, but in the end they manage to go through life. The author presents figurative scenes that stick in the mind of the; for instance, the scene where the Peazant, Gullahs, and persisting. Also, in the scene where unerasable the way the unborn child manages to run , takes us back our past, faking a new and another future , which rejects the limitations of western epistemology. The use of images to represent Africans’ history gives the logic and the development of visualizes in the polyphonic customs, most voices, with many perspectives
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