Task 12 - 'Historical Texts'...
Safety Last! (1923):
· Directed by: Fred C. Newmeyer.
· Genre: Action / Comedy / Romance.
· Plot Outline: When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself.
· Cast: Harold Lloyd as the boy, Mildred Davis as The Girl, Bill Strother as The Pal, Noah Young as The Law, [Etc…].
· Women are seen as a ‘propp’ especially in this text, as we see the only female character to feature in an action film as a girlfriend: not much importance to film. Women are often represented as being part of a context (family, friends, colleagues). Also, in action films, women tend to take the role of helper [Propp’s Thoery] or object, passive rather than active. Often their passivity extends to victimhood as we see in superman in 1952. This reflects society, as this shows how patriarchy society and the media are.
· Directed by: Fred C. Newmeyer.
· Genre: Action / Comedy / Romance.
· Plot Outline: When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself.
· Cast: Harold Lloyd as the boy, Mildred Davis as The Girl, Bill Strother as The Pal, Noah Young as The Law, [Etc…].
· Women are seen as a ‘propp’ especially in this text, as we see the only female character to feature in an action film as a girlfriend: not much importance to film. Women are often represented as being part of a context (family, friends, colleagues). Also, in action films, women tend to take the role of helper [Propp’s Thoery] or object, passive rather than active. Often their passivity extends to victimhood as we see in superman in 1952. This reflects society, as this shows how patriarchy society and the media are.
King Kong (1933):
· Directed by: Merian C. Cooper.
· Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Thriller.
· Plot Outline: A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star.
· Cast: Fay Wray as Ann Darrow, Robert Armstrong as Carl Denham, Bruce Cabot as John ‘Jack’Driscoll, Frank Reicher as Capt. Englehorn, Sam Hardy as Charles Weston, Noble Johnson as Skull Island nation leader, [Etc…].
· Women are portrayed as the damsel in distress and are stereotyped. King Kong falls in love with Ann Darrow [played by Fay Wray], a thin, blonde, weak/passive character. This reflects how society are objectifying and oppressing women. Women are shown to not have much power or authority compared to men. Men still play the leading role [protagonist] as King Kong himself is a male. Men are represented as powerful, dominant and strong. This is evident that both society and the media are strongly patriarchal, as women struggle for their rights. On the other hand, women's work in the two World Wars of the twentieth century was an important factor in the course of both wars. This involvement changed the social status and working lives of women in many countries from that point onwards.
· Directed by: Merian C. Cooper.
· Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Thriller.
· Plot Outline: A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star.
· Cast: Fay Wray as Ann Darrow, Robert Armstrong as Carl Denham, Bruce Cabot as John ‘Jack’Driscoll, Frank Reicher as Capt. Englehorn, Sam Hardy as Charles Weston, Noble Johnson as Skull Island nation leader, [Etc…].
· Women are portrayed as the damsel in distress and are stereotyped. King Kong falls in love with Ann Darrow [played by Fay Wray], a thin, blonde, weak/passive character. This reflects how society are objectifying and oppressing women. Women are shown to not have much power or authority compared to men. Men still play the leading role [protagonist] as King Kong himself is a male. Men are represented as powerful, dominant and strong. This is evident that both society and the media are strongly patriarchal, as women struggle for their rights. On the other hand, women's work in the two World Wars of the twentieth century was an important factor in the course of both wars. This involvement changed the social status and working lives of women in many countries from that point onwards.
"Adventures of Superman" (1952):
· Directed by: Howard Bretherton.
· Genre: Action / Family / Adventure.
· Plot Outline: The Man of Steel fights crime with help from his friends at the Daily Planet.
· Cast: George Reeves as Clark Kent, Bill Kennedy as Announcer, Jack Larson as Jack Larson, Noel Neill as Lois Lane, John Hamilton as John Hamilton, [Etc…].
· We still have the male as both the protagonist and hero. However, Lois Lane played by Noel Neill is portrayed as a damsel in distress as superman saves her from crime. This reflects society and their views are still strongly patriarchal. Women were passive and fragile this caused them to be victimized and need to be saved from a man [Superman].
· Directed by: Howard Bretherton.
· Genre: Action / Family / Adventure.
· Plot Outline: The Man of Steel fights crime with help from his friends at the Daily Planet.
· Cast: George Reeves as Clark Kent, Bill Kennedy as Announcer, Jack Larson as Jack Larson, Noel Neill as Lois Lane, John Hamilton as John Hamilton, [Etc…].
· We still have the male as both the protagonist and hero. However, Lois Lane played by Noel Neill is portrayed as a damsel in distress as superman saves her from crime. This reflects society and their views are still strongly patriarchal. Women were passive and fragile this caused them to be victimized and need to be saved from a man [Superman].
"The Avengers" (1961):
· Directed by: Don Leaver.
· Genre: Action / Comedy / Mystery / Thriller.
· Plot Outline: A quirky spy show of the adventures of an eccentricly suave British agent and his predominately female partners.
· Cast: Patrick Macnee as John Steed, Diana Rigg as Emma Peel, Honor Blackman as Catherine Gale, Ian Hendry as Dr. David Keel, Linda Thorson as Tara King, Patrick Newell as Mother , Ingrid Hafner as Carol Wilson, [Etc…].
· Women are gaining more their independence slowly as we see more women on screen. On the other hand men still play the protagonist and are very dominant compared to women in film and media. Even though there are more women on screen, yet however there are being stereotyped and given typical roles such as housewife, mothers, etc… This is very important text as Feminists originated around the 1960s: This show’s how feminists help play a crutial part for women in that time. This portrays how the attitudes of both genre and society are slowly changing especially to women.
· Directed by: Don Leaver.
· Genre: Action / Comedy / Mystery / Thriller.
· Plot Outline: A quirky spy show of the adventures of an eccentricly suave British agent and his predominately female partners.
· Cast: Patrick Macnee as John Steed, Diana Rigg as Emma Peel, Honor Blackman as Catherine Gale, Ian Hendry as Dr. David Keel, Linda Thorson as Tara King, Patrick Newell as Mother , Ingrid Hafner as Carol Wilson, [Etc…].
· Women are gaining more their independence slowly as we see more women on screen. On the other hand men still play the protagonist and are very dominant compared to women in film and media. Even though there are more women on screen, yet however there are being stereotyped and given typical roles such as housewife, mothers, etc… This is very important text as Feminists originated around the 1960s: This show’s how feminists help play a crutial part for women in that time. This portrays how the attitudes of both genre and society are slowly changing especially to women.
Alien (1979):
· Directed by: Ridley Scott.
· Genre: Action / Sci-Fi / Horror / Thriller.
· Plot Outline: A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.
· Cast: Tom Skerritt as Dallas, Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, Veronica Cartwright as Lambert, Harry Dean Stanton as Brett, Bolaji Badejo as Alien, Helen Horton as Mother (voice), [Etc…].
· First female action hero: Here, her character is strong, determined and able to achieve what she wants. Alien was the first action movie to feature a strong female protagonist, independent of a guiding male lead Alien has thus been considered a prototype for the Girl Power-effect that occurred in Hollywood towards the early 2000s when more and more action-movies with powerful female leads appeared from the comedic e.g. Charlie's Angels to the mainstream martial arts film e.g. Kill Bill. This text reflects how society has changed as we have the first female action hero.
· Directed by: Ridley Scott.
· Genre: Action / Sci-Fi / Horror / Thriller.
· Plot Outline: A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.
· Cast: Tom Skerritt as Dallas, Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, Veronica Cartwright as Lambert, Harry Dean Stanton as Brett, Bolaji Badejo as Alien, Helen Horton as Mother (voice), [Etc…].
· First female action hero: Here, her character is strong, determined and able to achieve what she wants. Alien was the first action movie to feature a strong female protagonist, independent of a guiding male lead Alien has thus been considered a prototype for the Girl Power-effect that occurred in Hollywood towards the early 2000s when more and more action-movies with powerful female leads appeared from the comedic e.g. Charlie's Angels to the mainstream martial arts film e.g. Kill Bill. This text reflects how society has changed as we have the first female action hero.
posted by Kill Bill Volume Two at 22.12.06
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