GLADIATOR EXTRACT

This is what I have done so far on the Gladiator extract, in Friday's lesson and for homework. I will be doing more and adding to the answers over half term:

NOTES:

1.      Events combat and conflict fighting archers cavalry good v evil typical of AA

Characters heroic protagonist inspires troops gives orders leads army brave

Villainous antagonists brutal throw head of soldier at the army headless rider

2.      Soundtrack strings elegy death of soldiers to come

        Strings crescendos for suspense

Percussion drums suspense

Diegetic sound war cries and clink of armour

Editing special FX headless rider gruesome shocking brings home reality of war

 

Mise en scene dark grey bleak forest

Costumes armour shows they’re going to war, show period of fight

Camera work shots of admiring looks of king shots from below

Low angle shots of king to show him as powerful

3.      Gender stereotype archetypal alpha male strong brave fearless

Race and nationality Romans look clean presentable distinguished villains rugged covered in hair and fur hidden threatening evil

ANSWERS:

1.      Gladiator is a classic action and adventure film. It is typical of the AA genre because the narrative includes conventions such as combat and conflict. There is about to be a war between the Romans and the barbarians. This is shown by all the soldiers lined up in regiment, charging at each other across the forest. It is also shown by all the Roman soldiers preparing for war by getting their weapons and armour ready. Another typical convention of AA films in spectacle, which this extract includes. For instance when the headless rider comes back and it is revealed that the rider has been decapitated it is shocking and so creates spectacle.

Another way the extract is typical of the AA genre is through the characters. There is a heroic protagonist, the Roman king. He is shown as the protagonist because he gives orders to the troops and leads the army. He is clearly respected and of high authority from the way the other soldiers look admiringly at him, and from the way he makes decisions for example about the cavalry’s position. There is also a villainous antagonist (the barbarians) which is a further typical feature of AA films. They are shown as the villains because they kill decapitate one of the protagonist’s army and come to fight them.

2.      The soundtrack of the extract includes non-diegetic sound such as the string music which plays at the start of the extract. The strings sound melancholy, sad and elegiac which indicates to the viewer that there will be death soon. There is also diegetic sound such as the metallic sounds of the armour and weapons. This shows that there will be a war and makes the battle feel realistic and like the viewer is really there.

The editing in the extract includes the headless rider and the decapitated head. They look gruesome and lifelike, and emphasise to the viewer the brutality of the barbarians. Special effects are also used after the scene with the man walking through the corn field to fade back to the king with his eyes closed. This fade in shows the viewer that the scene before was a dream or a thought of his, and so reveals something about the character (in this case his hopes for his life after the war).
NB: I am not sure if the highlighted point counts as SFX but I couldn’t find another example
Mise en scene is used to create the bleak atmosphere of the battle by setting it in a dark, grey, dismal forest after sunset. This sets the tone of the scene: sad, scary, where many will die. Mise en scene is also used through the costumes of the soldiers, which are very traditional Roman armour, to show the period the battle is set in and also to indicate that there will be a war very soon. Additionally, the armour makes the Roman army easily distinguishable from the enemy who wear thick, dark furs.
Camera work in the extract is used to stress the power of the king. For example, the point of view shot of the soldier’s faces as he walks along shows their admiring looks and how they look up to and respect him. This shows the king’s authority.
There are also some high angle shots from above to show the size of the Roman army. It looks huge and so makes the battle appear more important and spectacular.

3.      In terms of gender stereotypes the Roman soldiers are the archetypal alpha males, for example the king. He is brave, fearless and strong, unafraid to go and fight a battle he knows he may die in. In this way he and his army fit this stereotype.
The protagonist’s soldiers also fit a stereotype of looking very typically Roman. They have strong armour, helmets and shields and wear colours like red, silver and gold. In comparison the barbarians are rugged, covered in hair and fur. They do not look as distinguished as the Roman army and instead appear threatening and evil because we cannot see their faces and they hide, camouflaging with the woods.
The Roman soldiers are also shown as fearless and brave because for example the king and his army appear calm under pressure and do not break down even when one of their men comes back decapitated. This portrays them as fearless compared to the barbarians who are cowardly and mean and hide in the forest, never completely revealing themselves. Whereas, the Roman army stands their ground proudly and bravely showing them to be the true heroes in this text.                              

STEREOTYPES

From looking at the blog I learnt that stereotypes are generalisations made about groups of people which mean that there is less processing to do when meeting new people. These  stereotypes make assumptions about people's characteristics based on one aspect of them such as their appearance and social generalisations like this lead to prejudice in society.
I also learnt some stereotypes and anti-stereotypes. For example, woman are stereotypically emotional, irrational and dependent on a man. An anti-stereotype would be a woman who can stand on her own two feet and doesn't need a man to support her. 

ADVERTISEMENT COMPARATIVE ESSAY

A comparison of how women are represented in fragrance advertisements from the 1920s, 1960s and 2011

Mavis, Vivadou (print, France 1920)

This advertisement is by Mavis, and was published in the 1920s. The woman in the advertisement is represented as glamorous, sophisticated. She has her hair up, make up on, and is wearing lavish clothes. She looks wealthy because she can afford huge, incredible gowns that would have cost a lot of money because of all the material they use. She is also wearing and surrounded by rich, dark colours like deep red and black, which were very stylish at the time. She has dark hair, a pale face and pronounced red lips, which again was very fashionable in the 1920s, and was a look many women were striving for. The woman in the advertisement represents the aspirations of women at the time: they wanted to be glamorous, wealthy and elegant, and this perfume is selling those qualities.

The woman’s posture is very noticeable too; she has her head up and her eyes closed, which makes her appear aloof and confident. She is also leaning into a mirror, obsessed with herself and how she looks, which makes her seem narcissistic and arrogant. She is almost making love to herself in the mirror, and she is posed provocatively, making it seem quite an erotic advertisement. It is veiled eroticism, masked by the glamour and sophistication you immediately see in the advertisement but when you look properly it is also quite clear how suggestive the advertisement is. It sells sexual fulfilment to a woman rather than a man, which was quite significant at the time, as women became the dominant consumers. However, the perfume is selling the fact that it makes you so desirable and incredible that you (and anyone else) cannot help but become infatuated with you. The advertisement taps into women’s insecurities – women generally want to look beautiful and be desirable to others. This perfume not only seems to make you good looking, but also so desirable that even you cannot resist gazing at yourself in the mirror. Women want to be the woman in the advertisement – rich, attractive, confident – and so it will make them want to buy the perfume.

The advertisement reflects art nouveau style, such as its choice of graphics which are the letters of ‘MAVIS’. They are organic, smooth and curvaceous. This is echoed in the curve of the mirror which matches the elongated, organic sweep of the ‘m’ and ‘v’ letters. It is bold and eye catching, which mirrors the advertisement’s messages and values. These are of being good-looking and confident. The detailed and appealing construction of the woman represents the beauty side of the advertisement, while the bold, eye catching colours and pose of the woman connote qualities of self-assurance and independence, which is what the perfume is selling.

This leads into the perfume name font. It is rounded, smooth and organic – again in art nouveau style. It could be compared to the woman’s dress and pose – she is not standing straight and still, she is moving and even her dress seems to flow fluidly. It all ties in together to not only make the advertisement look more alive and appealing but also is a subtle continuation of the messages and values of the perfume – the boldness and the elegance of the font reflects the style of the picture and the woman in it.

Finally, the perfume slogan, ‘Irresistible’ suggests that the perfume makes you so elegant, sophisticated and glamorous that you no one can resist you. The slogan identifies with a woman’s need to be loved and admired – it recognises it and promises instant transformation – just buy the perfume and you too will become stunning, classy and incredibly desirable to all. The slogan links with the woman’s posture and how she is completely infatuated with herself, showing how powerful the effects of the perfume are. The slogan also links with the insecurities of women involving looks and how attractive they are, which makes women want to buy the fragrance to solve their insecurities.

Overall, the perfume sells desirability, attractiveness, wealth, confidence and a generally glamorous lifestyle by tapping into women’s insecurities and their need to loved and admired.

L'imprevu, Coty (print, France 1960s)

 

The representation of the woman in L’Imprevu embodies the feminist ideas from the 1960s feminist movement (about freedom and being independent) that started in America, unlike my 1920s Mavis advertisement which focuses on glamour and sophistication. The L’Imprevu advertisement features a woman, standing alone and laughing. She looks independent and free – there is no man or anyone else to support her; neither does she have any clothes or fashions to restrict her, whereas Mavis’ model draws her power from her extravagant props of clothes and theatrical setting.  Feminism is all about women being able to stand on their own two feet and do things for themselves, and this is what this advertisement is showing. The way she is laughing and smiling denotes happiness and well-being; she feels good because of the perfume she is wearing. This shows that women can be happy and feel good without the help of anyone else. Her self-sufficiency is shown again in that she is standing on her own. This contrasts with Valentina, my moving image advertisement, where the main woman is happiest when surrounded by friends and other people. This model is happy on her own, again showing the themes of independence.

The way the model is dressed and the way she looks also plays a significant part in how she comes across in the advertisement. Earlier this century, women typically had long hair which they would put up in the day time and generally wore dresses and skirts, and other typically more formal,  ‘lady-like’ clothes in public. This model is very different from this stereotype – she has very short, cropped hair which is not tied or pinned back in anyway, and she is wearing no clothes at all, unlike my 1920s advertisement where the woman is wearing a dress and has her hair up. This breaking of a stereotype shows confidence, a sense of being self-assured. She is not afraid or nervous of being seen with no clothes on. The fact that she is different to how women used to dress also makes her stand out – she is different and new, as suggested by the perfume slogan. This new look is androgynous – she does not wear men’s or women’s clothes and does not wear anything to suggest she is one or the other, whereas in my Mavis advertisement the model is very feminine.The fragrance name font adds to the bold, confident almost masculine feel of the advertisement. The font ties in with the messages and values of the product (the concept of embracing the unexpected, as L’Imprevu means ‘the unexpected’), so it too is big, bold, and stands out. It is a block font, no swirls or elegant flicks or curves; it is not overly feminine, unlike my Mavis advertisement which is very feminine, smooth and with lots of curvy shapes. This block font connotes a new way for women to be, for them to feel and be presented, not just as women who should be elegant, sophisticated and genteel, as in the 1920s advertisement, but as people who can stand on their own and do things for themselves.

 

Valentina, Valentino (moving image, UK 2011)

 

Valentina epitomises the modern independent girl who refuses to be restricted by society’s expectations, a representation that continues the story of L’Imprevu.

The world in which Valentina lives is marked by an unprecedented exposure to scrutiny. Our lives in the twenty-first century are always subject to exposure. We are always on show; there is no privacy due to social media, for example, and this is particularly true for people in the public eye, or socialites such as Valentina. She is never left alone, and is always judged by her actions.  Celebrities or socialites like her are often plagued by the paparazzi, as Valentina is, and all she wants to do is escape. Valentina breaks the expectations of her society by running away from the party and therefore liberating herself from the confines of her upper class world.

Consequently, this advertisement represents a woman’s need to be free, to do what she wants and not be confined by tradition. Again, this is very similar to L’Imprevu. Valentina is surrounded by an old-style ball for her birthday party, with people wearing clothes that are now considered ‘old-fashioned’ and traditionally upper class such as ball gowns, with their hair up. It is a very formal party. However, Valentina wears modern dress, a short skirt, her hair is down and she escapes her party to go and have fun with her friends, do more ‘modern’ things like going to a nightclub. She is represented as someone who refuses to be constrained by social stereotypes. Valentina is constructed as the modern, young part of the advertisement – in this way it echoes the independent, unafraid to stand out qualities of the L’Imprevu advertisement.

The advertisement is more modern than my other two, as although it features a classic palace dance it also features a lot of modern clothes and fashions (like the short, sparkly dresses) as well as a night club style party. Valentina

is represented as someone who can be both the centre of attention but can also have fun and have a normal life with her friends. She breaks with the traditional 'class system' of society and will not be positioned as an object by her peers, confined to being in one role. For a night, Valentina chooses friends and freedom over her high status party; she lives a lifestyle that could be similar to those of the target audience the advertisement is aimed at. This makes the advertisement relatable to the target audience, and makes it more modern. Because of these qualities, Valentina is represented as someone the audience aspire to be: famous and eye catching yet able to lead an exciting, more stereotypically ‘normal’ life.

Valentina is also constructed as mischievous and flirtatious, because she escapes from the party she is supposed to be at and runs off to a club to be with her friends and flirt with boys; therefore the target market is probably bold, outgoing women like Valentina. Although being bold is one of the qualities reflected in both L’Imprevu and Mavis, Valentina adds an air of mischievousness, almost minx-ish, and is a bit cheeky, unlike my other two advertisements. Consumers expect Italians to be passionate about life and love, so the Italian soundtrack, the brand name and the romantic mise-en-scene build a picture of the romantic escapism the perfume offers.

Unlike Mavis or L’Imprevu, Valentina wears clothes that are very modern: a short, silky black dress that fits in with those around her but also makes her stand out because of the elegant design and black colour that contrasts with her pale skin. This denotes wealth and glamour, because of the beautiful clothes and connotes being unafraid to stand out. This goes back to the perfume’s messages of being bold and outgoing.

Valentina is also seen in the advertisement with a boy, who she flirts with at the party and at the end kisses. This look into her intimate moment with the man engages the viewer and makes them feel included. This moment in the advertisement also sells the idea that the perfume can make you desirable and attractive to men.

The name, Valentina, means ‘brave’, and this mirrors the advertisement’s messages and values of being outgoing and confident, such as Valentina running off from where she was supposed to be to go and be with her friends.

Valentina is similar to my other two advertisements because it represents women as confident; it is similar to Mavis because it represents women as desirable to men; but it is different to both of them in that Valentina is cheekier, more flirtatious and younger. She is also surrounded by friends, whereas in my other two advertisements the women stand alone. This means the perfume sells popularity as well – if you buy the perfume you will be outgoing and bold, have lots of friends and ‘get the guy’ as well.  Finally, the main message of the advertisement is to not be restricted to social stereotypes/classes, and because of this Valentina is sold as unique and out-going.