https://youtu.be/6ez-THTkkN0
Taylor Becker
Research Questions
The questions I am seeking to answer in this Research Kit is:
How does representation effect the perception of the film?
What effect does the Bechdel test have on films?
Audience
This topic will most appeal to those who look for diversity and representation in film. This topic could appeal to all types of people. It could appeal to teachers of higher educations because they could show their students different representations in film. It could appeal to film buffs who look into the details of the cast and representations in films. In addition this topic appeals to film makers and directors, those looking to make film a more inclusive space.
Overview
Latin America is rarely represented the American education system, and I believe that through film it is a good way to bring the subject to education. However, it is always important to acknowledge educationally the context of the materials. In film it is important to acknowledge the Racial and Gender representation. In this research kit I will be analyzing the films: Frida, West Side Story and City of God. All of these films have a wide range of representation were produced very differently.
The film Frida was created in 2002 by Miramax studios. Since the film Frida was produced by Miramax studios and Harvey Weinstein who felt power over these women and sexually assaulted multiple women in the film. Weinstein saw these young actresses and knew he could ruin their career if they didn’t do what he wanted, and with the lack of racial representation in Hollywood already it was difficult for these young women as is. The accurate depiction of race is incredibly important in film because it sets a basis for how race is depicted in culture and what is acceptable. There was a large influence by the public for the character Frida to be a Mexican woman. Many women wanted to play the role of Frida Such as Madonna, but there was a public push for Mexican representation for Frida. However, in this same film the character Diego Rivera who was a Mexican artist was portrayed by Alfred Molina who was English and Spanish descent. Although the films main character is a woman the film does not seem to pass the Bechdel test. Most of the movie’s conversations are between Frida and Diego. There is one conversation between Lupe and Frida following Frida’s miscarriage however they end up talking about Diego. This film represents women in a very sexual way, and there is a large emphasis on women’s nudity and bodies.
The 2021 version of West Side Story does a significantly better job representing race and Gender than the 1961 version. Though their gender representation is relatively the same it differs in the scene where Anita is getting thrown around by the men in the store. In the 2021 version it alludes much more that Anita will be raped and the other female characters in the scene are screaming for the boys to stop, this does not happen in the original film. Additionally, the West Side Story Passes the Bechdel test because there are multiple conversations between women that don’t involve men, such as the song America where the Puerto Rican women sing about living in America and the implications it has on their lives as Puerto Rican Immigrants. The Racial representation drastically changed in this film between the 1961 and 2021 version. The new director Steven Spielburg cast actors and actresses that were racially accurate, for example the lead in the 2021 version Rachel Zegler is of Puerto Rican dissent verses Natalie Wood the actress that played Maria in the 1961 version was white. In 1961 Rita Moreno played Anita, which would be a great representation of a Puerto Rican actress in this film however, the film makers used make-up to make her seem darker which is incredibly damaging for representation.
The final film I would like to discuss is the 2002 film City of God. The film City of God takes place in the Favelas of Brazil and is a representation of what a child’s life looks like growing up in the unsafe environment. The cast was largely made up of non-actors, but people who genuinely lived in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. The racial representation in this movie is what all Latin American movies should strive for. Since Brazil has a wide variety of races and representation that is portrayed in this film. As for female representation, this film is incredibly violent, and women are seen as a weak and could be a negative weakness to the men and their gang. The women are seen as sexual objects to them men and are represented that way in the film, it is interesting that this is the way that women are portrayed in this film, because there is a female director. However, the women portrayal as sexual objects represent the danger of the Favelas. The movie City of God shows that there is no place for women in the crimes of the Favelas, other than as pawns for power, like when Lil Ze rapes Knockout Neds girlfriend as a move to show dominance and power.
Annotated Bibliography
“City of God.” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317248/releaseinfo.
“Frida.” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120679/releaseinfo.
“West side story” IMDB, IMDB.com https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3581652/
BBC. (2018, March 2). 100 women: How hollywood fails women on screen. BBC News. Retrieved May 17, 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-43197774
This is a secondary source that explains the Bechdel test and its continuity over time and how despite recent societal values films are still failing this test. This article first describes the origin of the Bechdel test, then it moves into the historical problem that the Bechdel test addresses. In this article they have concluded that fewer than half of the 89 films named best picture in the Oscars have passed the Bechdel test. The source delves into the representation of women in films that were nominated for Oscars which are widely known as the highest award a film or actors can receive.
This source describes the damaging nature that the lack of representation has in film. It describes how in order to pass the Bechdel test there must be just one conversation between two women not about a man and how so many films are unable to meet these requirements. The article includes many different statics showing how female representation in film has changed over the years. This article lists many popular films from multiple different decades that do not pass the Bechdel test such as Forrest Gump, Rocky, and The Godfather. This article even lists a statistic that there is lower representation of women in 2010s films than 1930s films.
Joshua Fogel, and Kara Criscione. “Passing the Bechdel Test and the Influence of Internet and Social Media Advertising on Seeing a New Movie Release.” International Journal of Arts Management, vol. 22, no. 3, Management International, 2020, pp. 67–77.
This academic article provides information based on female gender roles in film and its association with traditional advertising. This study’s aim was to examine the association between the Bechdel test and the internet and social media advertising. The article notes that movies that pass the Bechdel test usually tend to be more women centric and unfortunately have less likes and views on social media leading to lower revenues than those who fail. Movies that pass the Bechdel test must conduct more advertising and promotion to attempt to reach equal audiences and encourage gender representation.
The article then explains how women are underrepresented in many other forms of media not just film such as video games or television. In advertisements women are often in a dependent role to a man and as a result of this pattern over time the differentiation has led to uncomfortableness when observing a film with a main female role. In addition, society has shown women that are old or not the typical beauty standard in a negative light resulting in even lower sales from the box office. There are many tables in this article to portray how a women’s demographic effects advertising and the success of the film.
Selisker, S. (2015, November 19). The Bechdel test and the social form of character networks. New Literary History. Retrieved May 17, 2022, from https://muse.jhu.edu/article/601626
This secondary source delves deep into what the Bechdel test is and how the emergence of it can be beneficial for society and film. The article also includes how in several Swedish cinemas include the Bechdel test scores along with other ratings. In this article it also acknowledges how the Bechdel test expands the conversation about the political dimensions of social networks within narrative.
The source goes to into discussing how the Bechdel test is not just something to look to in films, there should be a societal shift that increases women representation. It acknowledges that the Bechdel test may not be the greatest or best test to practice when examining a women’s representation in a film, however due to the lack of research on this topic it is the best resource to use. Based on the test there is a large need for improvements and strong female leads.
Guardian News and Media. (2019, September 4). Gender and racial diversity on the up in blockbuster films, study finds. The Guardian. Retrieved May 17, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/04/diversity-films-gender-race
This secondary source provides a detailed background about the gender and racial diversity in blockbuster films. It describes how the representation has increased over time making note of the increase in female lead roles and non-white lead and co-lead roles I which were nominated for many awards. The author Catherine Shoard describes how with activism and advocacy in film can make progress in society and for other minority groups.
The article acknowledges how although women representation has increased, they are continually objectified and do not particularly pass the Bechdel test. In addition, the article notes how there is still a lack of representation of LGBTQ and transgender actors and actresses. The female actresses who are represented are also predominantly women under the age of 44. There is also a note for the lack of representation of minorities behind the camera. This article highlights the improvements that have been made over time and what still needs to be done for equality in the film industry.
Kunsey, I. (2018) Representations of Women in Popular Film: A Study of Gender Inequality in 2018. 27-38. https://eloncdn.blob.core.windows.net/eu3/sites/153/2019/12/03-Kunsey.pdf
This source addresses the lack of diversity in Hollywood and how minority groups lack equal opportunities in the film industry. The article also discusses the influence of the director and how women are perceived in films based on who is behind the scenes. It explains how film has a key role in culture specifically American and has a large impact on the way our society acts. The source emphasizes how the tendency to isolate women from the film industry resulting in lower numbers of on and off the screen and lower pay to the female characters.
This source also acknowledges how societal movements such s #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo shed light on this issue and the need for inclusion in film. It is also mentioned how this need for diversity goes beyond representation and it is also about the films that ate bung made. It is important for women to be able to tell their stories and express feminine issues and empower women. Also, this source provides many data tables that display the success of films in correlation to race and gender. The main take away from this source is that there needs to be equality and inclusion for minorities in film.
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