Film coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Film coursework - Essay Example The most interesting aspect of Braudy and Cohen’s Film Theory and Criticism (6th edition), is the discussion of the female characters and their context in the Horror films (Braudy & Cohen, 2004 p36). The argument presented here is that; despite the presentation of women under a problematic image, â€Å"the audience reaction may either subvert it or undercut it† (Braudy & Cohen, 2004 p27). The idea is interesting in the sense that, the argument indicates that despite showing women as bad in the Horror film, people are not likely to buy the idea, or even if they would want to do it, they will still undermine the bad image as portrayed by the film, or at least weaken the seriousness of the bad image presented about women, in their interpretation (Storrs & Tyrrell, 2008 19). There are several reasons that can underline this argument. First, women are believed to be members of the weaker gender, according to gender stereotypes. Therefore, their image in the minds of the peop le, mostly the audience, is that of weak individuals, who are not directly confrontational and harmful, meaning that they are always subject to being dominated over by their male counterparts (Merrell, 1985 p23). This being the case, it therefore becomes very hard to convince the minds and the perception of the people that women are capable of being extremely dangerous and harmful, as could be painted by the bad image about them in the Horror movie. While it is observed and generally agreed that women are capable of many things, including being evil and capable of causing harm to others, it is still not convincing that they are extremely harmful, to the extent of fitting into the bad image portrayed in the Horror movies (Eberwein, 1979 p44). Therefore, people will tend to either undermine the bad image that is portrayed of them, or at least weaken its seriousness. Secondly, the feminine notion has always painted women as the victims, rather than the culprits or the oppressors (Barsa m, 1976 p12). This makes it extremely difficult to persuade the minds of the audience that women are capable of causing the extreme harm associated with horror films, since such is expected to have them as the victims. Therefore, any portrayal to the contrary cannot easily persuade the mind of the audience (Andrew, 1989 p37). Despite the Braudy and Cohen’s argument being crafted back in the year 2004, it has its true applicability well beyond the foreseeable future. To conclude, a question arises; what can the future Horror film makers learn from the Braudy and Cohen’s theory, regarding women’s role in the horror film? The future convincing power of the Horror film is locked in the portrayal of women as the victims, and not the contrary. Piece of Work Two: The scene Analysis In this analysis, through applying the semiotic theory, I shall analyze the post wedding scene in the Me, Myself & Irene (2000) film, where Charlie (Jim Carrey), has just wedded Layla (Trayl or Howard), in a wedding ceremony attended by his colleagues, who are state police officers of Rhodes Island (Jacobs, Farrelly, Cerrone, Farrelly & Carrey, 2000 p68). After their marriage, Charlie and Layla are ferried in a limousine by a dwarf black American driver, Shonte (Tony Cox), who is offended by Charlie’