For my individual investigation for my MS3 coursework, I am looking at the Representation of Gender within coming of age films, particularly looking at 'Juno' and 'Submarine'. So leading up to writing this investigation I've decided to look at the main characters within these two films and look at the way gender is represented within them, starting with 'Submarine'.
'Submarine' - Lloyd Tate - Father
Lloyd is described as a pushover throughout the film, a scene that shows this is Oliver saying as the narrative voice that he can imagine his mother leaving whilst his father helps her pack and makes small talk).
Lloyd is seen as weak and even though the film never straight out says Lloyd is depressed, it is suggested and implied throughout, e.g. Lloyd drinking hot lemon out of the same mug everyday without washing it and him staying in his dressing gown. Also, Oliver finding an empty bottle of anti-depressants in his parents room.
When Lloyd tried to show his authority and dominance in his relationship it backfires on him, when he says he doesn't want to go to the cinema with Graham but ends up having to go, he ends up becoming more depressed.
Jill Tate - Mother
Jill is portrayed as trapped throughout the film, she's trapped in her career (she wanted to be an actress but instead works in an office)
She is the dominant one in her marriage but also feels trapped by how much of a pushover her husband is (when she's discussing hairstyles and her husband says he doesn't mind what her hair's like)
Can be considered trapped in her relationship with Lloyd due to her first love (Graham) moving in next door which rekindles her old feelings and then feels torn between the two of them.
Jordana Bevan - Girlfriend
Oliver chooses to pursue Jordana because "she's unpopular so a relationship between the two of them is more likely"
she's a strong independent character who goes out with Oliver to get back at her ex-boyfriend and she never shows Oliver any affection or chases after him (after they have sex she says "don't get cocky" and walks off)
Oliver Tate - Protagonist
Oliver never shows any emotion or smiles throughout the film.
He doesn't have a friendship group, is reclusive and isolated.
Even though he doesn't really show emotion towards Jordana the film is about his pursuit for her
Oliver seems older than his time but there are times where we do see him act his age (breaking in to Graham's house)
Throughout 'Submarine' the males are more dependent on females, even when Jordana's mum is ill with cancer her husband is still completely dependent on her.
'Juno' - Juno McGuff - Protagonist
Juno is a strong, intelligent girl who considers herself independent but depends more on Bleeker than she admits.
She's mature about the situation (her pregnancy)
She doesn't really chase after Bleeker but it is clear how much she cares about him (setting up the furniture outside his house and filling his mailbox with tictacs because they're his favourite)
Paulie Bleeker - Love Interest
doesn't have typical male bravado (Juno's dad saying he didn't think Bleeker "had it in him" when Juno tells him Bleeker's the dad of her baby)
Evident how he feels about Juno (keeping her underwear)
Very dependent on the females in his life (his mum, Juno, etc.)
Not considered or presented as mature
Shown as awkward.
Juno's stepmom is more dominant than the father but Juno is the most dominant member of the family (step mom not being able to have dogs because of Juno) this is shown in the height levels when she tells them she's pregnant (her standing up/over them whilst they're sat down)
In the adoptive couple, Vanessa is the most dominant in her marriage, however she is more dependent on him.
Submarine Notes
'Submarine' was directed by Richard Ayoade which was his first time as a director. The film was developed from a book by Jo Dunthorne about a young boy who struggled with his parent's relationship and struggled to form a relationship for himself with someone of the opposite sex.
The main characters of 'Submarine' are Oliver Tate and Jordana Bevan who are played by Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige who were basically newcomers/unknown, this links to 'Juno' in that, the actors cast would possibly be recognised for television parts e.g. Craig Roberts in 'Tracy Beaker' but hadn't been established as filmstars and recognisable yet.
As the film is from Oliver's perspective, it suggests an Emotional Selling Point for the film. The dialogue of 'Submarine' is sharp and witty, as you would expect from quick thinking, fast talking teenagers which fits with the film being from Oliver's POV. The dialogue is deliberately difficult to pick up reflecting uncomfortable situations, embarassing feelings and new emotions because that's distinctive in Oliver's personality. He rarely shows emotion throughout the film so it wouldn't fit if his narrative voice over was full of emotion.
The iconography used in 'Submarine' are bikes, fireworks and beaches as metaphors for Oliver and Jordana's 'exploding' new relationship. Its a colourful film that makes use of filters and expressive lighting often creating a quirky, upbeat feel and it comes as no surprise that the Director is a comedy writer.
The film can be described as 'nostalgic' as it is set in 1986. It explores key cross decade narative themes instead of the cutural changes going on at this time.
Oliver speaks like an educated adult with a wealth of experience (Such as Charlie in 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower') but it also shows him like the vunerable teenage boy that he is. He struggles to show emotions and is often clipped and functional when talking about deep, emotional subjects. He deals badly with Jordana's mother's cancer and is more concerned with being a good boyfriend than acknowledging real emotion. At times he is clipped and functional when talking about deeply emotional subjects.
Jordana is portrayed as a smart, confident girl (like Sam in 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower and Juno) but falls for Oliver's quirks.
Oliver muses on the nature of life itself and notions of inevitability and has a functional, philosophical approach to outcomes and events almost seeking to achieve goals because this is what you have to do in life - not because you actually enjoy the goals you have achieved.
The construct of the teenager and his/her passage through life at this age is an evident theme in 'Submarine', experimenting and learning about new emotions, new priorities and new feelings, which links to 'Juno' and her outlook and behaviour, she's also a teenager learning and living new feelings due to her getting pregnant and suddenly having to make new, big decisions.
The comedy in 'Submarine' is based around dialogue and primarily the narrative voice over of Oliver. 'Submarine' is written for an intelligent, discerning audience who understand the nature of the humour and the angst that belies it but the film also appeals to a younger target audience that can identify and are familiar with the representations throughout. The secondary target audience are likely to be 15-18 male and female who recognise themselves within the diegesis and almost view the film on a cathartic level.
Most audiences are drawn in by character representation and a strong narrative with the ability to engage in personal identity for younger audiences and personal relationships for older audiences using Blumler and Katz's 1974 Uses and Gratifications Model is wholly relevant for the film's success.
The main characters of 'Submarine' are Oliver Tate and Jordana Bevan who are played by Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige who were basically newcomers/unknown, this links to 'Juno' in that, the actors cast would possibly be recognised for television parts e.g. Craig Roberts in 'Tracy Beaker' but hadn't been established as filmstars and recognisable yet.
As the film is from Oliver's perspective, it suggests an Emotional Selling Point for the film. The dialogue of 'Submarine' is sharp and witty, as you would expect from quick thinking, fast talking teenagers which fits with the film being from Oliver's POV. The dialogue is deliberately difficult to pick up reflecting uncomfortable situations, embarassing feelings and new emotions because that's distinctive in Oliver's personality. He rarely shows emotion throughout the film so it wouldn't fit if his narrative voice over was full of emotion.
The iconography used in 'Submarine' are bikes, fireworks and beaches as metaphors for Oliver and Jordana's 'exploding' new relationship. Its a colourful film that makes use of filters and expressive lighting often creating a quirky, upbeat feel and it comes as no surprise that the Director is a comedy writer.
The film can be described as 'nostalgic' as it is set in 1986. It explores key cross decade narative themes instead of the cutural changes going on at this time.
Oliver speaks like an educated adult with a wealth of experience (Such as Charlie in 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower') but it also shows him like the vunerable teenage boy that he is. He struggles to show emotions and is often clipped and functional when talking about deep, emotional subjects. He deals badly with Jordana's mother's cancer and is more concerned with being a good boyfriend than acknowledging real emotion. At times he is clipped and functional when talking about deeply emotional subjects.
Jordana is portrayed as a smart, confident girl (like Sam in 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower and Juno) but falls for Oliver's quirks.
Oliver muses on the nature of life itself and notions of inevitability and has a functional, philosophical approach to outcomes and events almost seeking to achieve goals because this is what you have to do in life - not because you actually enjoy the goals you have achieved.
The construct of the teenager and his/her passage through life at this age is an evident theme in 'Submarine', experimenting and learning about new emotions, new priorities and new feelings, which links to 'Juno' and her outlook and behaviour, she's also a teenager learning and living new feelings due to her getting pregnant and suddenly having to make new, big decisions.
The comedy in 'Submarine' is based around dialogue and primarily the narrative voice over of Oliver. 'Submarine' is written for an intelligent, discerning audience who understand the nature of the humour and the angst that belies it but the film also appeals to a younger target audience that can identify and are familiar with the representations throughout. The secondary target audience are likely to be 15-18 male and female who recognise themselves within the diegesis and almost view the film on a cathartic level.
Most audiences are drawn in by character representation and a strong narrative with the ability to engage in personal identity for younger audiences and personal relationships for older audiences using Blumler and Katz's 1974 Uses and Gratifications Model is wholly relevant for the film's success.
Juno Notes
The fact that 'Juno' is female fronted coming of age film is significant because there are very few coming of age films that include a female protagonist. Juno is a strong independent character, just like the female characters in coming of age films such as 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower' and 'Submarine'. 'Juno' is about a high school girl which links to conventions of a coming of age film, as they're stereotypically about high school students, the story "takes a turn for the edgy" when Juno becomes pregnant after having sex with her best friend, Bleeker. Coming Of Age films like 'Juno' don't try to attract massive audiences and made a profit from their films so they're able to look at more controversial films that wouldn't appeal to a wide audience, this is shown through 'Juno' which deals with teen pregnancy and adoption, 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower' which deals with sexual abuse, 'Submarine' which deals with divorce and infidelity, 'Its Kind Of A Funny Story' which tackles mental illness and upcoming film 'The Fault In Our Stars' which is about cancer patients.
The director of 'Juno' is Jason Reitman, which was the director's second feature, however, at the time of 'Juno' his first film 'Thank You For Smoking' had not yet been released so he was a bit of a wildcard, however it links to the genre of unknown directors. A lot of coming of age films are based on books, such as 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower' so the writer of the book is the director of the film. 'Submarine' was directed by Richard Ayoade, who was known as an actor but it was his first time as a director.
Independent films don't have the budget for big Hollywood filmstars so usually draw on television actors who will be recognisable for a mainstream audience, such as Michael Cera who plays Bleeker in this film, who was popular at the time of release due to 'Superbad' and so would add a teen appeal to 'Juno'.
The director of 'Juno' is Jason Reitman, which was the director's second feature, however, at the time of 'Juno' his first film 'Thank You For Smoking' had not yet been released so he was a bit of a wildcard, however it links to the genre of unknown directors. A lot of coming of age films are based on books, such as 'Perks Of Being A Wallflower' so the writer of the book is the director of the film. 'Submarine' was directed by Richard Ayoade, who was known as an actor but it was his first time as a director.
Independent films don't have the budget for big Hollywood filmstars so usually draw on television actors who will be recognisable for a mainstream audience, such as Michael Cera who plays Bleeker in this film, who was popular at the time of release due to 'Superbad' and so would add a teen appeal to 'Juno'.
Juno and Submarine - background information
For my MS3 coursework I am going to produce a film trailer for my chosen genre (which is coming of age). So far trying to obtain secondary research for this genre has been somewhat of a struggle due to it being such a new, niche genre. What I have grasped so far from the research on my two case studies (Juno and Submarine) is that stereotypically, coming of age films are created by an unknown director, or it will be the directors first film. In 'Juno' the director is Jason Reitman who had directed the 2005 film 'Thank You For Smoking' however, at the time of being recruited to direct 'Juno' this film had not been released so at the time choosing Reitman was a risk. 'Submarine' was directed by Richard Ayoade, who was known as an actor for television shows such as 'The IT Crowd' but this would be his first time as a director. Also, the stars in both films are seemingly unknown, at least at the time of filming. Ellen Page, who plays Juno McGuff in 'Juno' had been in a few TV shows but hadn't had a huge breakout role in a film at this point. Craig Roberts who plays Oliver Tate in 'Submarine' in a Welsh actor who had been in Tracy Beaker but not much else so the films wouldn't attract big audience due to such recognizable actors. The most recognisable actors within both of these films are people in supporting roles such as Jennifer Gartner in 'Juno' and Noah Taylor in 'Submarine'.
sex and the city/a team questions I forgot to put on my blog
1.)
Sex in the city 2: the four women on the cover of the poster are in feminine dresses to emphasise that they are interested in fashion and also the use of dresses and looking as attractive as possible (hair and make-up) to attract the audience. The facial expressions on the women all seem to be happy however the women on either end of the four seem less friendly and seem more closed up. The text has a sparkly/diamond effect which suggests the film/characters to be glamorous. The layout for this poster is Sarah Jessica Parker at the front which immediately shows her as the main character; also as she is a famous actress this will attract fans of her to go see the film. The genre of this film is chick-flick which we know as it’s a film adapted from a TV series and the use of the four women in the feminine dresses will appeal to a female audience
The A-team
The costumes used in the poster of the A-team make the four characters look like they don’t belong together as Bradley Cooper is in a suit and the others are dressed for say, hunting or being out in the wilderness. The four men on the cover all have fairly serious facial expressions and are holding guns which shows that this film is obviously an action film. The font used is quite iconic as it’s a remake of a film so people will recognise it and want to go see the film. The layout of this poster is all four main characters and doesn’t have the actors’ names on the poster as the actors in the film are recognisable and will attract an audience of fans from their previous films.
2.)
The first type of audience for The A-Team would be fans of the original A-Team film and action films in general as the film the poster is for is a remake. The majority of fans of the original A-Team film would be male as it is an action film and action films are stereotyped as to being for a dominantly male audience. The other type of audience for this film would be fans of the actors that are in this film and who would go see this film because they have enjoyed the actors in other roles or may be attracted to the actors in the film.
In the Sex and the City 2 poster, the main audience would be female aged between their late teens and around 35/40, the reason I think this is because the title of the film suggests that it wouldn’t be appropriate for a younger audience. Even though the colour scheme used is not stereotypically feminine or what colours are usually used in chick flicks the sparkly font and four female characters shows the film to be feminine. The film would be directed to fans of the TV series and first film and the audience for these is broadly female.
Who was the first woman video game character you can remember? Describe her
Even though I didn’t play it myself, the first female video game character I can remember is Lara Croft as my older cousins played it. Lara Croft is a highly sexualised character through the use of wearing tiny shorts and tight tops with an "ideal" figure to appeal to the male target audience. The first female video game character that I ever encountered whilst playing video games myself is Princess Peach in the Super Mario games which portrays females within video games as being a prize for the male "heroes"
Who was the first woman you knew that played video games? Describe her
The first girls I knew to play video games played the "Imagine" games etc, however when I joined high school I met my best friend Jess who played a lot of video games, especially ones like resident evil and left 4 dead which were stereotypically associated as being games for males.
Do you think the woman gamer felt she was ‘represented’ in the character you described? Why/Why not?
When Jess started playing Tomb Raider when she was seven so back then she probably didn’t feel as though she was being represented through the Lara Croft character, however the character is an aspiration to who she would have liked to be/qualities she would like to have. For example, Lara Croft is athletic, independent and brave and these are qualities that seven year old Jess when she first started playing the game would liked to have, however the Princess Peach character in the ‘Super Mario’ games was dependent on male characters to save her which is the opposite of Jess.
Can you think of another female character that this woman would feel is a representation of her? Why?
I think nowadays as a seventeen year old Jess is represented through the Lara Croft character as she is very independent and doesn’t really follow female stereotypes as in, she’s really active and does her own thing, rather than needing other people’s help or depending on those around her.
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