Essay Plans Flashcards
(11 cards)
Explore how representations of gender are constructed visually to create meaning in one or more key sequences from each of the films you have studied.
Representation of Age =
Paragraph One = Pans Labyrinth
- Theme of innocence seen through Ofelia who desires to escape the real world the real world finding strength through the fantasy world
- Ofelia is met with adult responsibility in a harsh world of fascism
- Ofelia is not allowed to read fairy-tales and treated like an adult
- Ofelia is a symbol of innocence who is imaginative and seeks comfort in fantasy
- This is reflected through the possibility of escaping the harsh militaristic environment
- The trials she faces are symbolic of the loss of innocence facing difficult choices and moral dilemmas even if they come at the sacrifice of losing her life
- The real world is cold, oppressive and cruel. In the fantasy realm, Ofelia is significant and allowed agency where she is able to maintain control
- The fantasy world should be a place of escape with her fantasy beliefs however it mirrors the harsh problems of the real world
- The fantasy world grows darker which forces her to lose her innocence and acts as a coming of age story
- Her return to the magical world can be seen as how she refuses to conform to the corrupt adult world, she would rather die than betray her values
- This highlights how innocence is destroyed in a world governed by violence and power
- The pale mans lair has hundreds of children’s shoes which highlights how normally they are not able to escape yet Ofelia’s disobedience has allowed her to escape. Coming of age story
Paragraph Two = City of God
- The representation of childhood is deeply intertwined with the themes of violence and cyclical nature of poverty in the favelas.
- The cycle of violence, crime and poverty is depicted as inescapable and how the children are trapped in a cycle that perpetually never ends
- Lil Ze reflects how he has been shaped by his violent and impoverished environment which highlights his transformation from an innocent child into a ruthless killer is due to the self-perpetuating cycle of violence in the favela
- The lack of opportunities outside of crime are limited and there are few opportunities for young people to escape. His initial desire is driven by greed achieving status and respect within the community
- The runts are then trapped in the cycle of violence killing Lil Ze, this highlights the cycle of the favela which is either kill or get killed
- Highlights the introduction of children into violence young then making a kill list of who they want to kill
- The children are used as new recruits within the criminal world doing smaller favours for the gang members reinforcing the generational aspect of the cycle
Paragraph Three = Pans Labyrinth
- The characters highlight the themes of authority, power and brutality of the real world who often sharply contrast with the innocence and imagination of Ofelia
- The adult world is oppressive and corrupt often highlighting the dangers of blind obedience and those who follow it
- Vidal represents the harsh authoritarian world that Ofelia is trying to escape who is obsessed with control and violence symbolising fascism and Francoist regime
- Vidal utilises blind obedience for achieving his cold goals not caring about who is hurt or what is morally right
- This contrasts with Ofelia’s innocence and her fantastical world
- Carmen highlights the passive acceptance amongst adult life during times of war who submits the oppressive adult world
- However there are some adults who silently resist the fascist regime offering an insight into the complex nature of morality during the war as seen through the doctor and Mercedes who are defiant of Vidal’s orders. This highlights the hardship faced by adults during times of dictatorship and the inability to directly help and highlights the moral compromises adults must make
- Adults embody the brutalities of the adult world and the harshness of the adult world in times of political oppression and under the fascist regime
Paragraph Four = City of God
- Absence of the older generation focussing mainly on the younger generation of both children and young adults
- The elderly are absent from the narrative entirely which highlights the harsh reality of the favela where many people are victims to violence
- Death is a constant threat and direct consequence of the violence
- Underscores the cycle of violence which does not allow people to grow older, the film explores contrasting fates of Rocket and Lil Ze and how there differing fates is underscored by the avoidance of violence
- Rocket is the only narrative within the favela who is able to escape through his love for photography which highlights how he was able to break free from the cycle of violence through have passion and goodness
- Lil Ze is the complete opposite who begins as a child exposed to crime and then is killed by the younger version of him.
- The only people who are seen to be somewhat older are those who are not involved directly with the violence such as the police, media and shop-owners yet it still directly affects their life
Discuss how the films you have studied explore the political and social contexts of their settings.
Intro =
- In City of God (Meirelles) and Pan’s Labyrinth (Del Toro), they explore the political and social context of the film’s setting to establish key infomation which is integral to the narrative of the films. In City of God, Meirelles explores the neglect of the government and how this can impact the favelas. In Pan’s Labyrinth, Del Toro reflects societal issues under an authoritarian and fascist regime. This emphasises the brutality of this oppressive regime and how it affected different individuals. Both films employ social and political contexual knowledge to highlight the impact of each in different places
Paragraph One = City of God
- The film depicts the political and social conext which ties to the history of inequality, violence and urban poverty
- The political context of Rio De Janerio is that there is profound political and economic inequality
- The favela’s are often abandoned by the state and government
- Government institutions such as the police are often corrupt or ineffective playing an active role in the violence
- This reinforces the feeling of abandonment within the favelas and how it allows crime to increase and become it’s own social system within the favela’s
- Favela’s formed due to the state abandonment of the poorest where there is strong inequality and state inefficiency
- The film is able to critique the government’s failure to provide solutions for people in poverty and how the state has neglected these communities
- The highlight of police corruption reflects a key political issue where law enforcement take bribes from gang leaders which contributes to the perpetuating cycle of crime. This reflects the larger political corruption where these institutions contribute to their exploitation
- This film reflects how systemic economic policies fail to provide opportunities for marginalised groups in Brazil, the residents are trapped in a cycle of poverty.
- The lack of investments critiques the broader ecocmic system
- The film explores these political factors through features such as the trapping cycle of the favelas, the police corruption and bribery within the favela and how people trust the gang leader’s more than the police
- Talk about hand and foot sequence, the contrast from outside the favela, the entrappening nature and how Lil Ze is seen as a protector in the favela
Paragraph Two = Pans Labyrinth
- The political context is portrayed in Pan’s Labyrinth though the representation of the Francisco Franco’s dictatorship
- The film is set in 1944 which is after the Spanish Civil War, where there is a conflict between fascist groups led by Franco and the rebels.
- Franco’s authoritarian regime established a fascist dictatorship was characterised by brutal repression and censorship
- The oppressive nature of the regime is represented by Captain Vidal and the Pale Man
- Vidals obsession with cruelty, obsession, order and discpline mirrors Franco’s authoritarianism ruling where political opponents were silenced
- Rebels who fought against the Civil War were persecuted, imprisoned or executed
- Vidal’s military presence symbolises the ongoing persecution and disregard for human life
- His ideologies aligned with Franco’s fascist ideologies which sought to eliminate any form of oppression
- The Spanish Civil war plays a crucial role in the film which highlights the conflict between Vidal and the rebels. The film presents a contrast between the authoritarian regime and the fantasy world which offers some form of escape even if it comes with dangers and moral challenges
- The film’s use of fantasy offers the escape from the harsh oppressive political environment. It also highlights Ofelia’s disobedience and rebellion when resisting these forces of control and violence
- Mercedes embodies the resistance against this tyranny
- Del Toro uses the political setting of Francoist Spain to explore themes of resistance under oppressive regimes
- Talk about the sequence of the dinner party and Pale Man
Paragraph Three = City of God
- The film portrays the social reality of life within the favela where residents live in overcrowded and impoverished conditiions
- This reflects the inevitable path of crime within the fevela and how the residents are trapped in this cycle
- The film emphaises how social systems have failed these communities and how the residents create their own means of survival through illegal activities
- The youth of City of God are taught this cycle from a young age which introduces the children to the life of crime
- Violence is seen as a way of life within the favela and seen as the only way to gain power, respect and financial stability
- This presence of drugs and violence is seen as a social norm and it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle
- Each generation is drawn into the same pattern of violence
- Escaping this cycle of violence seems nearly impossible for the characters, the nature of the favela seems like a pen holding the characters captive in this never-ending cycle of violence
- Violence is passed down from generation to generation where children learn that crime is the only way to gain respect within the favela
- This is apparent in the story of Lil Ze overtaking the previous hoodlum, to then the runts overtaking Lil Ze
- This highlights the social issue of how it is a perpetuating cycle of the favela and how hard it is to escape this cycle
- The use of non-professional actors and real locations represents the real life and reality of those within the favelas. The filmmaker provides a direct link between the cycle of violence and authenticity of issues faced by the residents
- Talk about the ending sequence and the cycle of the runts taking over
Paragraph Four = Pans Labyrinth
- Pan’s Labyrinth utilizes binary opposites to reflect the societal values of class, age, gender and
- Class division is presented through the social structure divide of the ruling class such as Vidal and the military officers contrasted by the working class peasants and rebels who live in poverty
- Vidal symbolises the ruling class elite and their desire to maintain control over the lower class
- His cold, authoritarian attitude towards the peasants show the inequality and social hierarchy. The peasants are at risk of either submitting to the oppression or risk being killing
- Vidal treats peasants as expendable and views them as subordinates. This emphasises the dehumanisation of the working class by the upper class
- Gender also reflects the social context of the film where society is highly patriarchal and women often have limited agency and subject to the authority of men
- Carmen embodies the limitations of women in a patriarchal society where she is under Vidal’s control, her life is seen as less valuable than Vidal’s unborn child which reflects the role of women in society
- Mercedes and Ofelia contradict this and rebel working for the resistance and reflecting their disobedience
- Mercedes is juxtaposing Carmen as she is strong and resourceful, she utilises her apperance as a women to escape from Vidal’s power
- Talk about the sequence of Mercedes Torture
- Ofelia resists gender expectations where she does not align with traditional notions of what is expected of her
‘A film is intensified by its aesthetic.’ Discuss this statement in relation to a key sequence from each of the films you have studied.
‘Social and cultural contextual studies are important when attempting to understand a film.’ Discuss this statement with reference to examples from the two films you have studied.
How far do each of the films you have studied represent key characters in ways that challenge the audience’s expectations?
**Intro = **
- In both City of God (Meirelles) and Pan’s Labyrinth (Del Toro), they portray characters which both challenge and align with audience expectations and how this impacts the narrative. In City of God, Meirelles utilises traditional gender roles which aligns with expectations yet also has a significant depiction of how their role is affected by the environment of the favela. In contrast to this, Del Toro completely subverts and challenges audience expectations of traditional gender expectations whilst facing an authoritarian rule. Through utilizing determined and intelligent female characters, Del Toro is able to highlight his own perspective of the Civil War and the control and dominance that men were able to have
Paragraph One = Pan’s Labyrinth
- Ofelia is a young girl who navigates the brutality of post-Civil War Spain and the dark fantasy she enters.
- Following traditional fairytales, the young female protagonist is often depicted as passive characters who are dependent on others for her survival however Ofelia is assertive, rebellious and intelligent
- She is resourceful and independent
- She challenges people around her with her disobedience which is seen multiple times such as defying her mother, Captain Vidal and the Faun
- Ofelia resists the oppressive forces such as authority and the fascist regime that Vidal represents
- Ofelia’s interactions with the fantasical world mirrors the real-world struggles where she has to navigate, fight against these forces. The fantasy world is not an merely an escape from reality as it is surrounded with danger
- Ofelia does not rely on male figures to save her or to wait for things to occur but takes charge and reflects her capability without needing to fit into traditional gender expectations
- Children are expected to be obedient but she rejects this when adults assert authority over her, Ofelia’s rebellion against the oppressive and authoritarian adult shows her actively resisting oppressive authority
- She also challenges the traditional expectations of fairy tale protagonists
- Ofelia is disobedient and uses this as a way to assert her agency in an environment where she has little power both being a women and a child.
- Her acts of defiance reflect how she is able to exercise control over her life rather than be subjects to the choice of others
- It also reflects her moral courage and how she prioritises doing the right thing following what is just
- Her acts of disobedience demonstrate her true heroism acting according to her belief’s and standing up for what is right
Paragraph Two = City of God
- Lil Ze both follows and challenges traditional gender expectations which blurs the lines between masculinity, power and violence and how it dominates his character within the favela
- Lil Ze embodies toxic masculinity which is shown through his toughness, violence and dominantce where he is able to spread wide fear across the favela
- His power is marked by a series of brutality maintaining control through intimidation
- Lil Ze asserts stereotypical traits of toxic masculinity to eliminate those who challenge hi,
- His environment is harsh and maintains a certain notion of manhood where weakness is unacceptable and compassion is a threat
- His rejection of vulnerability and emotion allows him to appear more emotionally detatched with ruthless pragmatism. He is unable to form genuine emotions shown through his extreme masculinity
- Lil Ze uses sexual violence to assert his dominance and masculinity .
- This is to maintain his dominance which can be threatened to reveal a fragility of his masculunity. This violence is driven by his fear to maintain this status which would undermine the traditional ideal of the confident male
- Therefore, this insecurity subverts the idea of powerful masculinity which reflects how toxic masculinity can be built on instability
- He is forced to adopt a violent, hyper masculine persona in the favela which demonstrates how gender roles and societal expectations are imposed from a young age
- This subverts gender expectations giving an insight into his insecurity which reinforces and subverts traditional gender norms
Paragraph Three = Pan’s Labyrinth
- Mercedes is a character who subverts traditional gender expectations during an authoritarian ruling.
- She challenges typical portrayals of femininity through her resistance, power and courage which aids her eventual escape
- Other women within the film are portrayed as passive and traditionally domestic seen in Carmen and other women who worked in the kitchen, they are typically confined to caretaking and maternal duties however Mercedes is a key member of the anti-Falangist rebellion
- She resists the oppression of the regime acting as a key character in the armed struggle
- Mercedes does follow typical gender conventions of maternal care and love for Ofelia yet becomes a form of her resistance and efforts to protect Ofelia
- Mercedes is able to utilise these traditional gender expectations when standing up to Vidal and aids her ability to outwit him as Vidal underestimates her ability believing she ‘is just a woman’
- Captain Vidal embodies the cruel, authoritarian patriarchal structure of fascist Spain as he is dominant and controlling with the belief that women are merely passive
- Mercedes does not comply with Vidal’s expectations utilizing her position to aid the resistance and ultimately challenges his authority
- Mercedes act of rebellion signifies her rejection of these traditional gender expectations and subverts typical ideas of women in authoritarian regimes
- This defines her strength which is shown in her emotional and physical resilience as she actively fights and resists this political turmoil
Paragraph Four = City of God
- The role of women in favela reflects the gender dynamics in the harsh and violent environment of the favelas, they are seen in limited roles who are subjected to sexual violence and domestic abuse
- Dona Zelia is depicted as a target of male agression where she is eventually forced out of her apartment by a male gang member
- She utilises drugs for sexual favours which makes her seem predatory
- Dona Zelia began selling drugs to provide for her family which followed the typical representations of women in favelas that they are mothers or partners of the men
- The character of Marina does not fit these strict gender roles as she is determined and intelligent
- She is not living in the City of God which reflects how the favela is a cycle of descent
- Marina does not serve as a victim of sexual violence which is typical of the favela but may subvert this as she is seen as somewhat predatory as she engages in sexual activity with Rocket which shows how women outside of the favela are not seen in the same traditional role as a passive victim subject to masculine sexual violence
- She is determined and leads Rocket into having his first sexual encounter
- Marina has a pivotal role where she is able to aid Rocket to escape the favela through his passion of journalism which contrasts life within the favela
What are some of the ways in which visual style is important in each of the films you have studied? Refer to key sequences.
Explore how aspects of performance and mise-en-scène are used to enrich meaning in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.
Intro =
Paragraph One =
Paragraph Two
Discuss how aesthetics are used to communicate themes in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.
do this one
Discuss how one or two contextual factors have influenced the aesthetic of each of the films you have studied. Refer to key sequences from each film.
Intro =
Paragraph One = Pan’s Labyrinth
- The film is set in 1944 after the Spanish Civil War which was under the oppressive and authoritarian, fascist regime of Francisco Franco
- The aesthetic of Pan’s Labyrinth mirrors a gritty, realistic portrayal of Spain
- Del Toro uses this film to critique the autoritiarianism and fascist ideologies which shaped the narrative of the characters
- Francos dictatorship was governed by strict censorship, rigid social heirarchies, militaristic and supported by the catholic church
- The narrative situatues in a rurual outpost where soldiers are attempting to hunt down Republican resistance fighters
- This highlights how obedience is survival
- Captain Vidal is a symbol of fascism who demands total obediance and control. His obsession with time and legacy reflects the fascist glofification of discipline
- Vidal dehumanises others and emotion as a weakness and his personal values mirror the fascist system of violence and control
- It influences the aesthetic of a cold, harsh world of fascism which has blue and grey tones, harsh lighting and military order, stark military architecture
- Makes the real world feel cold, suffocating and inescapeable
Paragraph Two =
Paragraph Three =
Paragraph Four =
Explore how cinematography and sound help to convey important themes in the films you have studied. Refer to key sequences from each film.
Intro =
Paragraph One = City of God
- Shaky handheld camerawork contrasted by the
Paragraph Two =
Paragraph Three = City of God
Paragraph Four =
