Essay Plans Flashcards
(8 cards)
Explore how representations of gender reflect the times in which the film option you have studied was made.
Paragraph One = Representation of Men
- Keaton portrays male characters through doing traditional male roles in the 1920’s society which was a largely patriarchal era
- As seen in One Week, Keaton takes a social commentary on the fixed gender roles within society through his inability to construct the house often incompetent and unable to provide for his wife as the ‘breadwinner’
- Keaton is not able to construct the house which diverts away from traditional gender roles of men in the 1920’s who are seen as strong and capable
- Keaton further subverts traditional roles of gender within 1920’s through The Scarecrow who feature two men lusting for a women who they both cannot achieve. Keaton ultimately achieves her in the final moments of the Scarecrow but uses slapstick comedy to criticise the purpose of marriage as they are soaked in water, crashed and cannot provide the proper wedding
- Also the second farmhand is emasculated throughout the Scarecrow as he dances with excitement falling over her and kicking up his leg as he kisses her which is often emasculating to see a man acting flustered around a girl which empowers the woman highlighting the change in society
Paragraph Two = Representation of Women
- Women were significantly more independent and more liberated due to the 19th amendment meaning women had got the right to vote
- This growing independence is reflected through Buster Keaton as he portrays both traditional gender roles of women whilst also subverting expectations
- One example is how Seely, the female protagonist, did activities that were traditionally feminine such as baking and dancing. Furthermore, Seely needed permission from her father in order to get married which highlights how women did not have complete independence
- However Keaton subverts this through the women poisoning her father through the pie and then eloping without his consent which highlights how women were able to divert away from this typical control and gain more agency for themselves
- Furthermore, Keaton portrays the wife as traditional through the home-making and romantic painting the heart upon the house highlighting how she is the idealistic traditional wife in the 1920’s. However Keaton is then able to subvert these to reflect the growing change for women’s rights and the ability to decide factors for herself. This is most prominent when the wife is able to break the fourth wall and cover the camera. This acknowledges the typical male gaze in a patriarchal society where women are positioned for sexual desire. Her acknowledgement and rejection of this highlights the growing change for women’s rights in 1920
Discuss how far mise-en-scène is used in realist and expressive ways in the film option you have studied.
‘Editing was central to the visual storytelling of silent cinema.’ Discuss this statement with reference to a particular sequence from your chosen film option.
Explore how your film option might be considered as either a realist or an expressionist kind of cinema. Make reference to a particular sequence in your answer.
Intro =
- Buster Keaton combines aspects of realism whilst using expressionistic approaches for comedic effect.
- German Expressionism was in response to the anxieties and upheaval of the 1920’s. This emphasises the expression of emotions and thoughts rather than depicting the world realistically
- Realism aims to represent the world as naturally as possible which was supported by Andre Bazin who argued that anything who against this would manipulate the audience’s perception. Realism is truthful and valuable as a form of film expression
Paragraph One = One Week
- One Week incorporates both aspects of realism to reflect the American society of 1920’s which is a social commentary to criticise mass consumerism and traditional society that was prominent
- Seen in the housewarming sequence which utilises both realist and expressionist techniques
- Keaton uses the fictional realism of Keaton hosting a house party and then showing of their possessions to reflect the materialist and mass consumer lifestyle within 1920’s
- This is then emphasised as a social commentary through the expressionistic techniques such as the vignette editing, and use of superstitions which contrasted the belief of modernism and progress. This is seen the through calendar date being Friday 13th and opening the umbrella indoors
- Keaton blended aspects of realism such as the long, continuity editing, realistic narratives which reflect the society and then emphasised by expressionistic techniques
- This is seen as a criticism of the mass consumerism and advertisement from Henry Ford, Home Made which encouraged consumers to buy his products in order to build their own house, expressionistic techniques subvert this through the unrealistic house spinning through the rain and wind which highlights how poorly created it was
Paragraph Two = The Scarecrow
Discuss some of the ways in which an understanding of context has contributed to your appreciation of the silent film or films you have studied.
defo do this one
‘It is often assumed that the techniques of silent cinema work against realism.’ How far do you agree with this statement in relation to your film option?
Explore how your chosen film option responded to significant social change at the time the film/s were made. Refer to one key sequence.
‘Silent cinema encouraged filmmakers to use visual techniques in expressive ways.’ Explore this statement using a key sequence from your film option.
