Stephens:

Tess:

Ron’s:

Title: Take

What is it about: A woman becomes greedy and faces consequences 

Mission statement: trying to portray greed and bad effects of it

Technique: 2D digital photoshop

Words that evoke the feelings I want to portray: interest, hypnotic, greed, uneasiness, manipulated, hurt, anger

Representation in Film. How Cinematic Language has Evolved Over the Years and What Factors are Responsible for its Development?

Rooty Toot Toot:
In order to discuss the development of cinematic language techniques such as mise-en-scene, it is first important to define what these techniques are. Lathrop and Sutton define mise-en-scene in four categories, “setting, costume, lighting, and movement of figures”. In order to follow the development of these techniques, it is important to look back at early examples and examine how they implemented these techniques, and what limitations, either contextual or technological influenced the way they were used. The example I have chosen to look at is ‘Rooty Toot
Toot’ (1951), a black comedy musical which centres around a court case where a woman has been accused of murdering her cheating husband. Colour is a key theme that runs throughout the film and is used to represent each character and offer connotations to how they should be perceived. Frankie, the woman on trial for the murder is represented through the colour red which implies that she is an object of desire, which can be seen as the men in the courtroom lust over her and falls for her lawyer by the end of the film. Nelly is represented through the colour blue, this offers connotations to trust which is in part because she is the only character to tell the correct order of events. The men in the film, including the judge, the lawyer and the husband are represented through the colour white, which is suggests innocence and purity. This is interesting as while the men are shown to be cheaters and liars they are in a sense represented as victims of the women in the film. Setting is used to great effect, as Hubley brings in the associations of colour to the environment. Depending on who is telling the events, their colours influence the room. The room is blue when Nelly tells her story, white and with details in the environment missing to show the potholes in the lie the lawyer is telling, red when Frankie wins the case, and finally blue again when the audience realises Nelly was telling the truth. Due to the style and limitations within animation of the time, the film does not rely on camera positioning and editing to tell crucial moments of the story. Instead, the animators have to rely on the use of movement to represent characters. The lawyer can be seen prancing with legs that look like a goats, this is used to suggest that he of pureness as he attempts to persuade the crowd. In different retellings of the story, the husband is shown moving as sly when he is portrayed as a cheater, but shaky and on edge when he is portrayed as a victim. There is a moment where Nelly twists her arms in an unnatural way, this is to put the idea in the audiences mind that she is untrustworthy and snake-like. To conclude, mise-en- scene is used to great effect in the representation of characters. The filmmakers were able to overcome any limitations of the time by using movement and colour in order to convey deeper meaning. It is clear that in their representation of female characters that they are objects of desire, who are drawn as slim, idealised versions of women who are portrayed as objects of affection of the male characters, while the men are portrayed as victims and pure. It would be interesting to compare how the techniques used to portray women begin to develop from this point on.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?:
When discussing representation of women within film, it is important to analyse changes through popular characters. To show this change, I have chosen to focus on the character of Jessica Rabbit, one of the most recognisable female characters in all of animation. I will use analyse her character under the context of the ‘why don’t you do right’ performance scene, and why the filmmakers have chosen to represent her through cinematic language in this way. At a first glance, Jessica Rabbit may appear to be a poor on screen representation of women, as she seems to tick all of the boxes of negative representation, such as the male gaze, overt sexualisation, and is a reference to famous femme fatal characters of the noir genre. Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory describes men to be represented as active characters, while women are passive and that we “identify with the active protagonist and desire the passive objects of the gaze”. This is very much the case in ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ (1988) as the camera lingers on the chest and legs of the character to show where the audiences attention is being directed. The filmmakers acknowledge this as we are introduced to Jessica Rabbit’s chest and legs before we are introduced to her. Since

‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ (1988) is a detective story, Jessica Rabbit is based on the archetypal femme fatal characters of the noir genre. This is another type of representation that is problematic as it sends a message to men to “stay away from these sexy women- to settle for the home girl”, this typically creates negative connotations in film as it associates sexuality with being evil. However, as the scene plays out it is clear that Jessica Rabbit starts to be represented from a position of power as she is shot from low camera angles in order to exhibit the power she has over the crowd. It starts to become clear from this point of view that Jessica Rabbit is a parody of the characters that she is inspired by, and use techniques from older representations of women in cinema to hold a mirror to the problems that these representations cause. Many contextual factors could be the cause for this approach, one being the rise of a new wave of feminism in the 1980s, and the want for sexual equality. Because of her sexuality and femme fatal inspired characterisation, the characters and the audience quickly believe that she has a villainous part to play in the plot. After it is revealed that Jessica Rabbit is innocent and is genuinely caring for her husband it becomes clear that it is the characters and audience that have demonised her and made assumptions based on her sexuality, highlighting the problem of sexual equality expressed in the 1980s. To conclude, it is clear that Jessica Rabbit is not the two dimensional character that the audience thinks she is at first glance. Instead she is a commentary on the negative ramifications of years of negative representation of women in cinema. It is clear how the audience and characters are quick to vilify her as a result of her appearance, and the filmmakers do a great job to deconstruct the negative representation of women characters.

Moana:
When discussing representation of women in film, a common source of criticism is the Disney princesses and their development over the years. As a result a good way to show the development of women representation in these films would be to compare contemporary and classic examples. As a result, I have chosen to focus on ‘Moana’ (2016) and how the character of Moana is represented through cinematic language and what makes her character different from the more two dimensional characters of the past. The scene I will be analysing is the ‘Moana Returns the Heart of Te Fiti’ scene. In regards to Laura Mulvey’s theory on the male gaze, Moana proves to be an exception to this rule as she has made the transition from passive character to active character as she faces the final battle alone and head on. She is depicted as a character of power and authority as she is shot in slow motion which gives the impression of being in total control of the situation. Character movement is used with camera positioning to show Moana taking control of the scene as she steps up onto a boulder and is framed from a low angle. The scene takes place as a climactic battle between Moana and Te Fiti, however instead of making the battle a physical one, they instead choose to make it an emotional one which develops both Moana and Te Fiti’s characters. Moana’s character arc is about self discovery and finding who you truly are, a massive departure from the character arcs of the earlier Disney princesses whose arcs were more superficial or dependent on a male character. This arc adds layers to the characters of the film and is highlighted when Moana returns the heart to Te Fiti, turning her green which offers connotations of growth. The depth of Moana’s character is highlighted when compared to the early female characters of Disney which are associated with “submissiveness, traditional female gender roles and stereotypical beauty”. Compare this idea to Moana who seeks to find her own identity, who depicted in a much more natural appearance and body-type. As previously stated, the climax of the film centres around an emotional battle that Moana faces head on. Compare this to the climax of previous Disney films such as ‘Snow White’ (1937) and ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (1959) which both centre around a woman being saved by a man’s kiss. It is clear to see how Moana’s arc has more depth and a more emotionally impactful resolution. Another point of comparison can be seen in the villains of the films, as in ‘Moana’ (2016) we see Te Fiti undergo a character arc as she discovers her true identity and that she is not defined by any possession. Compare this to ‘Snow White’ (1937) where the motivation for the villain is vanity and jealousy. The result of this shallow representation and character motivation is two dimensional characters, while Moana is a positive representation of a female in film. To conclude, as societal changes have occurred, so have changes within the way females are represented. The filmmakers use mise-en-scene in order to highlight the themes and characters arcs of the film in a way that results in a layered character. Moana is represented as person of power and inner strength who is able to solve problems head on by empathising with her own struggles. It is when we draw direct comparisons that we see how far representation has come and how techniques used for depicting active and powerful male characters are now being used to represent women in film.

Bibliography:
Lathrop, G. And Sutton, D. 2014. Elements of mise-en-scene. Retrieved on January, 3.
Kelly Oliver (2017) The male gaze is more relevant, and more dangerous, than ever, New Review of Film and Television Studies, 15:4, 451-455,
Ann Kaplan, E. (2019). Women in Film Noir. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p1-256.
Johnson, Rachael Michelle, “The Evolution of Disney Princesses and their Effect on Body Image, Gender Roles, and the Portrayal of Love” (2015). Educational Specialist. Paper 6.

Filmography:
ROOTY TOOT TOOT (1951)
https://youtu.be/EE8_ddz0XvI
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? (1988)
https://youtu.be/2bjGACO45DI
MOANA (2016)
https://youtu.be/AEq15X1zjEE
SNOW WHITE (1937) SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959)

How has cinematic language evolved over the years and what factors are responsible for its development?

Lathrop, G. And Sutton, D. 2014. Elements of mise-en-scene. Retrieved on January, 3.
In order to chart the development of mise-en-scene through cinema history, it is first important to accurately define what mise-en-scene is. This is a main reason why I have decided to include this literature in my own research, as it provides a thorough definition of the technique as well as its development over the years and its importance in the way audiences critically analyse films. Lathrop and Sutton summarise mise-en-scene into four main categories, “setting, costume, lighting, and movement of figures”. Setting is described as the choice a director has between choosing sets and real locations and how the decision can draw comparisons between the real world and the story world. I agree with this view, as this technique can even be seen in contemporary examples such as ‘Hereditary’ (2018), where Ari Aster purposefully built the house on a sound stage to imply that the characters were trapped in a doll’s house and powerless to change their fate. Movement is described as “the control a director exhibits over the actors movement”. This applies to my subject as older films due to technical limitations and conventions of the time would rely on blocking and staging to convey meaning, where now some modern filmmakers may rely more on camera work and editing to convey meaning. Like movement, angles are also another interesting way to examine the development of mise- en-scene since as films have become more experimental over the years, so have their use of camera angels to evoke meaning. Interesting comparisons could be drawn from the stage play-like wide angles of early cinema to the way close ups and and angles are used in contemporary cinema to create feelings within the audience. To conclude, the literature is able to clearly define the importance of mise-en-scene, which will help be the basis of my research. Through subjects like movement and angles, it would be valuable to compare the way these techniques have developed by comparing classical and contemporary approaches to them.

Kulezic-Wilson, D. (2008). Sound Design is the New Score. Liverpool University Press. 2 (2), p127-131.
“Music in film is trying too hard these days”. This is the opening point that Kulezic-Wilson makes regarding the implementation of score in contemporary cinema which becomes the basis of his argument. The article argues that sound design is a pivotal tool in a filmmaker’s arsenal when attempting to create meaning and that modern films are guilty of being oversaturated with unnecessary score. He goes on to state that sound design is “capable of bringing out and realising the potential from films visual components”. This is interesting as in ‘Elements of mise-en-scene”, Lathrop and Sutton attribute visuals as a filmmaker’s main tool for creating meaning. This provides an interesting counterpoint, as Kulezic-Wilson argues that sound is just as important and can be used to create even further meaning of visual elements. I feel this is an important point to be made as clearly, since conventions of cinema have shifted and more importance has been placed on audio, filmmakers such as David Lynch have proven with their convention breaking soundscapes that audio has an integral part to play as an expressive tool. Kulezic-Wilson goes on to highlight the important relationship between audio and visuals, using Gus Van Sant as an example as he describes that “stillness and movement” can be used to show character through sound. This actually coincides with the point made in ‘Elements of mise-en-scene’ of how movement can be used in a way to convey meaning, and clearly such is the same within sound. To conclude, this article is extremely valuable to my research as it provides a strong counter to the primarily visual tools in a filmmakers cinematic language. Kulezic- Wilson helps to highlight the importance that has been attached to sound. Undoubtedly I will be able to make interesting comparisons in the development of sound, from its implementation as score in the silent era, to its overuse in contemporary cinema, to the development of diverse soundscapes as a means of expression and meaning in the films of filmmakers such as David Lynch.

Mead, G. (1990). The Representation of Fictional Character. Style. 24 (3), p440-452.
This article approaches the subject of character representation, and how representational devices are used in order to define character in a way that creates “a strong and convincing impression and remains with us long after we have forgotten the significance of the film”. Mead attributes this understanding of character to a number of factors. He discusses what he calls referential criticism where characters are representative of a “social, cultural or philosophic period”. This could be an interesting way of looking at understanding character, by taking these representation devices and analysing how they have developed as times have changed. Mead gives an example of one such representation device when referring to Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘To Catch a Thief’ (1955), where the character of Robbie is framed against a skyline as a metaphor for his privilege and status by being above others. This is also interesting as it concurs with the idea expressed in ‘Elements of Mise-en-scene’ about the importance of scenery in the creation of meaning, however like Kulezic-Wilson states in ‘Sound design is the new score’ Mead states that character representation can be used to compliment visual elements of mise- en-scene and are just as important to create understating within an audience. To conclude, this article offers many interesting ideas of why characters are able to leave a lasting impression due to these representational devices. It also offers an interesting area of discussion within my subject for how representational devices have evolved under different contextual factors. For example, it could be interesting to apply representations of women or race and see how different techniques have been used over the years to represent the same groups as tolerances have changed, comparing specific contemporary and classical examples to highlight these developments.

1) Sreekumar, J. Vidyapeetham, A, V. (2015). Creating Meaning through Interpretations: A Mise-En-Scene Analysis of the Film ‘The Song of Sparrows’. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies. 1 (1), p26-35.

This journal helps to define all aspects of mine-en-scene by creating an overview of its development within film and discussing the different ways in which audiences are able to interpret meaning from these techniques. This is important to my research as the overview focuses on specific examples such as Hitchcock’s ‘Notorious’ (1946), ‘American Beauty’ (1999) and many more. These wide range of examples will offer opportunities to compare how methods of mine-en-scene have developed over the years and why.

2) Whittington, W (2007). Sound Design and Science Fiction. Austin: University of Texas Press. p1-273.

Whittington’s book describes sound as being half the picture, arguing that it is just as essential of a technique to convey meaning as visual techniques. He accomplishes this by providing a wide range of examples, discussing how the use of sound design in films have developed from classical examples to contemporary examples. This is useful as this helps to show how other techniques have become more recognised in creating meaning outside of visual means as techniques have evolved.

3) Dancyger, K (2010). The Technique of Film and Video Editing: History, Theory, and Practice. London: Routledge. p1-445.

This example is significant as it delves into the history of editing and its development over the years. I feel editing would be a good subject to focus on as it is another area that has grown in significance when creating meaning within films and could offer a good opportunity to show why it has become more of a pivotal technique.

4) Tan, E (2013). Emotion and the Structure of Narrative Film: Film As An Emotion Machine. London: Routledge. p1-312.

Discusses how films are able to emotionally resonate with audiences, and attempts to attribute these emotions to different techniques that are used by the filmmakers. It uses examples such as l’arrivee d’un train (1895), where guests attempted to flee from the film out of fear of the oncoming train. This is useful as the book’s use of contemporary and classical examples help to highlight audiences emotional reactions to techniques and it would be interesting to compare how these techniques and audience’s emotional responses to these techniques have changed with the times.

5) Gibbs, J (2002). Mise-en-scène: Film Style and Interpretation. New York: Wallflower Press. p1-128.

Gibbs helps to provide an overview of mine-en-scene with the aim of dispelling misinterpretations of the term. This literature is useful as it uses in depth case studies of films such as ‘Imitation of life’ (1959), focusing on how it utilises specific examples of mise-en-scene. Case studies such as this would prove valuable, as it offers an opportunity to compare and contrast with contemporary case studies to see how the way filmmakers implement these techniques have changed or not.

6) Janney, R. (2012). Pragmatics and Cinematic 

Discusses what the author refers to as a ‘cinematic discourse’ as a main expressive vehicle and primary form of communication. This is useful as it highlights all of the main areas outside of mise-en-scene which have become integral over the years in shaping audience interpretations. It would be interesting to use this example to highlight how these techniques developed and became more prominent over the year in order to create a cinematic language through which the audience can experience deeper meaning of a film.