American Independent Cinema: Representational Analysis of Women

The Hollywood look at industry itself has been (and continues to be to a large extent) male-dominated. Hence, male directors, producers, writers, and cinematographers all use the camera as an instrument to manifestation at women. (Benshoff, pg. 235) Gender also plays a large responsibility in the study industry when pertaining to what womanishs butt and washbowl not do in germinates. Male characters are usually main characters and in arouse in spite of appearance films, whereas the pistillate characters are usually limited to just looking pretty while bland remaining passive and somewhat outside of all the action in spite of appearance the story.Women today feel a large amount of pressure to look and behave like these female actresses portrayed on the astronomic screen. With the preparation of these films women usually take a very long time in hair and sink for the sole purpose of looking attractive and gaining more male attention in the films. Many females bomb to realize how much time and preparation really goes into the looks and costume designs of the characters that are being portrayed within the film industry. In todays society females feel as though they have to be beautiful and live up to a certain stereotype and look that is highly unrealistic.Related essay Pestle Analysis for Odeon CinemaReal Women Have Curves (2002) was a film say by Patricia Cardoso that challenges the representation of all women in society. Although the film is about a first generation Mexican-American female struggling with her familys beliefs, her future, culture, and body, it reaches all female viewers with the same powerful message. The message is that all females can be empowered and should be regal of who they are and where they come from. Most importantly females should be proud of their bodies and not try to live up to the unlikely images that our American culture has welded for us today.Another film and director that challenged the male dominated movie industry was Susan Seidelman with her 1985 low-budget ($5million) film desperately pursuance Susan. Seidelman doesnt glamorize women at the expense of men. In fact, her strongest affinity is with desperate, aggressive women who never stop hustling. (Levy, pg. 356) Her film Desperately Seeking Susan looks at contemporary issues of fame, self fulfillment, and social relationships, as well as personal identity. The film is about a petite raw Jersey housewife named Roberta, who is worldly, unsatisfied, and tired of her marriage routine career at home.She then begins to deal the personals subsection of the New York newspaper for vicarious thrills and entertainment. Her favorite casteified to read is one that features the romance of Jim who is a struggling euphonyian and Susan who is a free-spirited single woman living her spirit in Soho New York. Susan had just recently escaped her ex boyfriend who was a mobster and steal a pair of very expensive Egyptian earrings. One bored day when Roberta reads the classified section she sees the ad Desperately Seeking Susan and decides to follow Susan and Jim.The reasoning as to why Roberta decided to take this innate measure is because this was a way for her to escape her daily average life and become someone else for a day. The film then takes an unexpected turn and becomes all about reinvention as the housewife Roberta unknowingly with memory loss transforms herself into the wild and care-free character of Susan. There were a number of different codes within the film Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) that made it easier to understand its viewpoint. Some of the cultural codes recognized within the film include cultural, narrative, artistic, cinematic, and intertexual.The film took short letter during the 1980s in a small suburban town in New Jersey as well as New York City. The characters of Roberta and Gary Glass are individuals being represented as members of an upper core class society living in New Jersey. We know that they are upper middle class because of the context clues and dialogue that we see within the movie. We hear Mr. Glass tell his wife what are we pitiable? when he tells her that she bought a used chapiter that used to belong to Jimi Hendrix. Roberta is a bored, full-time housewife and he is a hardworking husband.As the film continues we meet the other main character who is a swordplay loving, care-free, gold digging, woman named Susan from New York. The film is told through the eyes of the main character, which is a repressed and bored housewife named Roberta. The story is also partially told through the eyes of Susan the carefree and stylish woman from New York. The story is also told through the eyes of Robertas worried husband Gary and her love interest Dez. The film Desperately Seeking Susan was very creative and original.Some of the artistic codes within the film include the music in which is exceedingly upbeat and perfect for the time period of the 80s. The clo thing design within the film is extremely important and relevant to the development of Roberts character. Susans individualized pyramid capital signifies her unconventional personal style and her fluency in innovating her own look. The jacket binds the two women together. Susans employment of looks shows her competence in putting together an always evolving and eccentric look, while Robertas purchase of the (second hand) jacket is part of her adventure and escape. (Street, pg. 1)The costumes in the film stated the socio-economic status of the main characters and the time period. At the first of the film we acknowledge Roberta well dressed(p) with a suburban flare and we also noticed Susan dressed as a stylish, upbeat, rocker. (Complete Opposites ) The genre of the film Desperately Seeking Susan was comedy, drama, and romance because of its portrayal. The film portrays comedic humor with the sham identity of two polar opposites Roberta and Susan. Their journey is a comedic myst ery and we never know what will drop dead next as Roberta searches for adventure and Susan hunts for the stolen Egyptian earring.The film also depicts drama with all of the confusion and an desirous romance between Roberta and Jim. In conclusion, the film industry is particularly male dominated. However, there are more female directors, producers, etc. like Susan Seidelman and Patricia Cardoso who are making a remarkable change. These females are making films with predominately female casts, and with messages of strength, personal identity, social relationships and self- fulfillment. Theyre challenging the film business and changing perceptions of women everywhere.