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May 6, 2019 at 11:11 am #1412Brittany PrattParticipant
I also found myself thinking a lot about gender watching Children of Men. In regards to our hero being male in the film, I agree that making the hero a woman would entirely change the reception. Personally, I think it would have been more powerful to woman in the hero role and it would have felt a little less like there was this male savior “swooping in” to save Kee. That being said, I found it refreshing that there was no forced romance between Theo and Kee, which would have been predictable and unproductive to the film as a whole.
There are so many strong heroic women in this film that everyone’s mentioned above. Considering this, I feel robbed in some sort of way that we didn’t get that female hero, especially when women are at the very core of this story.
April 22, 2019 at 2:24 pm #1387Brittany PrattParticipantI think the discrepancy comes from the definition of plot. By your definition, Nicholas, then yes, I’d say The Station Agent is a film with a plot. For me, I consider plot to be the external events that push the story forward and incite the change in the characters. So, by my definition, I have difficulties considering this as a movie with a plot. External events occur, but the character growth doesn’t directly come from these events (expect maybe Olivia’s suicide attempt). To me, this film felt more like thinly veiled reality. It was as if I was watching someone’s daily life pass by and they had no idea. With barely any extremely charged dramatic moments that would constitute plot for me, my relationship to the film was not one of intense investment to the events, but rather the characters themselves. So I do think there’s value in stories with no plot, but in these scenarios, the stakes are raised and it’s even more crucial for the writer to nail the characterizations. As for the hero figure of the story, I agree all of the characters have heroic traits and complete heroic acts. Nevertheless, with no explicit plot, I have difficulty calling any of them heroes in the traditional sense. I think I’d have to agree with Alison here. Watching this film that felt like watching someone’s life pass by reinforces the idea that we are all the heroes of our own stories. It’s a message I’m happy to get behind and, personally, I think adds to the film’s message. The Station Agent is more complex than I first gave it credit for, so thanks for asking some really thought-provoking questions!
April 8, 2019 at 12:53 pm #1370Brittany PrattParticipantI agree that Snow White manages to fall flat as a character, especially in early adaptations. In addition to her purity and beauty, the reading mentioned how in many versions of the story, much of the “action” Snow White does revolves around caring for the seven dwarves. I wonder if this adds to the appeal of a character we can look back at now and see as boring. Is it possible that Snow White is so beloved by young children, specifically girls, because she functions as the “model” adult woman? She’s beautiful, caring, and quiet, which is exactly how society encouraged, and arguably still encourages, young women to behave. Life is a lot easier for the Snow White’s of the world, as the story reinforces, but it’s far more interesting and daring to be the evil queen.
March 11, 2019 at 2:15 pm #1352Brittany PrattParticipantI agree that one of the most striking aspects of the film is Luke’s impulsive nature and “death wish.” For me personally with the ending, I’m stuck between Valeria’s interpretation and Jonathan’s questioning of “something entirely different.” While I could see that final shot of Luke smiling as him embracing the end, having lived a full life, I keep returning to this idea that, for the first time in a while, Luke was completely in control. He chose to go out this way, rather than face whatever horrible punishment would be waiting for him back at the prison. Throughout his time in prison, Luke was constantly trying to retain his agency and keep control over his life (i.e. the eggs, running away multiple times—these were all things he chose to do of his own free will). In my opinion, Luke’s iconic smile at the end is representative of the fact that he was finally back in the driver’s seat so to speak, and this is the ultimate act of perseverance.
March 4, 2019 at 10:44 am #1327Brittany PrattParticipantEven though I think Magic Mike would be an excellent example of the “female gaze,” it can’t be because the female gaze doesn’t exist. It can’t exist. Yes, that movie, and increasingly others (as more women enter the film industry), are geared toward female audiences and arguably “objectify” men (though, not in the same way as women), but there is one major component that it is lacking in order to be considered part of the “female gaze”: power. Even if the entire film was created around the female fantasy, it still wouldn’t exhibit the “female gaze” because the industry is still run by powerful men who won’t allow it to get that far. What comes to mind for me is Blue Valentine and how the makers claimed it was censored and given an outrageous rating like R or NC-17, because they focused on female pleasure and eliminated any sense of the male gaze. (Disclaimer: I haven’t seen the whole movie so I really can’t attest to that, but I did read it in an article!) Anyway, this raises the question for me of if what we’re thinking of as the “female gaze” is maybe just a lack of the male gaze? Is it representing genders neutrally and fairly?
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