the rise of the flapper
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December 5, 2016 by Merissa Victor
How does the filmic representation of women and sexuality in American and German films from the 1920s, reflect the expected gender roles of women in society? From the “New Woman” to the flapper, the evolution of feminine ideals left a significant impact on women as well as the cinemas which represented them. In this research essay, the American film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (Sunrise) (1927) and the German film Die Büsche der Pandora (Pandora’s Box) (1929) is analysed in depth, as the filmic representations of women and sexuality, seem to provide interesting insight on the expected gender roles of women at the time, within their respective societies.
not your princess
2
February 22, 2016 by Merissa Victor
How does the filmic representation of animated women, in American and Japanese films, reflect the expected gender roles of women in society and its changes over time? The portrayal of women in animated film, specifically in American films, has seen a significant progression, from the the passive Snow White of Snow White and The Seven Dwarves to the headstrong and courageous Merida of Brave. In this documentary script, the filmic representation of animated women reflected their expected gender roles as well as the changes in their representation over time, particularly in American and Japanese films, will be explored. The narrative and cinematic techniques chosen are effectively utilised to illustrate the conventions in the depiction of women and its evolution over time.
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pansies, vampires, degenerates
December 7, 2015 by Merissa Victor
From The Children’s Hour to Brokeback Mountain. How does the filmic representation of homosexual characters in American films change from 1961 to 2005? This research essay aimed to determine the changes in the filmic representation of homosexual characters in American films from 1961 to 2005, through an in-depth textual analysis of the films: The Children’s Hour (1961) and Brokeback Mountain (2005). The first section of this essay explores the history of the depiction of homosexuality in American cinema, in order to gage the socio-cultural context in which these films were produced. The second section of the essay aims to discern the advancements of filmic representations of homosexual characters in the 44 year time lapse between the production of these films.
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