‘‘Kiranjit finds herself behind bars and her punishment is lifetime imprisonment but she is instead relived. Why? Because behind bars she finally found life…freedom’’[1]
How are Asian women represented in the film ‘Provoked’?
In the 21st Century there has been a great amount of change in the Asian lifestyle of living. Asian women, however, have always been seen as second class citizens by their partners and in the eyes of the law looking back into the 19th Century. Women have dominantly been portrayed this way within Bollywood movies, with examples linking back to decades ago, with films such as Sholay (Ramesh Sippy, 1975) [2] displaying this.
In turn, Provoked (Jag Mundhrah, 2006) allows audiences to address the issue of domestic violence and rape. ‘‘Within certain limits aggressive male behaviour is accepted as normal part of everyday life’’[3] amongst Asian women. The film creates awareness of what potentially occurs within Asian family households. Provoked belongs with British drama genre, even though having elements of Indian/Bollywood film styles. These elements therefore add to the authenticity of the film as they allow Provoked to attract a wider audience and attempt to create consciousness amongst different ethnical cultures.
Within Bollywood films women are typically represented as weak and ‘‘passive females’’[4], with males having full control over them. This was widely represented in the powerful Mother India (Mehboob Khan, 1957) where the protagonist is shown to be susceptible at the start of the film, but then it concludes with her fighting back for women’s justice. This is also the case within Provoked decades later, where Kiranjit Ahluwalia (played by Aishwarya Rai) is seen to be passive and vulnerable, serving ten years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life but with the help of Southall Black Sisters she manages to find freedom and independence.
Aishwarya Rai, one of the biggest globally known women within film, is more commonly known for playing major roles within Bollywood movies. In films such as Devdas (Yash Chopra, 2002) and Umrao Jaan (Muzaffar Ali, 2006) where she is seen to be an ‘‘object of desire’’[5] Aiswarya Rai seemed to appeal to the target audience of escapist males and females, with Devdas taking a spectacular £466,370[6] in its opening weekend in Britain, furthermore making it the most successful Bollywood film ever made.
In contrast Provoked only took £140,104[7] in the box office in its opening weekend, which could be due to the fact audiences were not appealed to the actress when playing a more serious abusive role. Having Aishwarya Rai play such a dominant role in Provoked, attracts a much larger target audience to the film, in both western and eastern parts of the world. Furthermore, the use of Punjabi language throughout the film helps bring out the element of Indian cinema, which adds to the realism, as well as allowing audiences to help relate to Kiranjit as the victim.
According to the National Office of Statistics, Asians have become one of the fastest growing ethnicities in Britain today, with ‘two million Asians in Britain by the end of 1999’[8], an increase of more than half a million since the 1991 Census. Moreover, Asians have become a large proportion of the UK population and now are recognised by ‘the power of the brown pound’[9]. This can be related to the proposal of how Asian films have be been increased vastly ‘over the last twenty years, attitudes in Britain towards Asian cultures have shifted, as has the taste of mainstream audiences for Asian themed films’[10] an example of this is through the success of films such as: ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2002) ‘Bride and Prejudice’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2004), ‘East is East’ (Damien O’ Donnell, 1999).
‘East is East’[11] also tackles issues of domestic violence amongst Asian women, as we see the female Ella being brutally beaten by her Pakistani husband, George. ‘‘Asian men are sexist pigs who expect their wives to stay in the kitchen, not speak unless being spoken to, walk five paces behind their husband, and bear as many children as necessary until they give their husband a son.”[12]. George is represented as a very old fashioned dominant Asian husband, who expects his wife and children to respect him at all times. He conforms to the views of Asian men, that if they do not get their way they will resort to violence as a way to give them power and masculinity.
The stereotypical representation of an exploited Asian female is also a common image in a number of British Asian texts such as, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ [13] (Gurinder Chadha, 1993) and ‘East is East’ [14] (Damien O'Donnell, 1999) where patriarchal values are evidently present. However Bollywood films have not exploited Asian women in this extreme, which could be due to the fact that Asian society has not embraced the changes in society. In western films women’s representation has changed from the 1970s after the Second Wave of feminism; however Bollywood films are taking longer to change because of the audience’s expectations, and traditional cultural expectations which they expect to be displayed in films.
The audience of Bollywood films is greater then ever due to the fact that ‘Asians as a social group now encompass ‘3.5% of the population’.[15] Nevertheless, they are still often excessively under-represented on-screen with Asians and other ethnic minorities often playing the roles of ‘token’ characters. Men were more likely to be assertive, whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were seen as: Adventurous, active, and victorious. Women were shown as being: Weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, laughable or 'merely token females'.[16]
‘Under a patriarchal regime, women are, by definition, excluded from positions of power and authority’[17]. Women were portrayed as submissive objects and were seen to be inferior towards males, as they were seen to be ‘breadwinners’. Women are dependant on males, as they are physically stronger then women, and the females are physically seen to be inferior towards them. Provoked shows how Kiranjit; the female protagonist is dependant on her husband and this is why she suffered with ten years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life before setting out her revenge.
''Media still replay the Madonna/Whore dichotomy, and focus in a way untypical of any other crime on the victim or, as support groups now prefer to characterize her, 'the survivor’’[18]. Aishwarya Rai could symbolize ‘The Madonna’ through her costume and body language. She is represented as timid and quiet, not revealing her body or figure in any sexual way. She is portrayed as the perfect housewife whom just caters for her husband, whilst still getting vigorous abusive off him. This supports the idea that Asian women tend stick by their husbands just not to bring a bad name upon the family as this is culturally forbidden.
Stereotypes come from ideas and beliefs of one, which can be either negative or positive. As Provoked is based on a true story the representation of Deepak Ahluwalia seems to be fair as it is coming from ones first hand experience. Asian men are represented as being over powering and controlling in Provoked. In contrast some of the dominant stereotypes of Asian men characterise them as effeminate (frail, meek, and passive) or as sexual deviants [19] this is something that Rudyard Kipling (the author of ‘The jungle book’[20]) also quotes, by saying Asian men are represented as cowardly.
However, the audience witness the opposite of what Kipling suggests, as the character Deepak is shown to very masculine and powerful completely over powering over his wife which was different to the typical stereotype suggested. In addition Asian men are stereotyped as being ‘sexually undesirable’[21] and this is represented in a scene where Kiranjit is forced to sleep with Deepak, simply due to the fact she is his wife and should obey what her husband wants.
This relates to the idea of how far Asians have come since the days of the colonialism, when the British treated Indian and Pakistani people as second rate unintelligent peasants. Some of the aspects that made them like ‘the other’ are aspects of how Deepak is treated Kiranjit throughout Provoked, because even though she is his film he is treating her in an immoral way.
Asians mainly came to Britain in the 1970s, where South Asians came to immigrate to the United Kingdom. When they did come there was a lot of racism targeted at them, ‘The term racism… is frequently used to express patriotic fervour and straightforward ignorance about other cultures’[22] this was typical amongst Asians and were classified by the term ‘‘No Blacks, No Dogs, and No Irish’’[23]. However, now Asians have gained sufficient social power and economic status in Britain. Provoked deals with colonialism in terms of the relationship between east and west. Deepak could be said to have the outlook in life and attitudes to do with his family and cultural backgrounds. Homi Bhabha has said to have believed that it is not a case for Britain vs. India, but instead there is a ‘‘Third Space and Hybridity.’’[24]
Feminism has helped to show how Asian culture has developed because in the film Provoked we see that Kiranjit was helped out by the local ‘Southall Black Sisters’, which was a non-profit organization which was established in 1979 to meet the needs of black (Asian and African-Caribbean) women. Kiranjit was their first case, which they helped to free and get her released from her husband’s murder. Without the help of Southall Black Sisters, it was unlikely that Kiranjit would have been freed, so because of organizations like that- Asian culture is becoming more open, due to the issues and awareness raised in Provoked it may help other women in Kiranjit’s position feel at ease about speaking about their abusive.
The mise-en-scene in Provoked, particularly Aishwaria Rais costumes replicate on her compliance and fidelity towards her husband. She is always seen wearing tradition Indian dress, salwar kameez, along with typical Asian bangles and her wedding necklace, to symbolise she is a married woman. This is keeping to Asian women’s culture, as Kiranjit was aware that she was not in her original birth country however, she still felt to keep up with tradition and the Indian cultural that’s why choosing to wear traditional costume.
This portrays the idea to the audience that even though she was born and raised in India and now living in Britain, she still has her cultural backgrounds, and this could be one of reasons why she has not confronted Deepak for all the abusive over the last ten years. She conforms to the idea that Asian women are just there to serve their husbands and are completely passive towards them.
The 20th century has become over ruled by female independence and their portrayal of being somewhat equal to men to a certain extent. Various mainstream Bollywood films such as ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ (Karan Johar, 1998) and ‘Dil to Paghal Hai’ (Yash Chopra, 1997)’ have promoted women as being powerful and challenging patriarchal society. Kiranjit’s character in Provoked also challenges Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze, that women are ‘objectified for sexual imagery’ or just simply ‘sex objects’. Kiranjit challenges this stereotype as they is not just merely an object for desire, but instead a powerful woman, who raised the courage and strength to finally stand up to her abusive husband. However you may argue that she was still represented as the pretty, sincere and innocent housewife whom obeys her husband, which has been done to appeal to male audiences.
Provoked begins with the main characters conforming to stereotypical representations of both Asian men and women. Deepak is portrayed an alcoholic and physically abusive to his wife and Kiranjit is shown to be a typical housewife, taking care of her family and the home. ‘Women are often stereotyped as subservient to men, whether they are considered to be the dumb bimbo or a housewife, legitimizing their inferior position’.[25]. Furthermore when the films narrative moves on the audience see the typical conventions of Kiranjit being challenged as she breaks the norms and values of main stream Bollywood cinema, where we experience a female fighting back for her independence and freedom from her husband, linking to the fact that genre is ‘flexible, subject to the constant process of change and adaption, because different audiences will use a genre in a different way at different times’[26]. Kiranjit does not follow the conventional qualities of an Asian woman shown in films. Contrasting from classical Bollywood movies Provoked positions the audience to see the narrative through the female perspective, this helps create sympathy and a relationship to the audience and the character.
Mother India and Provoked similarly begin with a flashback sequence of both protagonists in the films. Nargis, the female character of Mother India is portrayed as being strong and patriotic however the audience are also made aware that she is illiterate and the start of the film. This is also the case with Kiranjit from Provoked, but she is shown to be vulnerable and weak. Due to the fact that both women are illiterate they both suffer hardship through-out their lives. With both films portraying illiteracy in a different ways, it helps to emphasise the importance of education to the audience, as well as helping Asian women to develop academically- in order to help them achieve in life and stand up for themselves.
More recent films such as, ‘Metro’ (Vipul Amrutlal Shah, 2006) and ‘Umrao Jaan’ (Muzaffar Ali, 2002) have clearly shown the changes of women in Bollywood films, decades ago. Women have become independent of their lives and have more control of what they do. This is what women fought for after World War Two in the 1960s: ‘Second wave femisinism’. This refers to an increase in feminist activity, where women thrived to increase their status and create an individuality of their own. This act was formed to give women better rights and a say in society, moreover this is something that Asian women are now seen to be doing.
To conclude, women’s representations have changed vastly over the years, with them being portrayed as active individuals towards their husbands rather than just inferior as was seen in film decades ago. This was displayed through Provoked, where Kiranjit fights back towards her husband after fighting from ten years of sever abuse; she finally found the courage to stand up for herself. Additionally, mainstream Bollywood films are progressively moving away from Mulvey’s theory of the active male and the passive female. It is still apparent that the symbolism of women in leading roles are still partial as patriarchal notions make it difficult for women to entirely break away from their stereotypical roles as they are still objectified sexually by males. In addition this idea was even displayed in Provoked, where Kiranjit was forced to sleep with Deepak because of her duty as a wife, she did so even though she did not want too, and it was not in her willpower to say ‘No’ to her husband.
Bibliography
Works Cited Books
-Cranny-Francis, A., Kirby, J., Stavropolous, P. & Waring, W. (2003). Gender Studies: Terms and Debates. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
-Gauntlett, D. (2008). Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction. New York: Routledge.
- Glen, L. (1983): Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press.
-Lee, J. (2004). Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and Ethnicity. New York: Routledge.
-Macdonald, M. (1995). Representing Women: Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media. London: A Hodder Arnold Publication.
-Maltby, Richard (2003) Hollywood Cinema. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell
-Mulvey, L. (2007). Visual and Other Pleasures (Language, Discourse, Society). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Movies
Bend it Like Beckham- (2002 UK) Gurinder Chadha
Bhaji on the Beach- (1993 UK) (Gurinder Chadha)
Bride and Prejudice- (2004 UK)
Gurinder ChadhaDil to Paghal Hai- (1997 India) Yash Chopra
Devdas- (2002 India) Sanjay Leela Bhansali
East is East- (1999 UK) Damien O ’Donnell
Goodness Gracious Me-(1998 UK) Nick WoodKuch
Kuch Hota Hai-(1998 Inida) Karan Johar
Metro- (2006 India) Vipul Amrutlal Shah
Mother India- (1957 Inida) Mehboob Khan
Provoked- (2006 UK) Jag Mundhrah
Umrao Jaan-(2002 India) Muzaffar Ali
Websites
www.screenonline.org.uk/filmwww.imdb.com/title/tt0166175www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.html
www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
www.commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2007/01/no_blacks_no_dogs_no_irish.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/asians-emerge-as-the-new-moneymakers-1336640.html
http://www.asianleader.co.uk/business-news/Brown-pound-shores-up-British.1760254.jp
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238936/business
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458072/business
http://www.online-literature.com/kipling/jungle_book/
[1] Provoked. Directed by Jag Mundhra 2006
[2] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073707/
[3] Lewis Glen, 1983: Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press p.11
[4] Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[5] Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[6] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238936/business
[7] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458072/business
[8] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/asians-emerge-as-the-new-moneymakers-1336640.html
[9] http://www.asianleader.co.uk/business-news/Brown-pound-shores-up-British.1760254.jp
[10] www.screenonline.org.uk/film
[11] www.imdb.com/title/tt0166175
[12] www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.html
[13] Bhaji on the Beach. Gurinder Chadha (1993 UK)
[14] East is East. Damien O'Donnell (1999 UK)
[15] www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[16] David Gauntlett, Representation of Gender in the Past (2002)
[17] . Cranny-Francis, P.Stavropoulos, J.Kirkby (2003) Palagrave Macmillan Publishing’s: Gender Studies Terms and Debates p.244
[18] Macdonald Myra: 1995: Representing Women- Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media- Hodder Arnold p.187
[19] Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishings Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity p.129
[20] http://www.online-literature.com/kipling/jungle_book/
[21] Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishing’s Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity p.129
[22] Mason, David, (2000) Race and Ethnicity, Modern Britain p.9
[23]www. commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2007/01/no_blacks_no_dogs_no_irish.
[24] Bhabha, Homi (2004) Routledge Publishing’s: The Location of Culture p.402
[25] Nick Lacey (1998)
[26] Maltby, Richard (2003) Hollywood Cinema. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell p.75
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Essay Plans
Question One:Genre texts have sometimes been criticised for being predictable and unimaginative. Discuss.(January 06)
1st Paragraph-introduce the fact that films are sometimes predictable, but that is what audiences expect to see (codes and conventions) but however, directors do try to change it making it imaginable for audiences, depending on the particular genre of the film.
- talk about how audiences have certain expectations when watching a film. And how directors are just meeting the needs of their audiences. for example, through-out a horror film audiences expect there to be murders and blood and gore- otherwise it just wouldn't meet the typical conventions of a slasher film.
-talk about the fact that genre has actually changed over time, due to the fact that there are now changes in: target audience, changes in audiences expectations,censorship and codes of conduct
- talk about a the changes in society, ideologies, values and representations- and how this is changing films and making them more imaginable and not so predicable because there are less rules they have to follow. ( relate to slasher films in general, and how they have changed). for example pyhsco and switchblade romance- look at how time is making the genre different.
At the end.. look at the points why genre is seen as predictable and why it is not (look at both arguments) and then make a judgement for myself saying what i believe.
Question two:Genres Must Adapt In Order To Survive." Discuss. (June 04 b)
Opening Paragraph- talk about how genre in general changes to keep meeting the needs of their audience. - look at the fact that genre is reflecting the zeitgeist based on the changes in society.
-talk about the fact that even though audiences expect their films from the same genre to be similar and recognisable, they still expect variation.
-talk about censorship and audiences expectations changing. This is one of the reasons why films need to adapt.. keep needing to meet the expectations of audiences, to make money.
- talk about the ways genre is know changing. for example, the narrative is becoming more mulitable, i.e. making it less predicable. This is something that will appeal to audiences, as they like variation and new things.
-talk about the fact that even though there are certain elements which audiences expect and want to see in slasher films, they must still be original and unpredictable to do well, otherwise audiences will just get bored and not be interested no more.
Question 3:Account for the popularity of one genre of your choice. Illustrate your answer with examples. (June '03 b)
Talk about what genre I choose and why and how it has become popular (slasher genre)
-talk about how slasher films 1st became popular, because of Hitcocks, Psycho 1960, this was the grandaddy of slasher films, and made slasher films so popular to begin with.
-Talk about how the the 1970s slasher films became even more popular, because of Texas Chainsaw etc. -look at how audiences prefer this film because of the 'final girl' for example. talk about how audiences relate the film with certain icorogarphic images.
-sadistic pleasures that audiences get from slasher films, and this could be why they are so popular. audiences enjoy seeing others getting hurt, and get sadistic pleasures from this.
-franchise and sequels of films became popular, which audiences liked because there was no closure at the end of a film, and they would be waiting for the next film to be released so they can see whats happening next.
They are meeting the needs of their audiences. they are sticking to particular reporities of elements, but still being original which is something that audiences like. the film genre is creating new ideas of films, but still adding things which audiences can relate the genre to, for example Clovers 'final girl'.
Question One:Genre texts have sometimes been criticised for being predictable and unimaginative. Discuss.(January 06)
1st Paragraph-introduce the fact that films are sometimes predictable, but that is what audiences expect to see (codes and conventions) but however, directors do try to change it making it imaginable for audiences, depending on the particular genre of the film.
- talk about how audiences have certain expectations when watching a film. And how directors are just meeting the needs of their audiences. for example, through-out a horror film audiences expect there to be murders and blood and gore- otherwise it just wouldn't meet the typical conventions of a slasher film.
-talk about the fact that genre has actually changed over time, due to the fact that there are now changes in: target audience, changes in audiences expectations,censorship and codes of conduct
- talk about a the changes in society, ideologies, values and representations- and how this is changing films and making them more imaginable and not so predicable because there are less rules they have to follow. ( relate to slasher films in general, and how they have changed). for example pyhsco and switchblade romance- look at how time is making the genre different.
At the end.. look at the points why genre is seen as predictable and why it is not (look at both arguments) and then make a judgement for myself saying what i believe.
Question two:Genres Must Adapt In Order To Survive." Discuss. (June 04 b)
Opening Paragraph- talk about how genre in general changes to keep meeting the needs of their audience. - look at the fact that genre is reflecting the zeitgeist based on the changes in society.
-talk about the fact that even though audiences expect their films from the same genre to be similar and recognisable, they still expect variation.
-talk about censorship and audiences expectations changing. This is one of the reasons why films need to adapt.. keep needing to meet the expectations of audiences, to make money.
- talk about the ways genre is know changing. for example, the narrative is becoming more mulitable, i.e. making it less predicable. This is something that will appeal to audiences, as they like variation and new things.
-talk about the fact that even though there are certain elements which audiences expect and want to see in slasher films, they must still be original and unpredictable to do well, otherwise audiences will just get bored and not be interested no more.
Question 3:Account for the popularity of one genre of your choice. Illustrate your answer with examples. (June '03 b)
Talk about what genre I choose and why and how it has become popular (slasher genre)
-talk about how slasher films 1st became popular, because of Hitcocks, Psycho 1960, this was the grandaddy of slasher films, and made slasher films so popular to begin with.
-Talk about how the the 1970s slasher films became even more popular, because of Texas Chainsaw etc. -look at how audiences prefer this film because of the 'final girl' for example. talk about how audiences relate the film with certain icorogarphic images.
-sadistic pleasures that audiences get from slasher films, and this could be why they are so popular. audiences enjoy seeing others getting hurt, and get sadistic pleasures from this.
-franchise and sequels of films became popular, which audiences liked because there was no closure at the end of a film, and they would be waiting for the next film to be released so they can see whats happening next.
They are meeting the needs of their audiences. they are sticking to particular reporities of elements, but still being original which is something that audiences like. the film genre is creating new ideas of films, but still adding things which audiences can relate the genre to, for example Clovers 'final girl'.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Texas Chainsaw of Massacre
Texas Chainsaw of Massacre(1974), written and directed by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, has been seen as a spin off of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 hit ‘Psycho’. There was a new version of the film made and released in 2003 as a re-make, but still covered the codes and conventions of different slasher films in the past. Both films included a psychopathic killer out to kill whoever gets in their way.
Both films, uses Clover theory of the ‘final girl’, always having a last girl who is trying to save herself through-out the whole of a slasher film. In this case, both final girl’s face the battle of saving herself and her friends from leatherface who is out to murder all. The 2003 re-make uses elements of the zeitgeist as it has an impact on the way both of the plots differ from each other. In addition, the original film reflects up on the zeitgeist the way at the time, an example of this is the way the characters go to the gas station and the gas station owner says how the gas is coming. This is reflected on the times actual economic environment, and the way that the country was short of gas and the time. They are also on the way to visit one of their friends granddad’s grave, whereas in the newer version they are shown to be going to a music concert, showing how peoples priorities have changed now, and are more interested in doing things that insteres themself.
The remake has different chararcter types in the film, one way they differ is that now the auidence see the teenagers, picking up a female hitch hiker who shoots her self in the van. This differs from the original on how previously it was a male and leatherfaces actual brother but this time the character as represented as a traumatised victim most definately of leatherface. The reason why the girl is represented as a vicitim of leather face is because of thefact that as she acts traumatised and very worried in the beginning, is exactly the same way the final girl acts at th end of the movie.
Texas Chainsaw of Massacre(1974), written and directed by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel, has been seen as a spin off of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 hit ‘Psycho’. There was a new version of the film made and released in 2003 as a re-make, but still covered the codes and conventions of different slasher films in the past. Both films included a psychopathic killer out to kill whoever gets in their way.
Both films, uses Clover theory of the ‘final girl’, always having a last girl who is trying to save herself through-out the whole of a slasher film. In this case, both final girl’s face the battle of saving herself and her friends from leatherface who is out to murder all. The 2003 re-make uses elements of the zeitgeist as it has an impact on the way both of the plots differ from each other. In addition, the original film reflects up on the zeitgeist the way at the time, an example of this is the way the characters go to the gas station and the gas station owner says how the gas is coming. This is reflected on the times actual economic environment, and the way that the country was short of gas and the time. They are also on the way to visit one of their friends granddad’s grave, whereas in the newer version they are shown to be going to a music concert, showing how peoples priorities have changed now, and are more interested in doing things that insteres themself.
The remake has different chararcter types in the film, one way they differ is that now the auidence see the teenagers, picking up a female hitch hiker who shoots her self in the van. This differs from the original on how previously it was a male and leatherfaces actual brother but this time the character as represented as a traumatised victim most definately of leatherface. The reason why the girl is represented as a vicitim of leather face is because of thefact that as she acts traumatised and very worried in the beginning, is exactly the same way the final girl acts at th end of the movie.
How are Asian women represented in the film ‘Provoked’?
‘‘Kiranjit finds herself behind bars and her punishment is lifetime imprisonment but she is instead relived. Why? Because behind bars she finally found life…freedom’’[1]
In the 21st Century there has been a great amount of change in the Asian lifestyle of living. Asian women, however, have always been seen as second class citizens by their partners and in the eyes of the law looking back into the 19th Century, and dominantly portrayed within Bollywood movies.
In turn, Provoked (2006, Jag Mundhrah) allows audiences to address the issue of domestic violence and rape. ‘‘Within certain limits aggressive male behaviour is accepted as normal part of everyday life’’[2] amongst Asian women. The film creates awareness of what potentially occurs within Asian family households. Provoked belongs with British drama genre, even though having elements of Indian/Bollywood film styles. These elements therefore add to the authenticity of the film as they allow Provoked to attract a wider audience and attempt to create consciousness amongst different ethnical cultures.
Within Bollywood films women are typically represented as weak and ‘‘passive females’’[3], with males having full control over them. This was widely represented in the powerful Mother India (1957, Mehboob Khan) where the protagonist is shown to be susceptible at the start of the film, but then it concludes with her fighting back for women’s justice. This is also the case within Provoked decades later, where Kiranjit Ahluwalia (played by Aishwarya Rai) is seen to be passive and vulnerable, serving tens years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life but with the help of Southall Black Sisters she manages to find freedom and independence.
Aishwarya Rai, one of the biggest globally known women within film, is more commonly known for playing major roles within Bollywood movies. In films such as Devdas(2002) and Umrao Jaan (2006) where she is seen to be an ‘‘object of desire’’[4] Aiswarya Rai seemed to appeal to the target audience of escapist males and females, with Devdas taking a spectacular £466,370 in its opening weekeing in Britain, furthermore making it the most successful Bollywood film ever made.
In contrast Provoked only took £140,104 in the box office in its opening weekend, which could be due to the fact audiences were not appeal to the actress when playing a more serious abusive role. Having Aishwarya Rai play such a dominant role in Provoked, attracts a much larger target audience to the film, in both western and eastern parts of the world. Furthermore, the use of Punjabi language throughout the film helps bring out the element of Indian cinema, which adds to the realism, as well as allowing audiences to help relate to Kiranjit as the victim.
According to the National Office of Statistics, Asians have become one of the fastest growing ethnicities in Britain today, with two million Asians in Britain by the end of 1999, an increase of more than half a million since the 1991 Census. Moreover, Asians have become a large proportion of the UK population and now are recognised by ‘the power of the brown pound’. This can be related to the proposal of how Asian films have be been increased vastly ‘over the last twenty years, attitudes in Britain towards Asian cultures have shifted, as has the taste of mainstream audiences for Asian themed films’[5] an example of this is through the success of films such as: ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2002) ‘Bride and Prejudice’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2004), ‘East is East’ (Damien O’ Donnell, 1999).
‘East is East’[6] also tackles issues of domestic violence amongst Asian women, as we see the female Ella being brutally beaten by her Pakistani husband, George. ‘‘Asian men are sexist pigs who expect their wives to stay in the kitchen, not speak unless being spoken to, walk five paces behind their husband, and bear as many children as necessary until they give their husband a son.”[7]. George is represented as a very old fashioned dominant Asian husband, who expects his wife and children to respect him at all times. He conforms to the views of Asian men, that if they do not get their way they will resort to violence as a way to give them power and masculinity.
The stereotypical representation of an exploited Asian female is also a common image in a number of British Asian texts such as, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ [8] (Gurinder Chadha 1993) and ‘East is East’ [9] (Damien O'Donnell1999) where patriarchal values are evidently present.
‘‘Asians as a social group now encompass ‘3.5% of the population.’’[10]Nevertheless, they are still often excessively under-represented on-screen with Asians and other ethnic minorities often playing the roles of ‘token’ characters. Men were more likely to be assertive, whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were seen as: Adventurous, active, and victorious. Women were shown as being: Weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, laughable or 'merely token females'.[11]
‘Under a patriarchal regime, women are, by definition, excluded from positions of power and authority’[12]. Women were portrayed as submissive objects and were seen to be inferior towards males, as they were seen to be ‘breadwinners’. Women are dependant on males, as they are physically stronger then women, and the females are physically seen to be inferior towards them. ‘Provoked’ shows how Kiranjit; the female protagonist is dependant on her husband and this is why she suffered with 10 years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life before setting out her revenge.
''Media still replay the Madonna/whore dichotomy, and focus in a way untypical of any other crime on the victim or, as support groups now prefer to characterize her, 'the survivor’’[13]. Aishwarya Rai could symbolize ‘The Madonna’ through her costume and body language. She is represented as timid and quiet, not revealing her body or figure in any sexual way. She is portrayed as the perfect housewife whom just caters for her husband, whilst still getting vigorous abusive off him. This supports the idea that Asian women tend stick by their husbands just not to bring a bad name upon the family as this is culturally forbidden.
Stereotypes come from ideas and beliefs of one, which can be either negative or positive. As Provoked is based on a true story the representation of Deepak Ahluwalia seems to be fair as it is coming from ones first hand experience. Asian men are represented as being dominate and controlling in Provoked. In contrast some of the Dominant stereotypes of Asian men characterise them as effeminate (frail, meek, and passive) or as sexual deviants [14] this is something that Rudyard Kipling (the author of ‘The jungle book’) also quotes by saying Asian men are cowardly.
However, this is different to what Deepak was represented as, as he was shown to be very masculine and powerful which was different to the typical stereotype suggested my Kipling.
In addition Asian men are stereotyped as being ‘sexually undesirable’[15] and this is represented in a scene where Kiranjit is forced to sleep with Deepak, simply due to the fact she is his wife and should obey what her husband wants.
Asians mainly came to Britain in the 1970s, where South Asians came to immigrate to the United Kingdom. When they did come there was a lot of racism targeted at them, ‘The term racism… is frequently used to express patriotic fervour and straightforward ignorance about other cultures’[16] this was typical amongst Asians and were classified by the term ‘‘No Blacks, No Dogs, and No Irish’’[17]. However, now Asians have gained sufficient social power and economic status in Britain. Provoked deals with colonialism in terms of the relationship between east and west. Deepak could be said to have the outlook in life and attitudes to do with his family and cultural backgrounds. Homi Bhabha has said to have believed that it is not a case for Britain vs. India, but instead there is a ‘‘Third Space and Hybridity.’’[18]
Feminism has helped to show how Asian culture has developed because in the film Provoked we see that Kiranjit was helped out by the local ‘Southall Black Sisters’, which was a non-profit organization which was established in 1979 to meet the needs of black (Asian and African-Caribbean) women. Kiranjit was their first case, which they helped to free and get her released from her husband’s murder. Without the help of Southall Black Sisters, it was unlikely that Kiranjit would have been freed, so because of organizations like that- Asian culture is becoming more open, due to the issues and awareness raised in Provoked it may help other women in Kiranjit’s position feel at ease about speaking about their abusive.
The Mise-en- Scene in Provoked, particularly Aishwaria Rais’ costumes replicate on her compliance and fidelity towards her husband. She is always seen wearing tradition Indian dress, salwar kameez, along with typical Asian bangles and her wedding necklace, to symbolise she is a married woman.
This portrays the idea to the audience that even though she was born and raised in India and now living in Britain, she still has her cultural backgrounds, and this could be one of reasons why she has not confronted Deepak for all the abusive over the last 10years. She conforms to the idea that Asian women are just there to serve their husbands and are completely passive towards them.
The 20th century has become over ruled by female independence and their portrayal of being somewhat equal to men to a certain extent. Various mainstream Bollywood films such as ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)’ and ‘Dil to Paghal Hai (1997)’ have promoted women as being powerful and challenging patriarchal society. Kiranjit’s character in Provoked also challenges Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze, that women are ‘objectified for sexual imagery’ or just simply ‘sex objects’. Kiranjit challenges this stereotype as they is not just merely an object for desire, but instead a powerful woman, who raised the courage and strength to finally stand up to her abusive husband. However you may argue that she was still represented as the pretty, sincere and innocent housewife whom obeys her husband, which has been done to appeal to male audiences.
Provoked begins with the main characters conforming to stereotypical representations of both Asian men and women. Deepak is portrayed an alcoholic and physically abusive to his wife and Kiranjit is shown to be a typical housewife, taking care of her family and the home. ‘Women are often stereotyped as subservient to men, whether they are considered to be the dumb bimbo or a housewife, legitimizing their inferior position’.[19]. Furthermore when the films narrative moves on the audience see the typical conventions of Kiranjit being challenged- as she breaks the norms and values of main stream Bollywood cinema, where we experience a female fighting back for her independence and freedom from her husband. Kiranjit does not follow the conventional qualities of an Asian woman shown in films. Contrasting from classical Bollywood movies Provoked positions the audience to see the narrative through the female perspective, this helps create sympathy and a relationship to the audience and the character.
‘Mother India (1957)’ and Provoked similarly begin with a flashback sequence of both protagonists in the films. Nargis, the female character of Mother India is portrayed as being strong and patriotic however the audience are also made aware that she is illiterate and the start of the film. This is also the case with Kiranjit from Provoked, but she is shown to be vulnerable and weak. Due to the fact that both women are illiterate they both suffer hardship through-out their lives. With both films portraying illiteracy in a different ways, it helps to emphasise the importance of education to the audience, as well as helping Asian women to develop academically- in order to help them achieve in life and stand up for themselves.
More recent films such as, ‘Metro (2006)’ and ‘Umrao Jaan(2002)' have clearly shown the changes of women in Bollywood films, decades ago. Women have become independent of their lives and have more control of what they do. This is what women fought for after world war two in the 1960s: ‘Second wave’. This refers to an increase in feminist activity, where women thrived to increase their status and create an individuality of their own. This act was formed to give women better righs and a say in society, moreover this is something that Asian women are now seen to be doing.
To conclude, women’s representations have changed vastly over the years, with them being portrayed as active individuals towards their husbands rather than just inferior as was seen in film decades ago. This was displayed through Provoked, where Kiranjit fights back towards her husband after fighting for 10years of sever abuse; she finally found the courage to stand up for herself. Additionally, Mainstream Bollywood films are progressively moving away from Mulvey’s theory of the active male and the passive female. It is still apparent that the symbolism of women in leading roles are still partial as patriarchal notions make it difficult for women to entirely break away from their stereotypical roles as they are still objectified sexually by males. In addition this idea was even displayed in Provoked, where Kiranjit was forced to sleep with Deepak because of her duty as a wife, she did so even though she did not want too, and it was not in her willpower to say ‘No’ to her husband.
Bibliography
Books
-Cranny-Francis, A., Kirby, J., Stavropolous, P. & Waring, W. (2003). Gender Studies: Terms and Debates. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
-Gauntlett, D. (2008). Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction. New York: Routledge.
- Glen, L. (1983): Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press.
-Lee, J. (2004). Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and Ethnicity. New York: Routledge.
-Macdonald, M. (1995). Representing Women: Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media. London: A Hodder Arnold Publication.
-Mulvey, L. (2007). Visual and Other Pleasures (Language, Discourse, Society). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
MoviesBend it Like Beckham- (2002) Gurinder ChadhaBhaji on the Beach-(1993) (Gurinder Chadha)Bride and Prejudice- (2004) Gurinder ChadhaDil to Paghal Hai (1997) Yash ChopraEast is East-(1999) Damien O ’DonnellGoodness Gracious Me-(1998) Nick WoodKuch Kuch Hota Hai-(1998) Karan JoharMetro- (2006) Vipul Amrutlal ShahMother India- (1957) Mehboob KhanProvoked- (2006) Jag MundhrahUmrao Jaan-(2002) Muzaffar AliWebsiteswww.screenonline.org.uk/filmwww.imdb.com/title/tt0166175www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.htmlwww.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[1] Provoked. Directed by Jag Mundhra 2006
[2] Lewis Glen, 1983: Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press
[3] Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[4] Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[5] www.screenonline.org.uk/film
[6] www.imdb.com/title/tt0166175
[7] www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.html
[8] Bhaji on the beach. Gurinder Chadha (1993)
[9] East is East. Damien O'Donnell (1999)
[10] www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[11] David Guntlett, Representation of Gender in the Past (2002)
[12] . Cranny-Francis, P.Stavropoulos, J.Kirkby (2003) Palagrave Macmillan Publishing’s: Gender Studies Terms and Debates
[13] Macdonald Myra: 1995: Representing Women- Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media- Hodder Arnold
[14] Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishings Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity
[15] Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishing’s Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity
[16] Mason, David, (2000) Race and Ethnicity, Modern Britain
[17]www. commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2007/01/no_blacks_no_dogs_no_irish.
[18] Bhabha, Homi (2004) Routledge Publishing’s: The Location of Culture
[19] Nick Lacey (1998)
‘‘Kiranjit finds herself behind bars and her punishment is lifetime imprisonment but she is instead relived. Why? Because behind bars she finally found life…freedom’’[1]
In the 21st Century there has been a great amount of change in the Asian lifestyle of living. Asian women, however, have always been seen as second class citizens by their partners and in the eyes of the law looking back into the 19th Century, and dominantly portrayed within Bollywood movies.
In turn, Provoked (2006, Jag Mundhrah) allows audiences to address the issue of domestic violence and rape. ‘‘Within certain limits aggressive male behaviour is accepted as normal part of everyday life’’[2] amongst Asian women. The film creates awareness of what potentially occurs within Asian family households. Provoked belongs with British drama genre, even though having elements of Indian/Bollywood film styles. These elements therefore add to the authenticity of the film as they allow Provoked to attract a wider audience and attempt to create consciousness amongst different ethnical cultures.
Within Bollywood films women are typically represented as weak and ‘‘passive females’’[3], with males having full control over them. This was widely represented in the powerful Mother India (1957, Mehboob Khan) where the protagonist is shown to be susceptible at the start of the film, but then it concludes with her fighting back for women’s justice. This is also the case within Provoked decades later, where Kiranjit Ahluwalia (played by Aishwarya Rai) is seen to be passive and vulnerable, serving tens years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life but with the help of Southall Black Sisters she manages to find freedom and independence.
Aishwarya Rai, one of the biggest globally known women within film, is more commonly known for playing major roles within Bollywood movies. In films such as Devdas(2002) and Umrao Jaan (2006) where she is seen to be an ‘‘object of desire’’[4] Aiswarya Rai seemed to appeal to the target audience of escapist males and females, with Devdas taking a spectacular £466,370 in its opening weekeing in Britain, furthermore making it the most successful Bollywood film ever made.
In contrast Provoked only took £140,104 in the box office in its opening weekend, which could be due to the fact audiences were not appeal to the actress when playing a more serious abusive role. Having Aishwarya Rai play such a dominant role in Provoked, attracts a much larger target audience to the film, in both western and eastern parts of the world. Furthermore, the use of Punjabi language throughout the film helps bring out the element of Indian cinema, which adds to the realism, as well as allowing audiences to help relate to Kiranjit as the victim.
According to the National Office of Statistics, Asians have become one of the fastest growing ethnicities in Britain today, with two million Asians in Britain by the end of 1999, an increase of more than half a million since the 1991 Census. Moreover, Asians have become a large proportion of the UK population and now are recognised by ‘the power of the brown pound’. This can be related to the proposal of how Asian films have be been increased vastly ‘over the last twenty years, attitudes in Britain towards Asian cultures have shifted, as has the taste of mainstream audiences for Asian themed films’[5] an example of this is through the success of films such as: ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2002) ‘Bride and Prejudice’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2004), ‘East is East’ (Damien O’ Donnell, 1999).
‘East is East’[6] also tackles issues of domestic violence amongst Asian women, as we see the female Ella being brutally beaten by her Pakistani husband, George. ‘‘Asian men are sexist pigs who expect their wives to stay in the kitchen, not speak unless being spoken to, walk five paces behind their husband, and bear as many children as necessary until they give their husband a son.”[7]. George is represented as a very old fashioned dominant Asian husband, who expects his wife and children to respect him at all times. He conforms to the views of Asian men, that if they do not get their way they will resort to violence as a way to give them power and masculinity.
The stereotypical representation of an exploited Asian female is also a common image in a number of British Asian texts such as, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ [8] (Gurinder Chadha 1993) and ‘East is East’ [9] (Damien O'Donnell1999) where patriarchal values are evidently present.
‘‘Asians as a social group now encompass ‘3.5% of the population.’’[10]Nevertheless, they are still often excessively under-represented on-screen with Asians and other ethnic minorities often playing the roles of ‘token’ characters. Men were more likely to be assertive, whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were seen as: Adventurous, active, and victorious. Women were shown as being: Weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, laughable or 'merely token females'.[11]
‘Under a patriarchal regime, women are, by definition, excluded from positions of power and authority’[12]. Women were portrayed as submissive objects and were seen to be inferior towards males, as they were seen to be ‘breadwinners’. Women are dependant on males, as they are physically stronger then women, and the females are physically seen to be inferior towards them. ‘Provoked’ shows how Kiranjit; the female protagonist is dependant on her husband and this is why she suffered with 10 years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life before setting out her revenge.
''Media still replay the Madonna/whore dichotomy, and focus in a way untypical of any other crime on the victim or, as support groups now prefer to characterize her, 'the survivor’’[13]. Aishwarya Rai could symbolize ‘The Madonna’ through her costume and body language. She is represented as timid and quiet, not revealing her body or figure in any sexual way. She is portrayed as the perfect housewife whom just caters for her husband, whilst still getting vigorous abusive off him. This supports the idea that Asian women tend stick by their husbands just not to bring a bad name upon the family as this is culturally forbidden.
Stereotypes come from ideas and beliefs of one, which can be either negative or positive. As Provoked is based on a true story the representation of Deepak Ahluwalia seems to be fair as it is coming from ones first hand experience. Asian men are represented as being dominate and controlling in Provoked. In contrast some of the Dominant stereotypes of Asian men characterise them as effeminate (frail, meek, and passive) or as sexual deviants [14] this is something that Rudyard Kipling (the author of ‘The jungle book’) also quotes by saying Asian men are cowardly.
However, this is different to what Deepak was represented as, as he was shown to be very masculine and powerful which was different to the typical stereotype suggested my Kipling.
In addition Asian men are stereotyped as being ‘sexually undesirable’[15] and this is represented in a scene where Kiranjit is forced to sleep with Deepak, simply due to the fact she is his wife and should obey what her husband wants.
Asians mainly came to Britain in the 1970s, where South Asians came to immigrate to the United Kingdom. When they did come there was a lot of racism targeted at them, ‘The term racism… is frequently used to express patriotic fervour and straightforward ignorance about other cultures’[16] this was typical amongst Asians and were classified by the term ‘‘No Blacks, No Dogs, and No Irish’’[17]. However, now Asians have gained sufficient social power and economic status in Britain. Provoked deals with colonialism in terms of the relationship between east and west. Deepak could be said to have the outlook in life and attitudes to do with his family and cultural backgrounds. Homi Bhabha has said to have believed that it is not a case for Britain vs. India, but instead there is a ‘‘Third Space and Hybridity.’’[18]
Feminism has helped to show how Asian culture has developed because in the film Provoked we see that Kiranjit was helped out by the local ‘Southall Black Sisters’, which was a non-profit organization which was established in 1979 to meet the needs of black (Asian and African-Caribbean) women. Kiranjit was their first case, which they helped to free and get her released from her husband’s murder. Without the help of Southall Black Sisters, it was unlikely that Kiranjit would have been freed, so because of organizations like that- Asian culture is becoming more open, due to the issues and awareness raised in Provoked it may help other women in Kiranjit’s position feel at ease about speaking about their abusive.
The Mise-en- Scene in Provoked, particularly Aishwaria Rais’ costumes replicate on her compliance and fidelity towards her husband. She is always seen wearing tradition Indian dress, salwar kameez, along with typical Asian bangles and her wedding necklace, to symbolise she is a married woman.
This portrays the idea to the audience that even though she was born and raised in India and now living in Britain, she still has her cultural backgrounds, and this could be one of reasons why she has not confronted Deepak for all the abusive over the last 10years. She conforms to the idea that Asian women are just there to serve their husbands and are completely passive towards them.
The 20th century has become over ruled by female independence and their portrayal of being somewhat equal to men to a certain extent. Various mainstream Bollywood films such as ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)’ and ‘Dil to Paghal Hai (1997)’ have promoted women as being powerful and challenging patriarchal society. Kiranjit’s character in Provoked also challenges Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze, that women are ‘objectified for sexual imagery’ or just simply ‘sex objects’. Kiranjit challenges this stereotype as they is not just merely an object for desire, but instead a powerful woman, who raised the courage and strength to finally stand up to her abusive husband. However you may argue that she was still represented as the pretty, sincere and innocent housewife whom obeys her husband, which has been done to appeal to male audiences.
Provoked begins with the main characters conforming to stereotypical representations of both Asian men and women. Deepak is portrayed an alcoholic and physically abusive to his wife and Kiranjit is shown to be a typical housewife, taking care of her family and the home. ‘Women are often stereotyped as subservient to men, whether they are considered to be the dumb bimbo or a housewife, legitimizing their inferior position’.[19]. Furthermore when the films narrative moves on the audience see the typical conventions of Kiranjit being challenged- as she breaks the norms and values of main stream Bollywood cinema, where we experience a female fighting back for her independence and freedom from her husband. Kiranjit does not follow the conventional qualities of an Asian woman shown in films. Contrasting from classical Bollywood movies Provoked positions the audience to see the narrative through the female perspective, this helps create sympathy and a relationship to the audience and the character.
‘Mother India (1957)’ and Provoked similarly begin with a flashback sequence of both protagonists in the films. Nargis, the female character of Mother India is portrayed as being strong and patriotic however the audience are also made aware that she is illiterate and the start of the film. This is also the case with Kiranjit from Provoked, but she is shown to be vulnerable and weak. Due to the fact that both women are illiterate they both suffer hardship through-out their lives. With both films portraying illiteracy in a different ways, it helps to emphasise the importance of education to the audience, as well as helping Asian women to develop academically- in order to help them achieve in life and stand up for themselves.
More recent films such as, ‘Metro (2006)’ and ‘Umrao Jaan(2002)' have clearly shown the changes of women in Bollywood films, decades ago. Women have become independent of their lives and have more control of what they do. This is what women fought for after world war two in the 1960s: ‘Second wave’. This refers to an increase in feminist activity, where women thrived to increase their status and create an individuality of their own. This act was formed to give women better righs and a say in society, moreover this is something that Asian women are now seen to be doing.
To conclude, women’s representations have changed vastly over the years, with them being portrayed as active individuals towards their husbands rather than just inferior as was seen in film decades ago. This was displayed through Provoked, where Kiranjit fights back towards her husband after fighting for 10years of sever abuse; she finally found the courage to stand up for herself. Additionally, Mainstream Bollywood films are progressively moving away from Mulvey’s theory of the active male and the passive female. It is still apparent that the symbolism of women in leading roles are still partial as patriarchal notions make it difficult for women to entirely break away from their stereotypical roles as they are still objectified sexually by males. In addition this idea was even displayed in Provoked, where Kiranjit was forced to sleep with Deepak because of her duty as a wife, she did so even though she did not want too, and it was not in her willpower to say ‘No’ to her husband.
Bibliography
Books
-Cranny-Francis, A., Kirby, J., Stavropolous, P. & Waring, W. (2003). Gender Studies: Terms and Debates. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
-Gauntlett, D. (2008). Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction. New York: Routledge.
- Glen, L. (1983): Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press.
-Lee, J. (2004). Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and Ethnicity. New York: Routledge.
-Macdonald, M. (1995). Representing Women: Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media. London: A Hodder Arnold Publication.
-Mulvey, L. (2007). Visual and Other Pleasures (Language, Discourse, Society). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
MoviesBend it Like Beckham- (2002) Gurinder ChadhaBhaji on the Beach-(1993) (Gurinder Chadha)Bride and Prejudice- (2004) Gurinder ChadhaDil to Paghal Hai (1997) Yash ChopraEast is East-(1999) Damien O ’DonnellGoodness Gracious Me-(1998) Nick WoodKuch Kuch Hota Hai-(1998) Karan JoharMetro- (2006) Vipul Amrutlal ShahMother India- (1957) Mehboob KhanProvoked- (2006) Jag MundhrahUmrao Jaan-(2002) Muzaffar AliWebsiteswww.screenonline.org.uk/filmwww.imdb.com/title/tt0166175www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.htmlwww.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[1] Provoked. Directed by Jag Mundhra 2006
[2] Lewis Glen, 1983: Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press
[3] Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[4] Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[5] www.screenonline.org.uk/film
[6] www.imdb.com/title/tt0166175
[7] www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.html
[8] Bhaji on the beach. Gurinder Chadha (1993)
[9] East is East. Damien O'Donnell (1999)
[10] www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[11] David Guntlett, Representation of Gender in the Past (2002)
[12] . Cranny-Francis, P.Stavropoulos, J.Kirkby (2003) Palagrave Macmillan Publishing’s: Gender Studies Terms and Debates
[13] Macdonald Myra: 1995: Representing Women- Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media- Hodder Arnold
[14] Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishings Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity
[15] Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishing’s Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity
[16] Mason, David, (2000) Race and Ethnicity, Modern Britain
[17]www. commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2007/01/no_blacks_no_dogs_no_irish.
[18] Bhabha, Homi (2004) Routledge Publishing’s: The Location of Culture
[19] Nick Lacey (1998)
Scary Movie Franchise:
* The movies mainly specialize in spoofing current, popular horror films
* Several mid and late 1990's movies have been spoofed
* Movies spoofed within the text are :-Halloween-I know what you did last summer-The sixth sense-The blair witch project-The usual suspects-The matrix
*Movies tagline is 'No mercy. No Shame. No Sequel**' The last reference was based upon popular horror movies becoming long running franchises
*Scary Movie 2 was released with the tagline 'We Lied'
*The movie followed with sequels Scary Movie 3 & 4
*The original title for 'Scream' was supposed to be 'Scary Movie' - This was later used as a spoof of the original scream film*Film was released through dimension filmsThe movie is relevant to the post modern society because of the fact that it contains elements of being ironic. The reason for this is because the texts refers to many fdifferent movies which the audiencwe would have already identified with. This helps creeate the spoof aspect of the movie creating comedy for the audince through the actions the characters take.
* The movies mainly specialize in spoofing current, popular horror films
* Several mid and late 1990's movies have been spoofed
* Movies spoofed within the text are :-Halloween-I know what you did last summer-The sixth sense-The blair witch project-The usual suspects-The matrix
*Movies tagline is 'No mercy. No Shame. No Sequel**' The last reference was based upon popular horror movies becoming long running franchises
*Scary Movie 2 was released with the tagline 'We Lied'
*The movie followed with sequels Scary Movie 3 & 4
*The original title for 'Scream' was supposed to be 'Scary Movie' - This was later used as a spoof of the original scream film*Film was released through dimension filmsThe movie is relevant to the post modern society because of the fact that it contains elements of being ironic. The reason for this is because the texts refers to many fdifferent movies which the audiencwe would have already identified with. This helps creeate the spoof aspect of the movie creating comedy for the audince through the actions the characters take.
Scream
Movies Made Reference To..
* A Nightmare on Elm Street
* Halloween sequels
* Night of the living dead
* Dementia 13
* Candy man
* Prom night
Key word Definitions & link to Scream Movie..
*Pastiche: This is a term used for a media text made up form other media text pieces or of imitations of other styles -This is linked to scream because the movie itself contains different movie immations within it. The text refers back to many different movies which enhances the different genre style promoted to the audience. The styles have been impacted on from the past, so the different repertoire of elements used in the horror genre over time would be deserted houses, final girl characters and iconicly recognisable murder weapons such as knifes and chainsaws.
*Irony: This is a term used to describe when humor is based on using words to suggest the opposite of their literal meaning -The text contains the usage of Irony so that the audiences can already be aware of the words and story lines the characters are playing on. If a character was to say who's there? the audience will automatically be aware that this character is about to die now because it is a rule to not ask questions about who is there, as well as this irony is used when characters are involved in sexual mating games, then the audience will already know how sex is punished and therefore these characters will certainly die.
*Intertextuality: This is referred to the practice of purposely including a reference of one text in the narrative of another, it can generate levels of meaning for the viewer -
*This is used in the text to help convey multiple meanings as well as creating awareness of the storyline for the audience. This is through mentioning certain texts, for instance if the movie Halloween was mentioned in Scream, then the characters would have a scene in the ,movie which would derive from the plot of Halloween etc.
Scream Franchise:* The movies have been directed by Wes Craven
* The plot revolves around a main phychopathic killer
* A signature device, started in Scream and continued in Scream 2 and Scream 3, was the typical "rules" for the slasher sub genre of horror movies being stated by the characters.In Scream, those rules (as described by Randy) are:You may not survive the movie if you have sex.You may not survive the movie if you drink or do drugs.You may not survive the movie if you say "I'll be right back","Hello?" or "Who's there?"A similar set of "rules" was used for the movie's trailer:Don't answer the phone Don't open the door Don't try to hide But most of all don't scream
Movies Made Reference To..
* A Nightmare on Elm Street
* Halloween sequels
* Night of the living dead
* Dementia 13
* Candy man
* Prom night
Key word Definitions & link to Scream Movie..
*Pastiche: This is a term used for a media text made up form other media text pieces or of imitations of other styles -This is linked to scream because the movie itself contains different movie immations within it. The text refers back to many different movies which enhances the different genre style promoted to the audience. The styles have been impacted on from the past, so the different repertoire of elements used in the horror genre over time would be deserted houses, final girl characters and iconicly recognisable murder weapons such as knifes and chainsaws.
*Irony: This is a term used to describe when humor is based on using words to suggest the opposite of their literal meaning -The text contains the usage of Irony so that the audiences can already be aware of the words and story lines the characters are playing on. If a character was to say who's there? the audience will automatically be aware that this character is about to die now because it is a rule to not ask questions about who is there, as well as this irony is used when characters are involved in sexual mating games, then the audience will already know how sex is punished and therefore these characters will certainly die.
*Intertextuality: This is referred to the practice of purposely including a reference of one text in the narrative of another, it can generate levels of meaning for the viewer -
*This is used in the text to help convey multiple meanings as well as creating awareness of the storyline for the audience. This is through mentioning certain texts, for instance if the movie Halloween was mentioned in Scream, then the characters would have a scene in the ,movie which would derive from the plot of Halloween etc.
Scream Franchise:* The movies have been directed by Wes Craven
* The plot revolves around a main phychopathic killer
* A signature device, started in Scream and continued in Scream 2 and Scream 3, was the typical "rules" for the slasher sub genre of horror movies being stated by the characters.In Scream, those rules (as described by Randy) are:You may not survive the movie if you have sex.You may not survive the movie if you drink or do drugs.You may not survive the movie if you say "I'll be right back","Hello?" or "Who's there?"A similar set of "rules" was used for the movie's trailer:Don't answer the phone Don't open the door Don't try to hide But most of all don't scream
'Elm Street' horror franchise
This franchise began with the film series, created by Wes Craven
This franchise began with the film series, created by Wes Craven
A nightmare on elm street 2: freddy's revenge
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
*The franchise consists of 8 Slasher movies, a television show, novels, and comic books
* The movie lead to the franchise being formed
* The franchise focuses upon main fictional character of Freddy Kruger
* Freddy Kruger was first introduced in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street(1984)'
* A series of sequels were produced by the independent film company 'New Line Cinema'
* Compared to other American horror film series, A Nightmare on Elm Street is the third highest grossing franchise
* Further'Wes Craven's New Nightmare' (1994) Nightmare Movie is reported to be released in 'April 2010'
'Wes Craven's New Nightmare' (1994) helped influence Scream, years on as it uses similiar techniques, such as the whole highschool theme and school/collage people being victims. It also has the murderer's face being covered which also is the same.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Friday 13th!!
From 1980 there has been several sequels to the original Friday 13th film...
There has been 12 different films, as follows:
*Friday the 13th (1980)
*Friday the 13th part 2 (1981)
*Friday the 13th part III (1982)
*Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
*Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
*Friday the 13th part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
*Friday the 13th part VII: The new Blood (1988)
*Friday the 13th part VII: The new Blood (1988)
*Friday the 13th part VIII: Jason takes Manhatten (1989)
*Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
*Jason X (2002)
*Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
*Friday the 13th (2009)
The original film was written by Victor Miller, and was produced and directed by Sean S. Cunningham neither returned to write or direct any of the sequels.
All the films have differ in genre and plot. The most popular range of Friday the 13th films that developed were that jason Vs Freddy series. These formed successful with audiences as they enjoyed the suspence are thrill of these tow chnaracters batteling it with one another.
'Halloween:UK'
I would keep some of the things the same in Halloween such as the main iconography in the film, for example the knives, blood and a serial killer.
one thing i would change however, the same repetitive music that keeps getting played when the killer is around. By not having this sound it does not make it so obvious to the audience that a killing is about to take place. However, i would still have some sort of dramatic music over those scenes to still create tension to the audience.
I would change the film, to had my horror to it, because personally i wasn't scared when watching it. This would then reflect the zeitgeist and audience expectations, as i believe that a slasher film has to be very scary in order for audiences to remember it nowadays. so, i would had my thrilling bits, to meet audiences expectations.
i would also change the beginning of the film, as it was a bit confusing to understand what was really going on. I'd make audiences more aware that the little boy killed his sister, when he was young and now he's escaped from the prison place, all these years on. i would maybe add a bit of a background history or flashbacks to help audiences understand what is really going on.
I would keep some of the things the same in Halloween such as the main iconography in the film, for example the knives, blood and a serial killer.
one thing i would change however, the same repetitive music that keeps getting played when the killer is around. By not having this sound it does not make it so obvious to the audience that a killing is about to take place. However, i would still have some sort of dramatic music over those scenes to still create tension to the audience.
I would change the film, to had my horror to it, because personally i wasn't scared when watching it. This would then reflect the zeitgeist and audience expectations, as i believe that a slasher film has to be very scary in order for audiences to remember it nowadays. so, i would had my thrilling bits, to meet audiences expectations.
i would also change the beginning of the film, as it was a bit confusing to understand what was really going on. I'd make audiences more aware that the little boy killed his sister, when he was young and now he's escaped from the prison place, all these years on. i would maybe add a bit of a background history or flashbacks to help audiences understand what is really going on.
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Targets to improve my Independent Study!!
What went well?
- Good sense of genre and key institutional details included.
- Good understanding of the text is shown through-out the essay
- Great use of research, linked to the text. (Representation of women, Asians, abusive men)
- Good use of SHEP and MIGRAIN linked them together.
Targets
- Firstly, I should make more analysis of key scenes in the film.
- Provide more examples in the film, when I raise an issue
- Link my paragraphs all together (make them all flow better)
- Talk about second wave feminism, how have progressed e.c.t....link to the zeitgeist
Bibliography improvements
-Put on my Internet sites I researched on
-State the works cited and consulted
- Layout the films/ television research better
Next Step
My next step would be including more examples from he text to back up some things i am stating. Also, i need to carry out a full genre analysis of Bollywood(using repertoire of element sheet). i should also try and include more on ideologies.
What went well?
- Good sense of genre and key institutional details included.
- Good understanding of the text is shown through-out the essay
- Great use of research, linked to the text. (Representation of women, Asians, abusive men)
- Good use of SHEP and MIGRAIN linked them together.
Targets
- Firstly, I should make more analysis of key scenes in the film.
- Provide more examples in the film, when I raise an issue
- Link my paragraphs all together (make them all flow better)
- Talk about second wave feminism, how have progressed e.c.t....link to the zeitgeist
Bibliography improvements
-Put on my Internet sites I researched on
-State the works cited and consulted
- Layout the films/ television research better
Next Step
My next step would be including more examples from he text to back up some things i am stating. Also, i need to carry out a full genre analysis of Bollywood(using repertoire of element sheet). i should also try and include more on ideologies.
Monday, 16 March 2009
CoverWork
Unit 1: Introducing Genre
-Genres or groups are not fixed definitions and that they change over time.
-Genres are not ‘fixed’
-In successful films we may find a pattern of repetition and difference.
Unit 2: Genre Classification
-Genre is not a fixed criteria for ‘entry’, it is dynamic.
-Repertoire of elements is certain classifications you expect to see in certain genre films, these include:
-Iconography
-Style
-setting
-narrative
-characters
-themes
Unit 3:Hollywood and Genre
-Genre began to decline cos genre theorist argued that 'genres began as fairly loose groupings that gradually evolved towards a mature or classic period.'
-Hollywood is a generic cinema, which is not quite the same as saying it is a cinema of genres (Richard Maltby 1995).
Unit 4:Audiences and Genres
There are four different audience pleasures, people getting from watching different genre films:Emotional pleasures...visceral pleasures...intelltual puzzles...Counter-culture attraction.
The role of pleasure in film viewing is pivotal in the relationship between the audience and the cinema
Unit 5: Stars and Genres
Monday, 9 February 2009
Asians in the Media
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/1628
This article is about the representation of the new Asian family in Eastenders, and how it is positive thing that the BBC is showing an Asian family since the Ferrias left. The number of Asians represented in Eastenders is not accurate, considering there meant to be reprsented the 'East End' of London.
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/2009/01/29/zee-ties-up-with-asian-woman-for-carnival/
This article is about the Zee carnival, it shows how the fashion bridal show 'Asian Woman'(advertising bridal wear). This is big sponor for the show is presente dAsians in a good light.
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/2009/02/09/slumdog-millionaire-wins-big-at-baftas/
Slumdog wins big at the Baftas. Slumdog Millionaire won, 7 awards at the Baftas, making it the most successful Indian based Brit sh film made. The representations of Indians living in India i believe are accurate and not over and under exaggerated. Slumdog, will be watching by millions now that it has won so many Baftas and loads poeple will be able to see how Indians really live in Inida.
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/1628
This article is about the representation of the new Asian family in Eastenders, and how it is positive thing that the BBC is showing an Asian family since the Ferrias left. The number of Asians represented in Eastenders is not accurate, considering there meant to be reprsented the 'East End' of London.
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/2009/01/29/zee-ties-up-with-asian-woman-for-carnival/
This article is about the Zee carnival, it shows how the fashion bridal show 'Asian Woman'(advertising bridal wear). This is big sponor for the show is presente dAsians in a good light.
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/2009/02/09/slumdog-millionaire-wins-big-at-baftas/
Slumdog wins big at the Baftas. Slumdog Millionaire won, 7 awards at the Baftas, making it the most successful Indian based Brit sh film made. The representations of Indians living in India i believe are accurate and not over and under exaggerated. Slumdog, will be watching by millions now that it has won so many Baftas and loads poeple will be able to see how Indians really live in Inida.
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Draft
How are Asian women represented in the film ‘Provoked’?
‘‘Kiranjit finds herself behind bars and her punishment is lifetime imprisonment but she is instead relived. Why? Because behind bars she finally found life…freedom’’
In the 21st Century there has been a great amount of change in the Asian lifestyle of living. Asian women however have always been seen as 2nd class citizens by their partners and in the eyes of the law- looking back into the 19th Century, and dominantly portrayed within Bollywood movies.
In turn, Provoked (2006, Jag Mundhrah) allows audiences to address the issue of domestic violence and rape, ‘‘within certain limits aggressive male behaviour is accepted as normal part of everyday life’’ [1] amongst Asian women. The film creates awareness of what potentially occurs within Asian family households. Provoked belongs with British drama genre, even though having elements of Indian/Bollywood film styles. These elements therefore add to the authenticity of the film as they allow Provoked to attract a wider audience and attempt to create consciousness amongst different ethnical cultures.
Within Bollywood films women are typically represented as weak and ‘‘passive females’’ [2], with males having full control over them. This was widely represented in the powerful Mother India (1957, Mehboob Khan) where the protagonist is shown to be susceptible at the start of the film, but then it concludes with her fighting back for women’s’ justice. This is also the case within Provoked-4 decades later, where Kiranjit Ahluwalia (played by Aishwarya Rai) is seen to be passive and vulnerable, serving 10 years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life but with the help of Southall Black Sisters she manages to find freedom and impartiality.
Aishwarya Rai, one of the biggest globally known women within film, is more commonly known for playing major roles within Bollywood movies. In films such as Devdas and Umrao Jaan where she is seen to be an ‘‘object of desire’’ [3] Aiswarya Rai seemed to appeal to the target audience of escapist males and females, with Devdas taken a spectacular £466,370 in its opening weekeing in Britain, furthermore making it the most successful Bollywood film ever made.
[1]Lewis Glen, 1983: Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press (pg 11)
[2]-Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[3]- Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
In contrast Provoked only took £140,104 in the box office in its opening weekend, which could be due to the fact audiences were not appeal to the actress when playing a more serious abusive role. Having Aishwarya Rai play such a dominant role in Provoked, attracts a much larger target audience to the film, in both western and eastern parts of the world. Furthermore, the use of Punjabi language throughout the film helps bring out the element of Indian cinema, which adds to the realism, as well as allowing audiences to help relate to Kiranjit as the victim.
According to the National Office of Statistics, Asians have become one of the fastest growing ethnicities in Britain today, with two million Asians in Britain by the end of 1999, an increase of more than half a million since the 1991 Census. Moreover, Asians have become a large proportion of the UK population and now are recognised by ‘the power of the brown pound’. This can be related to the proposal of how Asian films have be been increased vastly ‘over the last twenty years, attitudes in Britain towards Asian cultures have shifted, as has the taste of mainstream audiences for Asian-themed films’ [4] an example of this is through the success of films such as: ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2002) ‘Bride and Prejudice’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2004), ‘East is East’ (Damien O’ Donnell, 1999).
‘East is East’ [5] also tackles issues of domestic violence amongst Asian women, as we see the female Ella being brutally beaten by her Pakistani husband, George. ‘‘Asian men are sexist pigs who expect their wives to stay in the kitchen, not speak unless being spoken to, walk five paces behind their husband, and bear as many children as necessary until they give their husband a son.”[6]. George is represented as a very old fashioned dominant Asian husband, who expects his wife and children to respect him at all times. He conforms to the views of Asian men, that if they do not get their way they will resort to violence as a way to give them power and masculinity.
The stereotypical representation of an exploited Asian female is also a common image in a number of British Asian texts such as, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ [7] (Gurinder Chadha 1993) and ‘East is East’ [8] (Damien O'Donnell1999) where patriarchal values are evidently present.
[4]-//www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/475617/
[5]-http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166175
[6]- http://www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.html
[7]- Bhaji on the beach. Gurinder Chadha (1993)
[8]- East is East. Damien O'Donnell (1999)
‘‘Asians as a social group now encompass ‘3.5% of the population.’’ [9]Nevertheless, they are still often excessively under-represented on-screen with Asians and other ethnic minorities often playing the roles of ‘token’ characters. Men were more likely to be assertive, whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were seen as: Adventurous, active, and victorious. Women were shown as being: Weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, laughable or 'merely token females'. [10]
‘Under a patriarchal regime, women are, by definition, excluded from positions of power and authority’ [11]. Women were portrayed as submissive objects and were seen to be inferior towards males, as they were seen to be ‘breadwinners’. Women are dependant on males, as they are physically stronger then women, and the females are physically seen to be inferior towards them. ‘Provoked’ shows how Kiranjit; the female protagonist is dependant on her husband and this is why she suffered with 10 years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life before setting out her revenge.
''Media still replay the Madonna/whore dichotomy, and focus in a way untypical of any other crime on the victim or, as support groups now prefer to characterize her, 'the survivor’’[12]. Aishwarya Rai could symbolize ‘The Madonna’ through her costume and body language. She is represented as timid and quiet, not revealing her body or figure in any sexual way. She is portrayed as the perfect housewife whom just caters for her husband, whilst still getting vigorous abusive off him. This supports the idea that Asian women tend stick by their husbands just not to bring a bad name upon the family as this is culturally forbidden.
Stereotypes come from ideas and beliefs of one, which can be either negative or positive. As Provoked is based on a true story the representation of Deepak Ahluwalia seems to be fair as it is coming from ones first hand experience. Asian men are represented as being dominate and controlling in Provoked. In contrast some of the Dominant stereotypes of Asian men characterise them as effeminate (frail, meek, and passive) or as sexual deviants [13] this is something that Rudyard Kipling (the author of ‘The jungle book’) also quotes by saying Asian men are cowardly.
[9]- http://www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[10]-David Guntlett, Representation of Gender in the Past (2002)
[11]- A. Cranny-Francis, P.Stavropoulos, J.Kirkby (2003) Palagrave Macmillan Publishing’s: Gender Studies Terms and Debates (page 244)
[12]- Macdonald Myra: 1995: Representing Women- Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media- Hodder Arnold (Page 187)
[13]- Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishings Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity pg 129
However, this is different to what Deepak was represented as, as he was shown to be very masculine and powerful- which was different to the typical stereotype suggested my Kipling.
In addition Asian men are stereotyped as being ‘sexually undesirable’ [14] and this is represented in a scene where Kiranjit is forced to sleep with Deepak, simply due to the fact she is his wife and should obey what her husband wants.
Asians mainly came to Britain in the 1970s, where South Asians came to immigrate to the United Kingdom. When they did come there was a lot of racism targeted at them, ‘The term racism… is frequently used to express patriotic fervour and straightforward ignorance about other cultures’ [15] this was typical amongst Asians and were classified by the term ‘‘No Blacks, No Dogs, and No Irish’’[16]. However, now Asians have gained sufficient social power and economic status in Britain. Provoked deals with colonialism in terms of the relationship between east and west. Deepak could be said to have the outlook in life and attitudes to do with his family and cultural backgrounds. Homi Bhabha has said to have believed that it is not a case for Britain vs. India, but instead there is a ‘‘Third Space and Hybridity.’’[17]
Feminism has helped to show how Asian culture has developed because in the film Provoked we see that Kiranjit was helped out by the local ‘Southall Black Sisters’, which was a non-profit organization which was established in 1979 to meet the needs of black (Asian and African-Caribbean) women. Kiranjit was their first case, which they helped to free and get her released from her husband’s murder. Without the help of Southall Black Sisters, it was unlikely that Kiranjit would have been freed, so because of organizations like that- Asian culture is becoming more open, due to the issues and awareness raised in Provoked it may help other women in Kiranjit’s position feel at ease about speaking about their abusive.
The Mise-en- Scene in Provoked, particularly Aishwaria Rais’ costumes replicate on her compliance and fidelity towards her husband. She is always seen wearing tradition Indian dress, salwar kameez, along with typical Asian bangles and her wedding necklace, to symbolise she is a married woman.
[14]-Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishing’s Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity pg 129
[15]- Mason, David, (2000) Race and Ethnicity, Modern Britain Publishers (Page 9)
[16]http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2007/01/no_blacks_no_dogs_no_irish.
[17] Bhabha, Homi (2004) Routledge Publishing’s: The Location of Culture pg 402
This portrays the idea to the audience that even though she was born and raised in India and now living in Britain, she still has her cultural backgrounds, and this could be one of reasons why she has not confronted Deepak for all the abusive over the last 10years. She conforms to the idea that Asian women are just there to serve their husbands and are completely passive towards them.
The 20th century has become over ruled by female independence and their portrayal of being somewhat equal to men to a certain extent. Various mainstream Bollywood films such as ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)’ and ‘Dil to Paghal Hai (1997)’ have promoted women as being powerful and challenging patriarchal society. Kiranjit’s character in Provoked also challenges Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze, that women are ‘objectified for sexual imagery’ or just simply ‘sex objects’. Kiranjit challenges this stereotype as they is not just merely an object for desire, but instead a powerful woman, who raised the courage and strength to finally stand up to her abusive husband. However you may argue that she was still represented as the pretty, sincere and innocent housewife whom obeys her husband, which has been done to appeal to male audiences.
Provoked begins with the main characters conforming to stereotypical representations of both Asian men and women. Deepak is portrayed an alcoholic and physically abusive to his wife and Kiranjit is shown to be a typical housewife, taking care of her family and the home. ‘Women are often stereotyped as subservient to men, whether they are considered to be the dumb bimbo or a housewife, legitimizing their inferior position. [18]. Furthermore when the films narrative moves on the audience see the typical conventions of Kiranjit being challenged- as she breaks the norms and values of main stream Bollywood cinema, where we experience a female fighting back for her independence and freedom from her husband. Kiranjit does not follow the conventional qualities of an Asian woman shown in films. Contrasting from classical Bollywood movies Provoked positions the audience to see the narrative through the female perspective, this helps create sympathy and a relationship to the audience and the character.
‘Mother India (1957)’ and Provoked similarly begin with a flashback sequence of both protagonists in the films. Nargis, the female character of Mother India is portrayed as being strong and patriotic however the audience are also made aware that she is illiterate and the start of the film. This is also the case with Kiranjit from Provoked, but she is shown to be vulnerable and weak. Due to the fact that both women are illiterate they both suffer hardship through-out their lives. With both films portraying illiteracy in a different ways, it helps to emphasise the importance of education to the audience, as well as helping Asian women to develop academically- in order to help them achieve in life and stand up for themselves.
More recent films such as, ‘Metro (2006)’ and ‘Umrao Jaan(2002)' have clearly shown the changes of women in Bollywood films, decades ago. Women have become independent of their lives and have more control of what they do. This is what women fought for after world war two in the 1960s: ‘Second wave’. This refers to an increase in feminist activity, where women thrived to increase their status and create an individuality of their own. This act was formed to give women better righs and a say in society, moreover this is something that Asian women are now seen to be doing.
To conclude, women’s representations have changed vastly over the years, with them being portrayed as active individuals towards their husbands rather than just inferior as was seen in film decades ago. This was displayed through Provoked, where Kiranjit fights back towards her husband after fighting for 10years of sever abuse; she finally found the courage to stand up for herself. Additionally, Mainstream Bollywood films are progressively moving away from Mulvey’s theory of the active male and the passive female. It is still apparent that the symbolism of women in leading roles are still partial as patriarchal notions make it difficult for women to entirely break away from their stereotypical roles as they are still objectified sexually by males. In addition this idea was even displayed in Provoked, where Kiranjit was forced to sleep with Deepak because of her duty as a wife, she did so even though she did not want too, and it was not in her willpower to say ‘No’ to her husband.
Bibliography
Books
-Cranny-Francis, A., Kirby, J., Stavropolous, P. & Waring, W. (2003). Gender Studies: Terms and Debates. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Glen, L. (1983): Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press.
-Lee, J. (2004). Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and Ethnicity. New York: Routledge.
-Macdonald, M. (1995). Representing Women: Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media. London: A Hodder Arnold Publication.
-Mulvey, L. (2007). Visual and Other Pleasures (Language, Discourse, Society). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Films/Television
Bend it Like Beckham- (2002) Gurinder Chadha
Bhaji on the Beach-(1993) (Gurinder Chadha)
Bride and Prejudice- (2004) Gurinder Chadha
Dil to Paghal Hai (1997) Yash Chopra
East is East-(1999) Damien O ’Donnell
Goodness Gracious Me-(1998) Nick Wood
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai-(1998) Karan Johar
Metro- (2006) Vipul Amrutlal Shah
Mother India- (1957) Mehboob Khan
Provoked- (2006) Jag Mundhrah
Umrao Jaan-(2002) Muzaffar Ali
How are Asian women represented in the film ‘Provoked’?
‘‘Kiranjit finds herself behind bars and her punishment is lifetime imprisonment but she is instead relived. Why? Because behind bars she finally found life…freedom’’
In the 21st Century there has been a great amount of change in the Asian lifestyle of living. Asian women however have always been seen as 2nd class citizens by their partners and in the eyes of the law- looking back into the 19th Century, and dominantly portrayed within Bollywood movies.
In turn, Provoked (2006, Jag Mundhrah) allows audiences to address the issue of domestic violence and rape, ‘‘within certain limits aggressive male behaviour is accepted as normal part of everyday life’’ [1] amongst Asian women. The film creates awareness of what potentially occurs within Asian family households. Provoked belongs with British drama genre, even though having elements of Indian/Bollywood film styles. These elements therefore add to the authenticity of the film as they allow Provoked to attract a wider audience and attempt to create consciousness amongst different ethnical cultures.
Within Bollywood films women are typically represented as weak and ‘‘passive females’’ [2], with males having full control over them. This was widely represented in the powerful Mother India (1957, Mehboob Khan) where the protagonist is shown to be susceptible at the start of the film, but then it concludes with her fighting back for women’s’ justice. This is also the case within Provoked-4 decades later, where Kiranjit Ahluwalia (played by Aishwarya Rai) is seen to be passive and vulnerable, serving 10 years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life but with the help of Southall Black Sisters she manages to find freedom and impartiality.
Aishwarya Rai, one of the biggest globally known women within film, is more commonly known for playing major roles within Bollywood movies. In films such as Devdas and Umrao Jaan where she is seen to be an ‘‘object of desire’’ [3] Aiswarya Rai seemed to appeal to the target audience of escapist males and females, with Devdas taken a spectacular £466,370 in its opening weekeing in Britain, furthermore making it the most successful Bollywood film ever made.
[1]Lewis Glen, 1983: Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press (pg 11)
[2]-Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
[3]- Mulvey, Laura, 1975: Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema
In contrast Provoked only took £140,104 in the box office in its opening weekend, which could be due to the fact audiences were not appeal to the actress when playing a more serious abusive role. Having Aishwarya Rai play such a dominant role in Provoked, attracts a much larger target audience to the film, in both western and eastern parts of the world. Furthermore, the use of Punjabi language throughout the film helps bring out the element of Indian cinema, which adds to the realism, as well as allowing audiences to help relate to Kiranjit as the victim.
According to the National Office of Statistics, Asians have become one of the fastest growing ethnicities in Britain today, with two million Asians in Britain by the end of 1999, an increase of more than half a million since the 1991 Census. Moreover, Asians have become a large proportion of the UK population and now are recognised by ‘the power of the brown pound’. This can be related to the proposal of how Asian films have be been increased vastly ‘over the last twenty years, attitudes in Britain towards Asian cultures have shifted, as has the taste of mainstream audiences for Asian-themed films’ [4] an example of this is through the success of films such as: ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2002) ‘Bride and Prejudice’ (Gurinder Chadha, 2004), ‘East is East’ (Damien O’ Donnell, 1999).
‘East is East’ [5] also tackles issues of domestic violence amongst Asian women, as we see the female Ella being brutally beaten by her Pakistani husband, George. ‘‘Asian men are sexist pigs who expect their wives to stay in the kitchen, not speak unless being spoken to, walk five paces behind their husband, and bear as many children as necessary until they give their husband a son.”[6]. George is represented as a very old fashioned dominant Asian husband, who expects his wife and children to respect him at all times. He conforms to the views of Asian men, that if they do not get their way they will resort to violence as a way to give them power and masculinity.
The stereotypical representation of an exploited Asian female is also a common image in a number of British Asian texts such as, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ [7] (Gurinder Chadha 1993) and ‘East is East’ [8] (Damien O'Donnell1999) where patriarchal values are evidently present.
[4]-//www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/475617/
[5]-http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166175
[6]- http://www.bitterasianmen.com/parents.html
[7]- Bhaji on the beach. Gurinder Chadha (1993)
[8]- East is East. Damien O'Donnell (1999)
‘‘Asians as a social group now encompass ‘3.5% of the population.’’ [9]Nevertheless, they are still often excessively under-represented on-screen with Asians and other ethnic minorities often playing the roles of ‘token’ characters. Men were more likely to be assertive, whilst women were more likely to be passive. Men were seen as: Adventurous, active, and victorious. Women were shown as being: Weak, ineffectual, victimised, supportive, laughable or 'merely token females'. [10]
‘Under a patriarchal regime, women are, by definition, excluded from positions of power and authority’ [11]. Women were portrayed as submissive objects and were seen to be inferior towards males, as they were seen to be ‘breadwinners’. Women are dependant on males, as they are physically stronger then women, and the females are physically seen to be inferior towards them. ‘Provoked’ shows how Kiranjit; the female protagonist is dependant on her husband and this is why she suffered with 10 years of physical and mental abuse, which threatened her life before setting out her revenge.
''Media still replay the Madonna/whore dichotomy, and focus in a way untypical of any other crime on the victim or, as support groups now prefer to characterize her, 'the survivor’’[12]. Aishwarya Rai could symbolize ‘The Madonna’ through her costume and body language. She is represented as timid and quiet, not revealing her body or figure in any sexual way. She is portrayed as the perfect housewife whom just caters for her husband, whilst still getting vigorous abusive off him. This supports the idea that Asian women tend stick by their husbands just not to bring a bad name upon the family as this is culturally forbidden.
Stereotypes come from ideas and beliefs of one, which can be either negative or positive. As Provoked is based on a true story the representation of Deepak Ahluwalia seems to be fair as it is coming from ones first hand experience. Asian men are represented as being dominate and controlling in Provoked. In contrast some of the Dominant stereotypes of Asian men characterise them as effeminate (frail, meek, and passive) or as sexual deviants [13] this is something that Rudyard Kipling (the author of ‘The jungle book’) also quotes by saying Asian men are cowardly.
[9]- http://www.bl.uk/collections/business/asiandemographics.html
[10]-David Guntlett, Representation of Gender in the Past (2002)
[11]- A. Cranny-Francis, P.Stavropoulos, J.Kirkby (2003) Palagrave Macmillan Publishing’s: Gender Studies Terms and Debates (page 244)
[12]- Macdonald Myra: 1995: Representing Women- Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media- Hodder Arnold (Page 187)
[13]- Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishings Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity pg 129
However, this is different to what Deepak was represented as, as he was shown to be very masculine and powerful- which was different to the typical stereotype suggested my Kipling.
In addition Asian men are stereotyped as being ‘sexually undesirable’ [14] and this is represented in a scene where Kiranjit is forced to sleep with Deepak, simply due to the fact she is his wife and should obey what her husband wants.
Asians mainly came to Britain in the 1970s, where South Asians came to immigrate to the United Kingdom. When they did come there was a lot of racism targeted at them, ‘The term racism… is frequently used to express patriotic fervour and straightforward ignorance about other cultures’ [15] this was typical amongst Asians and were classified by the term ‘‘No Blacks, No Dogs, and No Irish’’[16]. However, now Asians have gained sufficient social power and economic status in Britain. Provoked deals with colonialism in terms of the relationship between east and west. Deepak could be said to have the outlook in life and attitudes to do with his family and cultural backgrounds. Homi Bhabha has said to have believed that it is not a case for Britain vs. India, but instead there is a ‘‘Third Space and Hybridity.’’[17]
Feminism has helped to show how Asian culture has developed because in the film Provoked we see that Kiranjit was helped out by the local ‘Southall Black Sisters’, which was a non-profit organization which was established in 1979 to meet the needs of black (Asian and African-Caribbean) women. Kiranjit was their first case, which they helped to free and get her released from her husband’s murder. Without the help of Southall Black Sisters, it was unlikely that Kiranjit would have been freed, so because of organizations like that- Asian culture is becoming more open, due to the issues and awareness raised in Provoked it may help other women in Kiranjit’s position feel at ease about speaking about their abusive.
The Mise-en- Scene in Provoked, particularly Aishwaria Rais’ costumes replicate on her compliance and fidelity towards her husband. She is always seen wearing tradition Indian dress, salwar kameez, along with typical Asian bangles and her wedding necklace, to symbolise she is a married woman.
[14]-Lee, Jenifer (2004) Routledge Publishing’s Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and ethnicity pg 129
[15]- Mason, David, (2000) Race and Ethnicity, Modern Britain Publishers (Page 9)
[16]http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2007/01/no_blacks_no_dogs_no_irish.
[17] Bhabha, Homi (2004) Routledge Publishing’s: The Location of Culture pg 402
This portrays the idea to the audience that even though she was born and raised in India and now living in Britain, she still has her cultural backgrounds, and this could be one of reasons why she has not confronted Deepak for all the abusive over the last 10years. She conforms to the idea that Asian women are just there to serve their husbands and are completely passive towards them.
The 20th century has become over ruled by female independence and their portrayal of being somewhat equal to men to a certain extent. Various mainstream Bollywood films such as ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)’ and ‘Dil to Paghal Hai (1997)’ have promoted women as being powerful and challenging patriarchal society. Kiranjit’s character in Provoked also challenges Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze, that women are ‘objectified for sexual imagery’ or just simply ‘sex objects’. Kiranjit challenges this stereotype as they is not just merely an object for desire, but instead a powerful woman, who raised the courage and strength to finally stand up to her abusive husband. However you may argue that she was still represented as the pretty, sincere and innocent housewife whom obeys her husband, which has been done to appeal to male audiences.
Provoked begins with the main characters conforming to stereotypical representations of both Asian men and women. Deepak is portrayed an alcoholic and physically abusive to his wife and Kiranjit is shown to be a typical housewife, taking care of her family and the home. ‘Women are often stereotyped as subservient to men, whether they are considered to be the dumb bimbo or a housewife, legitimizing their inferior position. [18]. Furthermore when the films narrative moves on the audience see the typical conventions of Kiranjit being challenged- as she breaks the norms and values of main stream Bollywood cinema, where we experience a female fighting back for her independence and freedom from her husband. Kiranjit does not follow the conventional qualities of an Asian woman shown in films. Contrasting from classical Bollywood movies Provoked positions the audience to see the narrative through the female perspective, this helps create sympathy and a relationship to the audience and the character.
‘Mother India (1957)’ and Provoked similarly begin with a flashback sequence of both protagonists in the films. Nargis, the female character of Mother India is portrayed as being strong and patriotic however the audience are also made aware that she is illiterate and the start of the film. This is also the case with Kiranjit from Provoked, but she is shown to be vulnerable and weak. Due to the fact that both women are illiterate they both suffer hardship through-out their lives. With both films portraying illiteracy in a different ways, it helps to emphasise the importance of education to the audience, as well as helping Asian women to develop academically- in order to help them achieve in life and stand up for themselves.
More recent films such as, ‘Metro (2006)’ and ‘Umrao Jaan(2002)' have clearly shown the changes of women in Bollywood films, decades ago. Women have become independent of their lives and have more control of what they do. This is what women fought for after world war two in the 1960s: ‘Second wave’. This refers to an increase in feminist activity, where women thrived to increase their status and create an individuality of their own. This act was formed to give women better righs and a say in society, moreover this is something that Asian women are now seen to be doing.
To conclude, women’s representations have changed vastly over the years, with them being portrayed as active individuals towards their husbands rather than just inferior as was seen in film decades ago. This was displayed through Provoked, where Kiranjit fights back towards her husband after fighting for 10years of sever abuse; she finally found the courage to stand up for herself. Additionally, Mainstream Bollywood films are progressively moving away from Mulvey’s theory of the active male and the passive female. It is still apparent that the symbolism of women in leading roles are still partial as patriarchal notions make it difficult for women to entirely break away from their stereotypical roles as they are still objectified sexually by males. In addition this idea was even displayed in Provoked, where Kiranjit was forced to sleep with Deepak because of her duty as a wife, she did so even though she did not want too, and it was not in her willpower to say ‘No’ to her husband.
Bibliography
Books
-Cranny-Francis, A., Kirby, J., Stavropolous, P. & Waring, W. (2003). Gender Studies: Terms and Debates. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Glen, L. (1983): Real Men like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence. Kenhurst: Kangaroo press.
-Lee, J. (2004). Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and Ethnicity. New York: Routledge.
-Macdonald, M. (1995). Representing Women: Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media. London: A Hodder Arnold Publication.
-Mulvey, L. (2007). Visual and Other Pleasures (Language, Discourse, Society). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Films/Television
Bend it Like Beckham- (2002) Gurinder Chadha
Bhaji on the Beach-(1993) (Gurinder Chadha)
Bride and Prejudice- (2004) Gurinder Chadha
Dil to Paghal Hai (1997) Yash Chopra
East is East-(1999) Damien O ’Donnell
Goodness Gracious Me-(1998) Nick Wood
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai-(1998) Karan Johar
Metro- (2006) Vipul Amrutlal Shah
Mother India- (1957) Mehboob Khan
Provoked- (2006) Jag Mundhrah
Umrao Jaan-(2002) Muzaffar Ali
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