Representation of Asian Women in Films

The portrayal of some Asian characters in films as docile, submissive or even as a threat to American society causes dangers to a lot of Asian people in reality. Edward Said also points out that these assumptions about the East and Eastern people strengthen "a web of racism, cultural stereotypes, political imperialism, dehumanizing ideology…". Some Western film producers or writers inadvertently employ Orientalist ideas by stereotyping Asian characters in Hollywood films. For example, Muslims are often represented as terrorists; the Indians are lazy;
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Rotten Tomato Review

Provoked Year Released: 2007
Directed By: Jag Mundhra
Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Miranda Richardson, Naveen Andrews, Rebecca Pidgeon, Nandita Das, Robbie Coltrane, Steve McFadden, Nicholas Irons, Lorraine Bruce(NR, 113 min.)

What should have turned out as a terrific movie about the crime of spousal abuse has instead received the equivalent of a ham-handed molestation by director Mundhra. The film, which fictionalizes several aspects of this legal saga based on a true incident, tells the story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia (Rai), a Punjabi housewife in London, who after enduring 10 years of beatings and rape at the hand of her husband Deepak (Lost's Andrews), burns him to death in his bed while he is asleep. The seemingly meek and passive Kiranjit is remanded to prison for murder, but as her appeal wends its way through the British legal system, the case becomes a precedent-setter for that country's use of the battered-woman's defense. The impressive cast of actors raises Provoked's game somewhat, but still the film's mixture of melodrama and women-in-prison tropes is muted to the point of disinterest. There is no background, psychology, or dimension given to these characters in the screenplay by Carl Austin and Rahila Gupta. Furthermore, Mundhra, a filmmaker whose substantial career primarily comprises direct-to-video, softcore thrillers, delivers a work that is barely adequate in terms of its camera choices and shot compositions, pacing and editing. Provoked is additionally hobbled by the story's episodic structure that periodically inserts typewritten datelines for a journalistic effect, which only winds up disrupting any potential dramatic buildup. Bollywood superstar Rai, often referred to as the most beautiful woman in the world, tones down her stunning features and goes for a natural and unenhanced look (especially once inside prison). Unfortunately, her unvarnished look also extends to her performance, which seems too mild and remote especially for Western audiences and a non-Bollywood feature that doesn't call on her to parlay some of her best assets: singing and dancing. However, even though this is a British-made film, it's impossible not to wonder how this story that stars the national treasure Rai plays in India and other Punjabi enclaves throughout the world. The situation calls to mind the 1984 American television film, The Burning Bed, starring beauty icon Farrah Fawcett and covering surprisingly similar material. Provoked's women-in-prison aspect also disappoints, especially when gauged against the outrageousness of the American subgenre, although Richardson as Kiranjit's cell mate Ronnie gives the film its only real vibrancy. Kiranjit, who claims she finally feels free in prison, receives a cliched version of the sisterhood-is-powerful theme and then vanishes again into the background.

- These quotes suggest that provoked is somewhat confusing as there is too much going on in the narrative. This presents the womens confusion of what they should do in domestic violence.

The Guardian film review by..Philip French

Provoked has an important true-life story to tell, of how Punjabi woman Kiranjit Ahluwalia (Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai) came to England after an arranged marriage to a violent, drunken sadist and bore him two children. In 1988, unable to bear the brutality any longer, she poured petrol over him as he slept and set him alight. She was convicted of murder and jailed for 20 years, but after an appeal three years later, the charge was reduced to manslaughter and she was freed, the case creating a major precedent concerning the nature of provocation.

The film is decent enough but stilted and uncertain, and it doesn't get beneath the surface of the Indian community. The casting of a familiar heavy from EastEnders as a cop and a comedian from 'Allo 'Allo as a barrister creates a certain unease. There is, however, a peculiar poignancy in the presence as Kiranjit's cellmate of Miranda Richardson, who made her unforgettable movie debut as Ruth Ellis in Dance With a Stranger

- this quote suggests that the movie is satisfactory, however it does not get in to the extreme detail in order to explain the fundamentals of the indian society.

Migrain...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMrzYzIMMRA

M: In the trailer there are many uses of close-up shots especially on Aishwaryar’s tearful eyes, making the audience feel sympathetic towards her character. The huge use of emotional hard hitting shots, make the audience recognise and identify with the protagonist. The colours used are mainly dark, making the audience feel that the movie is pessimistic. the tone of music shows that there is something dark and deep with emotion unravelling in this movie.

I: Eros International

G: This a true story, with a 'Drama' genre, it can also be seen as a genre of Justice and revenge.

R: -The male is shown to be powerful and heavily dictates towards Kiranjit. It is also portraying male dominance and how we live in a patriarchal society. -The female character is represented as being 'provoked' and the victim in the situation, she is portrayed at being highly inferior compared to Deepak.

A: The target audience for this film is mainly females falling into a vast age group. This film would appeal to individuals aged from 18 to 50; who would fall in the B, C1, and C2 social class. -It would attract family based audience.

I: the ideology that the film is setting out is that do not let men rule the females and to fight back and to reject the patriarchal society. It is heavily based on justice

N: The story line for this film, starts off by a Nuclear family and then by the use of domestic violence, it ruins their relationship. -binary oppositions are imposed, such as good vs. evil

Theorists-LAURA MULVEY

Laura Mulvey, a typical feminist had based her study on the most famous work of ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema during 1973. What this really was about was the work of Hollywood films, and how the males were seen to be the main protagonist. This can be seen to be very ironic at the fact that looking at today’s generation females are seen to be the main protagonist as the audience can identify with them and relate back to them, however this was one of Mulvey’s aim in her study. She added on to say that the audience become familiar with the males protagonist by identification, admiration and aspiration.

The ‘male gaze’ simply means when females are seen to be sex objects, and in movies are only there to be looked at.

Linked to Provoked...
This can be linked back to my study, as I can easily mention the male gaze, looking at Provoked, we see Aishwarya to be the main protagonist as she gets abused by her husband, hence, during the scene of her getting raped by her husband ‘ Sopophilia is seen, we as the audience (male) enjoy watching this happen even though Aishwarya is not portrayed to be a sex symbol.

This is a review i found on IMDb, i found the review interesting, and i agree with most of the comments made..i agree that Aishwarya Rai's performance was brilliant, and very convincing. The film has brilliant aspects of sympathy; which looks extremely real..

REVIEW ON PROVOKED

What I found most compelling about this movie is the way in which the core subject matter of the husband abusing his wife was revealed to the audience. It didn't focus entirely on the actual act of abuse which is something the movie could've easily gone in the direction of. One might argue that showing the actual scenes might've garnered more sympathy for Kiranjit but I beg to differ. I think by showing glimpses of the violence and leaving much to the imagination the director has done well to extract genuine sympathy from his audience. I must also mention that Aishwarya Rai has portrayed this role earnestly and might perhaps be the peacock feather in her acting career. She was apt, didn't over or under act and perfectly exhibited the emotional trauma that Kiranjit might've actually been through. The movie was controlled realism, in it that it portrayed the story realistically but didn't go into the gory details, which I believe isn't necessary at all.