Ideology in Film

1. What is ideology and how can it be implicit vs. explicit?

Ideology refers to the values/viewpoints and meanings/messages that a media text such as a film might be able to communicate to the viewer. Ideology can be implicit because it is the more debatable meanings of the film. This can go beyond the conscious intentions of the filmmaker, which then requires film analysis and a reasoned argument. On the other hand, ideology can be explicit because it is what a character in a film or a director/producer/writer declare the subject of the film to be. 

2. Ideology and Expectations: Give an example of an a actor that presents a predictable ideological package that studios are quick to use. List as many of their film roles as possible – noting the particular actions/dialogues associated with the character that they play. Make a list of the five adjectives that you think best capture their typical role. Produce a detailed description of what you think their next role will be like.

Jennifer Aniston

"Just Go With It" (2011)- office manager and best friend, a divorced mother of two

"The Switch" (2010)- decides she wants to have a baby and chooses to do so alone

"The Bounty Hunter" (2010)- an investigative reporter who has been arrested for assaulting a police officer.

"The Break Up" (2006)-manages an art gallery. feeling unappreciated, criticizes Gary's immaturity and unwillingness to work on their relationship.

"Marley and Me" (2008)- Jenny Grogan: a wife/mother who adopts a dog which ends up making her balance the home life and her relationship with her husband.

"Horrible Bosses" (2011)- a former boss, claiming she was "very sexually aggressive with everybody"

Typical role for next film: Conflicted, romantic, aggressive, unstable, 

Jennifer Aniston's next film will probably have to do with a film having to do with a romance while also playing a comedic role. Most likely her role will be a lead role with a male counterpart. In this film, she will have to overcome the difficulties of love which are caused by differences between the two. 

3.Personal Ideologies and the Enjoyment of Film: Think of a film that you enjoy and know well. Consider which characters you like. Analyze your favorite character using these useful questions to bear in mind when considering ideology are:

 Greena Davis (Dottie Hinson)

A. What is it that you like about them and what has the filmmaker done to encourage you to feel this way?

I like that Dottie is a strong independent woman who fights for her own. I like that in the film, she comes across as strong and dependable but at times we see her get weak, but then only to see how strong she becomes afterwards. To create this effect, the filmmaker has developed a relationship between her and her younger sister Kit. We see through out this film how they have an emotional ride together, especially at the end of this film. Being able to have a strong independent character become weak and vulnerable at times helps relate the character to the real world. 

B. What values am I being asked to share or reject?

The value I am being asked to share is that the relationships we build are more important than anything else. The value I am being asked to reject is that ignorance wont get you anywhere in life because you aren't open to new things.

C. How are my feelings being manipulated to prefer one viewpoint over another? (Camera placement/movement and editing are particularly important here.)

My feelings are being manipulated to prefer one viewpoint over another because of the camera placement/movement and editing techniques. Camera placement/movement can manipulate my feelings because of the close ups used to show the emotional aspects being portrayed in the scenes. An editing technique used to help manipulate my feelings to prefer one viewpoint over another would be the use of slowing the speed down on the frame. This developed questions in my thoughts and feelings because what you saw before was normal time whereas now the speed is reduced to help drag out your feelings in order for you to notice what you are feelings and grab a hold of that emotion. 

D. Why might a filmmaker want me to prefer one viewpoint to another?

The reason why a filmmaker might want to prefer one viewpoint to another is because the filmmaker might be trying to reveal the under the surface meaning behind the film to the audience in order to understand their intentions. Penny Marshall might want to prefer one viewpoint to another because she doesn't want the audience to choose a side when it comes to the sisters. She wants you to realize that neither of them is better then the other; she wants you to realize how important the relationship is over a prized possession. 

E. What are the artistic/financial consequences of filmmakers trying to predict what an audience might approve/disapprove of?

If the intended audience for the film disapprove of the film, then the film has no intentions of reaching out to the audience. The previews are specific scenes taken from the film that are suppose to emotionally grab the audiences attention. Sometimes these previews can be deceiving which when it comes to the actual film, the audience can give bad reviews. This means that there will be bad box ratings for the film. 

F. What are the artistic/financial consequences of filmmakers trying to predict what a film's financier might approve/disapprove of?

If the film's financier might disapprove of the film which could cause a major finance problem. It can cause a problem with the investors. This is because the investors that help with the films budget might not want to pay for the film which can put a hold on the film. This can lead to a big waste of money and time which is critical in the film industry. 

 

4. Changing Ideologies: Why would the ideologies of a given era or time period change the way a narrative is presented to its audience? Can you give an example of a film narrative that has changed over generations? 

Cultural ideologies are a set of beliefs embodied within political, religious, media, and educational institutes within society and are open to change. An example of a film narrative that has changed over generations is the film "Footloose". We can see that in the remake of the 1984 film "Footloose", the 2011 remake has a more modern look to it. It makes the film look like the present day. 

5. Ideology and the "Effects" Debate: Do you feel that films can affect you and your behavior without being conscience of it?

I definitely believe that films can affect you and your behavior without being conscience of it. I think in order to actually enjoy a film, you have to let your emotions run free with the course of the film. You have to let the film take control of your emotions because that way you aren't using your emotions to depict the film. I also think that you need to be able to accept what you are seeing and hearing through out the film. Once you have accepted the film as it is, it becomes a part of your choices.

6. Ideology and Realism:Define Suspension of disbelief and give an example from a recent film you have watched.

Suspension of disbelief means that we make assumptions whether or not the fictional world of the film is real of not. Sometimes we have no personal experiences of what we see on screen, but yet we still accept it as real. An example of a recent film that I have watched would be the film, "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol". Suspension of disbelief contributes to this film because during the course of the film we learn more and more about Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). In the beginning of the film, we learn that he is an intelligent IMF spy. Through out the film, based off of his experiences and training's we believe in his course of actions. We believe that he is making the right decisions solely based on who his is and his occupation. 

7. Ideology & ownership: Does the financial support of a film or the ownership of a production company influence the ideology represented in a film? Explain with an example.

The financial support or the ownership of a production company influences the ideology represented in a film because the film is owned by large corporations. They are being controlled by a large corporation so what they say must be done. This is where the films budget money comes in, which is why these ownerships of production and financial support are so important. If the financial support director doesn't agree with something then the director wont have the money to do what he wants, so a compromise must be made. An example of this type of ownership of production would be film companies like Disney, Paramount pictures, Pixar, Dreamworks, etc. Throughout the Disney films, we see a reoccurring plot with a good guy and a bad guy. Also in the end, the bad guy always loses whereas the good guy always wins. For example, some films that follow this are "The Lion King", "Cinderella", "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", "Sleeping Beauty", and so on. The list goes on and on and on. But because these films were under the production of Disney, they had to follow Disney's ways in order to keep up with Disney's reputation.