Women Within The Film Industry

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by penfold It's probably the subject that's been set by the lecturer....and they've probably been sent here. Don't let's put the kids off trying to learn about our little area of film appreciation before they get their heads round the door ?? They don't know we've had the same question dozens of times.....I'd help but I've only seen MI2...

Well said, Penfold. Although repeated asking of virtually the same question can be tiresome, we should try to remember what it was like as a student. Maybe we didn't have such easy access to a large and somewhat captive audience in our day but I bet we'd be asking the same questions now if we were in their position.

Sorry, I can't actually help as I've seen even fewer of Morrison's choices than Penfold!

[ChristineCB]

Yes, my perenial complaint isn't about students but that I never read some thread-closing comment from them to discuss their paper's ulimate goals or arguments.

I think Nudity In Film would be an interesting notion. It's often dealing with women and sexuality, but when hearing the audiences' snickers fade as the Nazis seperated Healthy from Dying queues in SCHINDLERS, there are other uses of nudity in film.

[Morrison]

Slightly strange that the person with the more productive answer was in fact a junior member! Come on senior members stop discussin students and help us out plz! Can anyone suggest any articles/ links to articles about women in film as the internet is rubbish for trying specific searches all i end up finding is articles on either women or film! Plz try 2 giv us a hand! cheers!

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by Morrison Slightly strange that the person with the more productive answer was in fact a junior member! Come on senior members stop discussin students and help us out plz! Can anyone suggest any articles/ links to articles about women in film as the internet is rubbish for trying specific searches all i end up finding is articles on either women or film! Plz try 2 giv us a hand! cheers!

I've just tried a google search for "women in film" [note quotation marks] and it threw up two further suggestions that looked promising with a list of sites under "women in films " and women in film noir".

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Morrison hey this is my first post on Brit Movies so plz try and help me out with my question i am studying media for a level and am looking at women in film. Specifically i'm looking at the representation of women by female and male directors and the representation of women in male dominated genres. I am studying 4 films. 2 action adventure and 2 football films. Goal! and Bend It Like Beckham. MI:2 and Point Break. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I should be looking at?:blink: I have quite a few of my own ideas and am well into my research but i would love anyone elses's input cheers!

Looking at women in film? Some people have all the luck.

The only one of the four you mention that I've seen is Bend It Like Beckham. I thought it was very good and would suggest that you compare it to some of Gurinder Chadha's other work like Bhaji on the Beach (1993) or Bride & Prejudice (2004) as a comparison

Steve

[DB7]

Originally Posted by Morrison Slightly strange that the person with the more productive answer was in fact a junior member! Come on senior members stop discussin students and help us out plz! Can anyone suggest any articles/ links to articles about women in film as the internet is rubbish for trying specific searches all i end up finding is articles on either women or film! Plz try 2 giv us a hand! cheers!

Use the forum search facility. It's a well-worn topic.

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by Morrison hey this is my first post on Brit Movies so plz try and help me out with my question i am studying media for a level and am looking at women in film. Specifically i'm looking at the representation of women by female and male directors and the representation of women in male dominated genres. I am studying 4 films. 2 action adventure and 2 football films. Goal! and Bend It Like Beckham. MI:2 and Point Break. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I should be looking at?:blink: I have quite a few of my own ideas and am well into my research but i would love anyone elses's input cheers!

To enlarge your own ideas:
I cannot help you with the 2 football films, but perhaps for two 'action adventure' you could look at WW2 films based on real heroines. Odette and Carve Her Name With Pride. Odette stars Anna Neagle and is directed by her husband Herbert Wilcox. Carve Her Name With Pride is directed by Lewis Gilbert and stars Virginia McKenna as Violette Szabo . Both of these women joined the SOE and these films tell of their stories in occupied France.

I do urge you though to try to see (written and directed by) Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata with Liv Ullman and Ingrid Bergman. Put aside your football and action, adventure and simply watch this film.

Freddy

[MikeA]

Originally Posted by Morrison hey this is my first post on Brit Movies so plz try and help me out with my question i am studying media for a level and am looking at women in film. Specifically i'm looking at the representation of women by female and male directors and the representation of women in male dominated genres. I am studying 4 films. 2 action adventure and 2 football films. Goal! and Bend It Like Beckham. MI:2 and Point Break. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I should be looking at?:blink: I have quite a few of my own ideas and am well into my research but i would love anyone elses's input cheers!

If you're studying the representation of women then some of the things you might look at includes:

what they're wearing (or not wearing)
compare their lines with that of the male actors in the film
whether they're stereotypes
does their character have any depth
does their character exist simply as a plot device
is their character taken seriously
does their character show any initiative
does their character instigate any of the action

I've seen two of the films you're looking at: Bend It Like Beckham, which I really enjoyed, and MI2, which I really didn't. There's a wealth of material in these two alone I would have thought. Good luck with the study.

[kreff1110]

Hi I cant think of any films of the top of my head that describe, this but have you had a look at the femme fatal.

On another note im also new to the site and I have been looking at the representation of the nation in war films.

If anyone has any views on that subject i would be greatful, i am particualy looking at the films "Millions Like Us and "This Happy Breed"

[penfold]

If you're after the representation of women in British wartime cinema, you need to find a copy of Antonia Lant's 'Blackout; Reinventing women for wartime cinema'. I don't necessarily agree with all of it, but it's a good overview..

[WiseFilms]

Originally Posted by ChristineCB I think Nudity In Film would be an interesting notion. It's often dealing with women and sexuality, but when hearing the audiences' snickers fade as the Nazis separated Healthy from Dying queues in SCHINDLERS, there are other uses of nudity in film.

I've reread this several times, Christine, and was wondering if you could clue me in on what you were getting at?
Not being a fan of Mr. Spielberg, and particularly not being a fan of Shindlers List, I have little tolerance for the way he used nudity in this film.
The only S.S. (excuse the unfortunate abbreviation) movie that has a semi-mature use of sexuality or nudity, was Munich, and look how that lit up the box offices.

Jon

[faceoff]

Originally Posted by julian_craster Not another STUDENT ! Why not do something a bit more original? 'Women in Film' by young females has been done to death !! Why not try 'children in film', 'boys in film' ?

Is that first line jocular, Julian?

The second line is irrelevant - you do what you do - the others that went before do not count - I would hope my work added to the canon. The third line? why not wombats in film? Because the project is Women in film

I was a student once and that sort of attitude by other than students is very off putting.

Wendy Hiller was a wonder "I know Where I'm going" or "Major Barbara" - Brenda de Banzie in "Hobson's Choice" are a good start. Dana Wynters in "Sink The Bismark"

[ChristineCB]

Does anyone know what course is recommending this forum to students?

Do you know what the students gain from their generally glacier-sized topic of inquiry? (I mean, there are probably dozens or hundreds of 500-page books written on "Women In Film", and even if 90% of those pages are repetitive and unsubstantiated arguments, the other 50 pages would inundate any professor's reading time!)

The Women's Sexuality thread by Niasha (sp??) was minorly more specific and generated more discussion.

But what good can that do for the student? Does quoting Internet opinionists now qualify as 'substantive research'?!! (Although why not? Who among us has complete knowledge about published reviewers or authors, which most of us never know outside of the covers of their work.)

My next criticism of using this forum is that, in general, the same core group offers their opinions and a "researcher" only gets to read 10 or 20 writers' opinions. Is that acceptable to the course's goals? If I was going to argue "The public says this..." and based it on 20 or even twice that number of "public members", I think my research would best be used as birdcage liners.

I've taken some screenplay and film-genre ("Detectives In Film 304", "Monsters In Film 301") courses over the past few years, and while these students' topics are discussed, I haven't heard of this style of research being considered.

I'm just being idly curious. I certainly wouldn't want them curtailed, although the Spelling Nazi in me would love to see students know how to spell most English words - typos are acceptable, but misspellings really make me question the calibre of education.

[Becstar]

Hey everyone, I am a media studies student and am looking for peoples views on women within the film industry. I know this kinda thing has already been covered but i need some primary research for my coursework so i thought u might b able to help. Any views will do, the main focus of my work is into women behind the scenes, female directors in particular rather than actresses. Are women really under represented in the industry? Is it more difficult for women to join the industry or is it just that women are less interested in film making? What stereotypes exist about women in the film industry and why? Theres some stuff to go on anyway but any other points are welcome. Your views would be great. Thanx
Becstar

[samkydd]

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