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Hollywood film Representations - Coggle Diagram
Hollywood film Representations
Casa Blanca
WOMEN
Ilsa
icon of beauty is her only function - sight of visual pleasure
at crucial points and the only time she gets power she gives it away
'You must do the thinking for the both of us'
Bergman plays her character with such bewilderment --> makes her even more disempowered
The only time she is decisive was in the Bazaar when she refuse the apology and upstairs in the office when she calls him a "coward" ---> both times were influenced by Rick --> he has the ultimate phallic power
they are stereotypical
only identifiable through relationships
All women are made weak by love as they sacrifice themselves for men who are "more important"
Amina
Bulgarian wife --> Powerless
Renault wants to sleep with her 4 visas
Through this rick has the power
Helps through letting the husband win at gambeling
So she turns to rick and asks him about renaults chracter
Yvonn
Gets rejected by rick - heart broken - rick has the power
In spite of this she decides to date a Nazi thus choosing her political standing
Marsaillaise sequence realises her mistakes and sings teary eyed --> now being patriotic however before she was willing to join the Nazis
this portrays women as being indecisive and ditsy
MEN
Laslow
represents the HOPES and IDEALS of the film
Ilsa meerly echo's him
he appears to be NOBAL and IDEALISTIC therefore others worship him
Heroic figure
War office context
ONLY DECISIVE ONES
Renault
Plays a more ambient gender role
active agent but behaviour is influenced by political situation and his weakness for women
his obedience to Strasser and the Vichy government anD his HEIGHT --> LESS POWER
He is FEMINISED by his friendship with Rick --> jokes about love and attraction for rick --> may GAY readings of them
"THIS MAY BE THE BEGGINING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP"
Rick
Multiculturally sensitive employer --> loved by all his staff --> equal and modern man - SAM drinks with him and has been a long friend of his --> flashback to Paris
We admire him when he helps the Bulgarian couple
HOWEVER in the opening sequence we see that he is an isolationist --> refuses any other company -->plays chess by himself (intelligent but lonely) --> we align with him
this was BOGART'S 1st Romanic lead - before he was see as gritty hard character --> huge step in his career and in the eyes of the spectator as we expect him to be someone else.
AMERICA/AMERICANS
Rick
He represents what america likes ot think of themslefs
self reliant
careful with trust
but with a cores of decency broken by faith full european women
Idealism
He is threateninly ISOLATIONIST in a world which needs engagement of recourcefull men
This mirrors americas refusal to join the war untill forced ot by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour --> DECEMBER 7TH 1941
His exit from Casablanca
Shows America's avoidance of choice
However he makes a decision and takes action --> does the 'nobal' thing
However he never has to see anything though --> doesn't have to continue with Ilsa
NAZIS
Strasser
Seen to be strangely confident about Nazi success
Seen in the MARSAILLAISE scene as he starts the German anthem
Group rather than individuals --> in opposition to everyone else
Renault
He is almost like the comic relief in the film --> he is charming and amusing however under the censorship so the film he is completely corrupt like the rest of the Nazis
Apocalypse Now
WOMEN
Vietnamese women
They are portrayed as either Victims or fighters
Their deaths are pitiful and dismissive
They contrast the playboy bunnies
Girl on boat was killed for protecting the puppy --> almost like she was an inconvenience
Playboy bunnies
This scene is about male power and is NOT bout the sexualisation of women
The girls are dressed as COWGIRLS, Native Americans and union cavalry officer --> victimization and exploitation of these time periods
All the costumes refer to Violent parts of america's history when endogenous race was ebign exterminated by white forces (what is happening in the film)
The men are almost getting of on the sights of mass Genocide
Native girl with KURTZ
She sits in the temple with him allmost like his mistress
She kneels when she sees his dead body --> we don't know if this is out of Greif or Respect for Willard
She is simply an object of male adoration
MEN
War
portrayed as a amle preoccupation
Western Males become obsessed with it
Willard and Kurtz
Both men know the brutality of war is what turned them into monsters therefore the only logical conclusion is to dispense with morality and adopt horror as a policy
WILLARD - dreams of the jungle --> the horrors is what attracts him --> couldn't go home and live a normal life - addicted to War
KURTZ is the same he volunteered more service after going back to America --> addicted to war
They are both portrayed in the same way HOWEVER we align with Willard this is due to the fact that he is the voice over we get to have an insight into his mind
KURTZ
Godlike and Admirable
His intelligence is foregrounded more than his brutality --> we almost admire his brans of violence --> because it is more honest than the American's army --> he is aware that it is horrific and pointless
Killgore
he represents the brutality of the American army
He doesnt wuestion doent flinch - He is ith eincarnation of HEROIC
Soldiers
usually high or drunk --> the American army are out of control and irrational
do long bridge
No one knows who is in control or
no knowlge of who is winning or loosing but they are still fighting --> highlight how pointless this film was
Ethnicity - Vietnamese
Binary opposition between the north and the west
they are silent throughout
shown as victims
Killgore bombs the village and the people are odered --> largly passive
But when the woman thrown the hand grenade in she is gunned down and killgore calls them "fucking savages" -->
Ironic
--> empasised by a baby crying
JUNK BOAT
VITAMESE WOMENA IS POOR AD PSSIVE
Simple people with just food and animals on board
they are depicted as INCIDENTAL to the Americans mission which is about IDULGING in their own enjoyment of brutality
KURTZ ARMY
Here they ar eportrayed as mindless and obedient -->
They tolerate and enforce his behaviour
when he dies they all bow to Willard --> no independence and shown as primitive
AGE
Mr Clean + Lance
Teens and are nieve
they represent the youth of the soldiers fighting
JUNK BOAT
The young are slaughtering the young
they were spooked byt ht egirl rescuing the puppy --> immaturity
LANCE
He is careless and easily influence
Surfs --> childish
the youth is corruped by drugs
adopts puppy --> youth
puts camouflage on his face as he becomes more and more wild and they get closer and closer to Kurtz's camp
more and more native
Joins Kurtz's army --> very easily influenced
plays with the children --> he is one of them
ONLY ONE TO SURVIVE
MR CLEAN
Larry Fishbourne was only 14 when he played this character --> able to capture true youth and childlike characters
he was killed whilst listening to his mother tape telling him to come home safe --> ironic --> his life is now wasted
Young Vietnamese
they are helpless victums
obedient
uniformed school children --> no mercy
Ethnicity - Western
caravan scene
western traditional men
eatsing roast beef
they have no intrest at all in adopting, adapting or undertsnding new culture
Killgore's men
beach --> steaks and beers --> trying to bring america to vietnam
They are not colonising but they are disguising it as their home
SURFING - wants to make the river like the ocean
Wagner's ride
The music playing on loud speaker as they bomb the village
this is highly fascist conductor --> reflect the overt ideology in the American army
juxtaposes the Nazis and the Jews with the American and Vietnamese