To what extent can the films you have studied for this topic be accused of reinforcing rather than challenging stereotypes?


Stereotypes are how a group of specific people are assumed to be or people are prejudice towards because of differences with class or race for example. Throughout the variety of films I have studied, a wide range of stereotypes have been challenged and supported. This helps the story or narrative to become more complex and assists the audience in being a more active audience and helping them to become more involved by challenging how these stereotypes are represented.

Throughout many years of film, especially from the Western side, a classic stereotype is a white man saving the world. In the films I have studied the stereotypes aren't along the lines of white men saving the world but about the working class or immigrants, whether that is on a negative view or not. For example, in 'La Haine,' although our three main characters are all French speaking they are all from different countries living within the projects. Hubert is black so likely from an African origin, Vince is Jewish and Saiid is from the middle east. So, this would mean that the stereotypes exhibited within the film are to do with their race or class, as they are as low as you could possibly get, being immigrants living in the projects, and living there during the social and political state of France at that time caused these 3 men to be looked at as troublesome before anyone met them. A prime example of this is when the trio ventured into Paris city centre in the look for Astrix. But while there they entered an art exhibition, the looks that they received showed that because they weren't from that area and the difference in clothing to the rest of the people that people thought they'd be a nuisance before getting to meet them. Although they did show their true colours after Saiid was rejected by a woman, this was an unfair representation of them, especially Hubert who had set up a gym in order to stay out of trouble and help younger kids also not become part of the gang culture against authority.

Men's stories in general has always been in the limelight and it can be seen that female characters are used in films as second class, purely for the attraction to look at or used as romance to assist with the story's narrative. Because this sexism doesn't always get seen by the naked eye, it's probably the reason that filmmakers create stories ,without women as a first class character, that have any significance. City of God (2002) is a perfect representation of this. Although at the start Angelique has the protagonists eye, Rocket, on her. Because he is so madly in love and wants to impress her, he is put in dangerous situations. Firstly, he is led to a drug den in order to satisfy her, but instead of continuing the romance in the story from here, it helps advances the story down the crime route. Secondly, a female reporter is put in the limelight but negatively. She steals Rockets stories and publishes them as her own before seducing Rocket moments after, meanwhile Rocket is only in his young teens and this could be seen as statutory rape. So, after labelling this woman a thief the film continues to degrade in a way where it can be seen she doesn't have respect for herself but also how she does this with a child.