CONTEXT: How does OFOTCN and Vertigo represent power and authority what kind of relationship is shown between the individual and the authority
OFOTCN
what kind of relationship is shown between the individual and the authority?
"McMurphy is a disruption to the status quo, he doesn't respect figures of authority, e.g. when he talks to dr spivey, his language is informal, another example is his relationship with nurse Ratched as he always seems to be the first one to question her power e.g. his demand to watch the world series foils her attempt to seize control and symbolises the rise of the individual against the system. Another example of his lack of respect for authortiy is when he enters the nurses office without permission."
-A Bordel
"Nurse Ratched: The other ward maids go along with what she does; e.g. not letting the inmates watch the world series shows the abuse of her power.
America has longmade heroes of figures who assert their individuality yet many american novelists have written about characters who's individualism conflicts with the societies around them. The character of McMurphy is also in congress (the opposite, doesn't fit it) with the institution he has been put into as he represents the life and colour of the outside world and the institution however is bereft (lacking) of colour and joy (reflected in the mise en scene) therefore McMurphy is presented as non conformative and unwilling to accept order and authority. His non conformity is evident in the first therapy scene where he is wearing colour." -C Grills
-"The film is notable for having men existing in a passive relationship with at least one destructing and controlling woman. (Ratched believes what she is doing is right but cannot see that it is destructive, there is not a scene where she laughs at how the men are being hurt). Ratched comes across as aggressive because she is challenged on a higher level ( he is more confident to be rebellious) by McMurphy that she has to respond to with harsh words. She may feel as she has to come across as more authoritative than usual to maintain her power.
-A number of men have psychological/ sexual issues with women (Billy, Hardy)
- Nurse Ratched is presented as the antagonist to McMurphy and his goals
-The ward's night watchmen are all played by black men representing how they are inferior to the oppressive regime of Nurse Ratched- at the time they had just gained equal rights
-The Native american Chief, who represents his culture, has eventual personal victory over the oppressive regime of the hospital" -Z Woolf
"McMurphy is a non conformist character, Forman's previous film 'Band' in his own country for shining a negative light on communism,
I reckon it could be represented by the way Nurse Ratched ignores the democratic vote which has connotations of a Communist regime"
Nurse R represents the displacement of power, power and authority is gained from fear around nurse watched , McMurphy gains power through peoples admiration for him and his social skills
- J Sinyor
"Thomas Schatz argues that classical hollywood narrative device of plot, based on psychological desires and character goals, this was challenged by 1970s cinema when characters became plot functions. In new hollywood the characters are now the main focal point in the story whereas in classical hollywood the characters are a mere influence on the story by psychological desires and character goals." - E Soraff
"But again, in terms of identity , how does OFOTCN compare with this, the black people actually get screen time but it is still white dominated in terms of power. You've got the night watchmen who are used as muscle and essentially positions of low responsibility
They are seen to not have any backbone, the man on night watch in the rebelious party scene is concerned about loosing his job reflecting the prejudice in society as it was harder for people in the ethnic minority to acquire new jobs.
It's white dominated, you've then got the people of different backgrounds that are integrating but they are still seen as a bit of a mystery. Chief is mysterious because he watches what is going on and yet he doesn't interact with anyone." - M Cooper
"It can kind of show how american was guilty at the time" - J Sinyor
"America was unsure of itself and you can see that in the film all of the way through. McMurphy comes across as a brash rebel but everyone else is unsure and weak representing America, McMurphy represents the arrogance in america but at the same time he is not totally confident of himself so clearly he doesn't fit in somewhere" - M Cooper
"The black characters are represented in an ambiguous way with little real authority in society" - M Cooper
"Could you bring in the point that Milos Forman was an Outsider?" - E Soraff
Vertigo
what kind of relationship is shown between the individual and the authority?
"McMurphy is a disruption to the status quo, he doesn't respect figures of authority, e.g. when he talks to dr spivey, his language is informal, another example is his relationship with nurse Ratched as he always seems to be the first one to question her power e.g. his demand to watch the world series foils her attempt to seize control and symbolises the rise of the individual against the system. Another example of his lack of respect for authortiy is when he enters the nurses office without permission."
-A Bordel
"Nurse Ratched: The other ward maids go along with what she does; e.g. not letting the inmates watch the world series shows the abuse of her power.
America has longmade heroes of figures who assert their individuality yet many american novelists have written about characters who's individualism conflicts with the societies around them. The character of McMurphy is also in congress (the opposite, doesn't fit it) with the institution he has been put into as he represents the life and colour of the outside world and the institution however is bereft (lacking) of colour and joy (reflected in the mise en scene) therefore McMurphy is presented as non conformative and unwilling to accept order and authority. His non conformity is evident in the first therapy scene where he is wearing colour." -C Grills
-"The film is notable for having men existing in a passive relationship with at least one destructing and controlling woman. (Ratched believes what she is doing is right but cannot see that it is destructive, there is not a scene where she laughs at how the men are being hurt). Ratched comes across as aggressive because she is challenged on a higher level ( he is more confident to be rebellious) by McMurphy that she has to respond to with harsh words. She may feel as she has to come across as more authoritative than usual to maintain her power.
-A number of men have psychological/ sexual issues with women (Billy, Hardy)
- Nurse Ratched is presented as the antagonist to McMurphy and his goals
-The ward's night watchmen are all played by black men representing how they are inferior to the oppressive regime of Nurse Ratched- at the time they had just gained equal rights
-The Native american Chief, who represents his culture, has eventual personal victory over the oppressive regime of the hospital" -Z Woolf
"McMurphy is a non conformist character, Forman's previous film 'Band' in his own country for shining a negative light on communism,
I reckon it could be represented by the way Nurse Ratched ignores the democratic vote which has connotations of a Communist regime"
Nurse R represents the displacement of power, power and authority is gained from fear around nurse watched , McMurphy gains power through peoples admiration for him and his social skills
- J Sinyor
"Thomas Schatz argues that classical hollywood narrative device of plot, based on psychological desires and character goals, this was challenged by 1970s cinema when characters became plot functions. In new hollywood the characters are now the main focal point in the story whereas in classical hollywood the characters are a mere influence on the story by psychological desires and character goals." - E Soraff
"But again, in terms of identity , how does OFOTCN compare with this, the black people actually get screen time but it is still white dominated in terms of power. You've got the night watchmen who are used as muscle and essentially positions of low responsibility
They are seen to not have any backbone, the man on night watch in the rebelious party scene is concerned about loosing his job reflecting the prejudice in society as it was harder for people in the ethnic minority to acquire new jobs.
It's white dominated, you've then got the people of different backgrounds that are integrating but they are still seen as a bit of a mystery. Chief is mysterious because he watches what is going on and yet he doesn't interact with anyone." - M Cooper
"It can kind of show how american was guilty at the time" - J Sinyor
"America was unsure of itself and you can see that in the film all of the way through. McMurphy comes across as a brash rebel but everyone else is unsure and weak representing America, McMurphy represents the arrogance in america but at the same time he is not totally confident of himself so clearly he doesn't fit in somewhere" - M Cooper
"The black characters are represented in an ambiguous way with little real authority in society" - M Cooper
"Could you bring in the point that Milos Forman was an Outsider?" - E Soraff
Vertigo
HOW VERTIGO REPRESENTS AUTHORITY AND POWER
How Vertigo represents authority and power. ( written as a question answer)
In Vertigo power and authority are represented in a variety different ways in their text. One of the ways Vertigo does this is through the main character Scottie, Scottie is shown as a male authoritative figure throughout the film with his dominant expression and approach to women. One scene where this is very clear is when Scottie jumps into the river to save Madeline and the scene that follows, Scottie is shown as an Authoritative figure here because he takes action immediately jumping in to save the women. During the 1950's women were seen as lower in power than men with men being the most powerful in society. Going to the scene after this Scottie took Madeline back to his house and she is left powerless laying in the bed whilst Scottie makes her some tea. A common theme shown by most Hitchcock films is having a Blonde girl in it, this was usually done because Alfred Hitchcock liked blonde women and saw them as a tool in his films, someone who doesn't have any power except through sexual persuasions. However this is shown to be different in Vertigo where we find out Madeline had aided in the murder of Gavin's wife, when we find this out we get a completely different outlook on women power within the film and how women act as a hidden power often unseen by the audience.
Furthermore Scottie's misplaced in society, this is most present in his attempt to regain his authority after he lost is when Madeline died. his attempt at regaining control is presented as desperate and sad when he forces Judy to Dye her hair so she looks identical to Madeline because of the illusion created by the idea of helping madeline helps Scottie see himself as an authoritative figure which the time of the film was seen as being manly. Scottie tries to grasp onto his authority to try to fell secure in himself. This can be linked to the context of the film as 1950's America was a time of fear in which men were desperately trying to hold onto their power partially due to the rise of the 2nd wave of the feminist movement and the wars America fought; men are trying to recapture an outdated sense of authority
In Vertigo power and authority are represented in a variety different ways in their text. One of the ways Vertigo does this is through the main character Scottie, Scottie is shown as a male authoritative figure throughout the film with his dominant expression and approach to women. One scene where this is very clear is when Scottie jumps into the river to save Madeline and the scene that follows, Scottie is shown as an Authoritative figure here because he takes action immediately jumping in to save the women. During the 1950's women were seen as lower in power than men with men being the most powerful in society. Going to the scene after this Scottie took Madeline back to his house and she is left powerless laying in the bed whilst Scottie makes her some tea. A common theme shown by most Hitchcock films is having a Blonde girl in it, this was usually done because Alfred Hitchcock liked blonde women and saw them as a tool in his films, someone who doesn't have any power except through sexual persuasions. However this is shown to be different in Vertigo where we find out Madeline had aided in the murder of Gavin's wife, when we find this out we get a completely different outlook on women power within the film and how women act as a hidden power often unseen by the audience.
Furthermore Scottie's misplaced in society, this is most present in his attempt to regain his authority after he lost is when Madeline died. his attempt at regaining control is presented as desperate and sad when he forces Judy to Dye her hair so she looks identical to Madeline because of the illusion created by the idea of helping madeline helps Scottie see himself as an authoritative figure which the time of the film was seen as being manly. Scottie tries to grasp onto his authority to try to fell secure in himself. This can be linked to the context of the film as 1950's America was a time of fear in which men were desperately trying to hold onto their power partially due to the rise of the 2nd wave of the feminist movement and the wars America fought; men are trying to recapture an outdated sense of authority
Please do try to provide screenshots from key scenes within the films as this will only help you further when it comes to revision next year. It will also help with your analysis of films in the here and now.
ReplyDeleteAll the best
Mr Cooper