It means the values/viewpoints and meanings/messages that a media text such as film might be able to communicate to the viewer.
Explicit - What a character in a film or a director/producer/writer themselves declare to be the subject of the film.
Implicit - The more debatable meanings of a film, possibly beyond the conscious intentions of the filmmaker, that require analysis and a reasoned argument.
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.
Tom Cruise:
A)a multi-million dollar budget with high production values, state-of-the-art special effects, a driving narrative, attractiveness
Mission Impossible: secret agent who is obligated to save the world, uses his skills and intelligence to fight the morally corrupt/ evil
B)Collateral (2004): Tom Cruise takes a rare turn as the bad guy, playing a contract killer.
Minority Report (2002): he plays a cop in the near future who works with psychic "pre-cogs" to prevent crimes before they happen.
War Of The Worlds (2005): In this second teaming with director Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise plays a divorced father who must fight to save his children from alien invaders
A Few Good Men (1992): In Rob Reiner's "A Few Good Men", Tom Cruise plays a Navy lawyer charged with defending a pair of Marines accused of murder at Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba.
The Firm (1993): In this film, based on the John Grisham novel of the same name, Tom Cruise plays a young lawyer who goes to work for an exclusive Memphis law firm.
physically active, intelligent, attractive, manipulative, brave
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: Inception - Dominic Cobb
3. What is it that you like about them and what has the filmmaker done to encourage you to feel this way?
I like Dominic because he is a family man who tries his hardest to return to his children by helping a CEO defeat his competition. He is highly intelligent and is willing to take chances. The filmmakers have created an interesting and driving narrative and have chosen a popular actor for this role.
A)What values am I being asked to share or reject?
The value hat I am being asked to share is that escaping or creating one reality is not the best way to solve one’s problems. Also, the film reveals that letting go of the past is important so that one can move on and enjoy life.
How are my feelings being manipulated to prefer one viewpoint over another? (Camera placement/movement and editing are particularly important here.)
During the scene (Dom’s flashback) of his wife standing on the ledge of the hotel building, the camera is placed in between them over the city high up above the ground. Before Mal kills herself, there are cuts between Dom and Mal in which Dom is trying to convince his wife to stop the madness. Then, she jumps off the building and as she is falling it slows down. We sympathize with Dom because we see the pain he is enduring and we understand that he blames himself for his wife’s death.
B)Why might a filmmaker want me to prefer one viewpoint to another?
So that we support his decision to perform ‘inception’ in order to clear his name and return to his family and his life. The filmmaker wants me to prefer one viewpoint over another because he is the driving force of the plot and he provides the emotional aspect of the film.
4. What are the artistic/financial consequences of filmmakers trying to predict what an audience might approve/disapprove of?
Many films’ ideologies (implicit) are debatable, so they can cause different reactions for audiences. Films can be released to specific audiences before their official release, and if there is a majority negative reaction then the filmmakers can re-film or re-edit. This is costly and may destroy or alter the auteur’s initial vision of the film. However, if the film is released officially and there is a negative reaction this can lead to bad reviews which then lead to its unpopularity in the box office. Filmmakers can lose money as well.
5. What are the artistic/financial consequences of filmmakers trying to predict what a film's financier might approve/disapprove of?
If the producer disapproves of the film, there might not be investments for it, thus costing a waste in valuable money and ruining the artistic vision of the auteur. It can also have a long-term impact because that investor may not want to work with the filmmakers in the future. The investor also may have wanted the film to go in a different direction that perhaps the filmmakers initially considered, thus delaying the release of the film.
6. 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?
Films are a reflection of society even if they are from a completely unrealistic genre. Films can reflect political views, religious views, educational views, and media’s views. An example of a film narrative that has changed over the generations would be that of fairy tale movies such as Red Riding Hood. In the film, The Company of Wolves, Granny tells her granddaughter Rosaleen strange, disturbing tales about innocent maidens falling in love with handsome, heavily eyebrowed strangers with a smoldering look in their eyes; about sudden disappearances of spouses when the moon is round & the wolves are howling in the woods. In the 2011 film, Red Riding Hood, a medieval village is haunted by a werewolf, and a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.
7. Ideology and the "Effects" Debate: Do you feel that films can affect you and your behavior without being conscience of it?
Films can affect you and your behavior without being conscious of it because in order to enjoy a film you have to accept what you are watching. Once you accept it, the content subconsciously becomes a part of your ideology so that it influences what you believe is right or wrong.
8. Ideology and Realism: Define Suspension of disbelief and give an example from a recent film you have watched.
Sometimes we can accept what we see on the screen as true because we haven’t had any personal experience with the subject and therefore cannot prove that it isn’t true. An example in which the suspension of disbelief applies is the film recently saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011). Ethan Hunt’s fight scene with the villain lasts for several minutes and wakes up after being knocked out and beaten up multiple times quite quickly.
9. 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 of a film or ownership of a film company influences the ideology of its films because they have the advantage of controlling the subject of the film. If the financial supporter doesn’t agree whatever they are doing, they can back out of a project. This is a set back for the filmmakers, so they must allow financiers to give some input. However, the loss of initial vision of the auteur can be prevented with contracts and such. An example of this is the Walt Disney Company who typically creates family friendly animated films. The common theme that revolve around its films is a heroic character who faces a challenge, but ultimately overcomes it and lives happily ever after. Because their target audience is children, Walt Disney wants to have a happy ending that leaves them satisfied. In the film, Finding Nemo, Marlin (main character) attempts to rescue his son Nemo after being captured by humans. Nemo is his only son and he is extremely overprotective of him. At the end the two are reunited (as expected) and they both learn life lessons. Disney tries to show that despite obstacle, strong family bonds are worth fighting for.
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