vdx

1. What have you found interesting in the representation of gender in the films you have
studied? (Saxon)
Through the genders, the audience is able to recognisehow different genders
are able to express themselves differently when dealing with the problems
caused fromthe social constructs the characters arebeing forced to comply to.
This is thereforean integral partof both of the films studied, crash and do the
right thing, and how the films apply the motifs of the film whilst also propelling
similarities and differences of genders within the films.
With crash, both genders are represented to be both bad and good people,
people that are racistand people that want people to get along with one
another. Males are both shown to be concerned with the state of the people
they are surrounded by whilst also being represented as the people who are
creating the grotesquethe characters believe they are in. This is shown
through Daniel, as he is shown to care for the people that he is surrounded by,
particularly his daughter who he is working for in order to leave the area they
have been placed in due to the gang violence that patrols the area. This
presents Daniel to be a nurturing father who believes that communication
between a father and a daughter results with a loving relationship. Daniel is
shown to be silent when working as he gets on with his job, yet offers advice
and decides to help other people he believes it is needed. This presents Daniel
as a character who wants to better each situation he is placed into, whilst
simultaneously wanting to communicate with other people to help them when
it is needed. This shows thattherefore Daniel is used to denote that the people
within the city of L.A. are lacking communication, and only want to
communicate when it is forced on to them. However, characters of both
genders (jean and farad) Mock Daniel due to his ethnic background. This shows
that within the film racismis not gender biased, yet is shown to present within
modern society, through every gender and every race, therefore insinuating
that more people like Daniel need to be in place in order for the messageof
the film to be compiled into modern day society.
Do the right thing is able to representmales to align with the messagethat
racismis deep rooted within indivuials and is let out through the anger they
feel having been placed with the socio economic area of queens. This shown

2. particularly through the characters of Sal. Sal is shown to be calm throughout
the film, yet is shown to have temperament which involves having a shortfuse
when confronted by other people within his own store. Yet, Sal later says
things that he regrets and earlier condones within an earlier scene with his
son. This thereforedoesn’t presentthe male characters overall as racists but
people that having been placed within a situation that puts pressureon them
due to the segregational divide of groups within society being againsteach
other and unable to communicate with one another in order to obtain a
conclusiveconclusion to the problems they face that would benefit all parties.
However, males are also represented differently in their attitudes towards
other people. Many of the male characters are shown to be father figures who
offer wisdom and knowledgetowards other male characters. Salis shown to
be a father figure towards pino, as he offers adviceand tries to consultpino on
why his opinions are wrong and why he should be listening to him rather than
his friends becausethey are treating him wrongly. This is further shown
through da mayor, as he tries to restoresomehumanity into the situation
when the riot breaks out, as by him pulling Sal aside it prevents further
violence. This therefore presents both characters to be looking out for people
within the area, as they wantto preventconfrontation and bring egalitarian
ideas toward the youth of the society in order to create a peaceful living
environment. Yet this notion is juxtaposed with characters like buggin out and
radio Raheem, as they look to create controversy and causeconfrontation. This
is therefore presents a divide between the young men and older men within
the area, as the young men are shown to believe in the ideals that the older
characters represent, and are unable to see that not every has to do with a
characteristic they themselves own.
Within both films, women are presented differently. Within crash, they are
presented as victims. Jean is shown to be the victim of a robbery and of her
own emotional disconnectfrom the world that sheis surrounded by, whilst
Christine is shown to be a victim of molestation via police, as well as a
breakdown of a relationship with her husband due to the events that had
taken place. The victimhood of women presents them to be justas unstable as
the men are, whilst also presenting they are unable to cope with the world
around them, as they are shown to give blurt out their feelings to other people
in order to receive some sympathy. Meanwhile, men are shown to keep their

3. emotional feelings towards themselves, and similarly to do the right thing, they
give out their deep rooted anger through racial slurs towards other people in
order to makethemselves feel better. This presents that women are more
willing to try and change their problems whereas men are more likely to want
to retain their ideologies that they obtain. Meanwhile, within do the right thing
women are shown to be treated like princesses, as men are shown to look out
for them. This therefore both presents men as people who are looking out for
women as they believe that they are vulnerable due to their surroundings,
meanwhile women are also shown to want to be independent, rejecting many
of the men’s opinions whilstalso bathing with the attention they receive off of
them. This shows thatin do the right thing, women are represented better as
they are able to acquire their own views independently and do not believe that
they need men to help them at every given opportunity.