Evaluation question 2

2. INTRODUCTION
I WILL LOOK AT THE REPRESENTATIONS OF
SOCIAL GROUPS WITHIN OUR FILM OPENING,
‘SILENCE IS GOLDEN’

3. PROPP’S THEORY
PROPP’S THEORY STATES SEVEN CHARACTER TYPES. OUR FILM
OPENING HAS THREE ACTORS WHICH CONFORM TO THIS THEORY,
THESE BEING THE HERO, PRINCESS AND VILLAIN.

4. WOMEN
IN THE SPY GENRE:
• GLAMOROUS
• PRINCESS
• SIDEKICK
• VICTIM
• INNOCENT
SILENCE IS GOLDEN:
THERE IS ONLY ONE FEMALE IN OUR FILM OPENING
WHO IS A YOUNG, WHITE WOMAN WHO IS CAPTIVE
AND BLEEDING. SHE IS PORTRAYED AS A STRONG
FEMALE AS SHE IS OBVIOUSLY RESISTING TORTURE
AS SHE IS KEEPING QUIET. MOST SPY FILMS HAVE A
FEMALE CAPTURED BY THE ANTAGONIST THAT NEEDS
SAVING BY THE MALE PROTAGONIST. WOMEN IN SPY
GENRE FILMS ARE OFTEN CONSIDERED GLAMOROUS,
SUCH AS THE BLONDES USED BY HITCHCOCK IN HIS
FILMS. WOMEN IN TODAY’S SOCIETY ARE SEEN IN A
STRONGER LIGHT THAN IN THE PAST AND MEDIA
PRODUCTS NEED TO REFLECT THIS TO STAY CURRENT.

5. MEN
IN THE SPY GENRE: (HERO)
• STRONG
• INDEPENDENT
• PREDOMINANTLY WHITE
• ABLE BODIED
• RICH
SILENCE IS GOLDEN:
GENDER IS THE SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED ROLES, BEHAVIOURS, ACTIVITIES
AND ATTRIBUTES THAT A GIVEN SOCIETY CONSIDERS APPROPRIATE FOR
MEN AND WOMEN. IN OUR FILM OPENING WE HAVE A WHITE MALE IN THE
LEADING ROLE DUE TO THE STEREOTYPICAL ACCEPTANCE THAT THIS TYPE
OF FILM WILL HAVE MASCULINE THEMES OF VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION. IT
WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO CHALLENGE THIS STEREOTYPE TO REFLECT THE
DIVERSITY OF NATIONALITIES IN THE UK. OUR HERO IS ABLE-BODIED AND
YOUNG. A PERSON OPERATING A SPY MISSION WOULD NEED TO BE FIT, SO
THIS IS CREDIBLE CASTING. OUR HERO IS CLOTHED FOR A MISSION, SO
FROM THIS YOU CANNOT WORK OUT HIS CLASS, BUT HE IS DRESSED IN THE
STYLE OF MANY OF TODAY’S YOUTH, IS CLEAN CUT, SO MAKING THE
CHARACTER ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDE AUDIENCE. ALSO NO SPEECH IS HEARD
FROM THIS CHARACTER, SO IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AT THIS STAGE TO
DETERMINE CLASS OR INDEED NATIONALITY. HOWEVER MOST HERO’S IN
POPULARSPY FILMS IN THE UK ARE BRITISH OR AMERICAN. THE HERO IS A
POSITIVE ROLE MODEL AS HE HAS GOOD CHARACTER. HE HOWEVER DOES
NOT REPRESENT THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF THIS COUNTRY.

6. MEN
IN THE SPY GENRE: (VILLAIN)
• MEAN
• EVIL
• DARK CLOTHING
• ACCENT/FOREIGNER
SILENCE IS GOLDEN:
WE HAVE FALLEN ACCIDENTALLY INTO THE STEREOTYPE OF HAVING A
ANTAGONIST WITH AN ACCENT, AS IT IS SUCH AN ACCEPTED NORM
FOR THE PART OF THE ANTAGONIST THAT THE ACTOR PLAYING THE
PART ADOPTED AN ACCENT WITHOUT BEING TOLD TO. OUR
ANTAGONIST ALSO WEARS DARK CLOTHES TO CONNATE HIM OUT AS
A DARK CHARACTER. HE IS ABLE BODIED AND MENACING IN HIS
MANNER. THE VILLAIN IS SHOT IN LOW KEY LIGHTING. OUR
ANTAGONIST FITS THE STEREOTYPE OF WHAT IS SEEN IN MOST SPY
FILMS SO WE HAVE NOT CHALLENGED THIS STEREOTYPE. HE IS NOT A
GOOD ROLE MODEL AS HE IS SEEN USING VIOLENCE AND HAS
OBVIOUSLY TORTURED THE FEMALE. HOWEVER, THESE ACTIONS FIT
THE PLOT AND WOULD NOT BE SEEN AS UNNECESSARY VIOLENCE.

7. SOCIAL CLASS
IN THE SPY GENRE:
HERO – UPPER CLASS (JAMES BOND)
• WORK FOR THE SECRET SERVICES
• INTELLIGENT
• SUITS
VILLAIN – LOWER CLASS
• EVERYDAY CLOTHING
• REGIONAL ACCENTS
PRINCESS –
• PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED
• INTELLIGENT
SILENCE IS GOLDEN:
• THERE IS NO REPRESENTATION FOR THE CLASS OF THE HERO AS HE
DOESN’T SPEAK AND IS NOT SEEN IN HIS HOME ENVIRONMENT. THE
CLOTHING IS WHAT HE IS WEARING FOR HIS MISSION. I AM SURE
THAT THE SECRET SERVICE HAS PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CLASSES
AND THAT INTELLIGENCE AND NOT CLASS IS THE KEY FACTOR TO
DOING THIS JOB. FILMS GLAMORISE SPIES AS UPPER CLASS.
• ANTAGONIST – HE IS WORKING IN A JOB THAT REQUIRES HIM TO
TORTURE PEOPLE SO ONE WOULD ASSUME THAT HE IS LOWER CLASS
BY THE WAY HE TALKS AND BEHAVES. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT ALL
LOWER CLASS PEOPLE BEHAVE LIKE THIS, BUT FOR FILM PURPOSES
IT IS THE DIRECT OPPOSITE OF THE UPPER CLASS HERO.
• PRINCESS – IT IS NOT EVIDENT WHAT HER SOCIAL CLASS IS, ONLY
THAT SHE IS AN INTELLIGENT WOMAN WORKING FOR THE SECRET
SERVICE. THIS IS A POSITIVE MOVE FOR WOMEN IN FILMS AS THEY
WERE OFTEN SEEN JUST AS A GLAMOROUS PRESENCE.

8. ETHNICITY
ALL OUR ACTORS WERE WHITE BRITISH, AS THIS WAS WHAT WAS
REQUIRED FOR OUR SCRIPT. WITHIN MODERN FILMS THERE IS
ACCEPTED ETHNIC STEREOTYPES WHICH DO NOT REPRESENT ALL
PEOPLE OF THIS RACE. ETHNICITY WAS NOT OUR MAIN THOUGHT AND
IS NOT RELEVANT FOR OUR PLOT. HOWEVER MOST SPY GENRE FILMS DO
FEATURE DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES BECAUSE THEY ARE FILMED IN EXOTIC
LOCATIONS. WE DID NOT HAVE THAT OPTION OPEN TO US.

9. AGE
IN THE SPY GENRE: (YOUNG)
• INNOCENT
• VULNERABLE
• VICTIM
• NOT USUALLY THE HERO
• TROUBLE MAKER
SILENCE IS GOLDEN:
ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE YOUNG ADULTS TO
CHALLENGE THE CONVENTION OF OLDER PEOPLE USED
IN EXISTING SPY MEDIA PRODUCTS. THIS GIVES A
POSITIVE REPRESENTATION OF YOUTHS BEING GOOD
CITIZENS, THEY CAN BE PORTRAYED IN A BAD LIGHT
IN THE MEDIA. A YOUNG ADULT AUDIENCE CAN RELATE
TO THE YOUNGER THAN THE NORM CHARACTERS. OUR
FILM IDEA IS SIMILAR TO ‘STORMBREAKER’ WHICH
DOES HAVE A YOUNG PROTAGONIST. REGARDING AGE
AND FITNESS OUR OPENING FEATURES A PERSON
RUNNING FOR A SUSTAINED AMOUNT OF TIME AND
OBVIOUSLY YOUTHFUL PEOPLE OFTEN HAVE THE
FITNESS LEVELS TO ALLOW THEM TO DO THIS.

10. PHYSICAL ABILITY
MOST SPY FILMS HAVE ABLE BODIED PEOPLE, AS A SPY ON A MISSION WOULD NEED TO BE FIT AND ABLE
THIS GENRE OFTEN REQUIRES THE ACTORS TO BE INVOLVED IN CHASE/FIGHT SCENES, SO AGAIN, THE
ACTORS PLAYING THEM OFTEN DO NOT HAVE ANY PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. IN THIS GENRE A PERSON NOT
WORKING ‘IN THE FIELD’ COULD HAVE A DISABILITY TO REPRESENT EVERYDAY LIFE.
WE DID NOT REPRESENT PHYSICAL ABILITY AS A SOCIAL GROUP, AS OUR SCRIPT WAS WRITTEN TO
INCLUDE SUCH THINGS AS A PURSUIT THROUGH A WOOD WHICH FOR PRACTICAL REASONS HAD TO BE
DONE BY AN ABLE BODIED PERSON.

11. IN CONCLUSION…
WHILST WE HAVE NOT CHALLENGED MANY OF THE ACCEPTED STEREOTYPES
FOR THE SPY GENRE, I ALSO CONCLUDE THAT PHYSICAL DISABILITY, OLDER
PEOPLE AND ETHNIC MINORITIES ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED WHEN
MAINSTREAM FILMS ARE CAST.