OCR B322 GCSE Media Studies Action Adventure

1. REPRESENTATION IN ACTION
ADVENTURE FILMS

2. How can audiences be broken
down?
AUDIENCE

3. Who are action-adventure films
usually aimed at?
• What makes you think this?

4. Audience by genre

6. Traditional stereotypes
• Traditionally men have
held power in our
society – this system
where men have power
and control in society is
called patriarchy.
• Patriarchy = society run
by men for men

7. • The result of this is that
traditionally male qualities
and attributes have
generally been seen to be
superior to female
attributes.
• Consider, for example, the
fact that traditionally it
was the eldest son who
inherited – even if he had
several older sisters!

8. • This was often reflected in the media, as
most media companies were run by men!
• Masculinity was often represented in
ways that were shown to be superior to
feminine qualities. Men were often
shown to be more important and
powerful than women.
• Women were often shown in roles that
suited men and which kept them from
challenging men for power.
• In other words, the media showed men
and women how men wanted them to be!

9. Write down a list of words under the heading, ‘Representation of men in film’ using
the images below:

10. Representation is a very important term within the genre of Action Adventure.
Men and women have very clear and stereotypical gender roles. These have
been enforced over decades of films.
Notice what physical similarities all of these characters have.
All are exaggerated examples of masculinity. They are role
models for the male audience to aspire to and want to be like.

11. Less ‘masculine’ heroes?
Geeky
Metrosexual
Camp/
comical
Everyday man

12. In the past the stereotypical role of the female character was
the attractive damsel in distress who would often either get in
the way or cause the hero to get into peril.
Naturally she would ‘fall for his oh-so-obvious charms’.

13. Most audiences are over-familiar
with the idea of the damsel-in-
distress female character so film
makers have adapted them.
We are beginning to see an increase
in ‘strong’ female characters –
some are even considered to be
important enough to be the lead role.

14. Diamond 9
In pairs – create diamond
shape putting what type
of female character is
represented as being the
strongest.
You’ll need to discuss
with your partner and
perhaps compromise to
reach an agreement. Be
ready to explain your
reasons.

19. Empowered Women
Allowed to be tough, but are still
sexually objectified as they wear very
revealing clothes to maximise their
sexual appeal.
They are mostly (not always) controlled
by or need rescuing by men.
Angelina Jolie in Tomb
Raider and Mr and Mrs
Smith

20. Because of their target audience,
Action Adventure films are shot from
a male point of view.
This was called by Laura Mulvey the
‘male gaze’.
Men are watching men on the
screen. Remember: the heroes are
role models for the male audience to
aspire to and want to be like.
The camera will often linger on a shot
of a woman’s body to gratify the male
audience.

21. Unnecessary shows of flesh or
revealing clothes

Crocodile Dundee
Star Trek: Into Darkness


22. Keira
Knightley
before and
after being
photoshop
ped for
King
Arthur
Represented as perfect

23. Female characters
Female characters can be sorted into two
categories:
Empowered Sexually Objectified

24. Sum up today’s learning using the following key words:
Stereotype Representation Gender Target Audience
Expectation Roles Male Gaze Patriarchy
For years, the roles of men and women are almost always very clear and defined within
Action Adventure films...