Mock Examination Question (Representation)

Question: To what extent does V for Vendetta and Children of Men conform to film stereotypes and what messages are behind these representations?

The following essay will discuss to what extent V for Vendetta and Children of Men conform to film stereotypes, as well as the messages behind these representations. To do this, the essay will look at the stereotypes of gender, the parental roles present in the films and lastly how British national identity is represented. In my opinion V for Vendetta conforms to the classic stereotypes more so than Children of Men.

The first point I will highlight is the way in which the films conform and defy the stereotypes of women. Classically women have appeared in film, for the purpose of being looked at by the male audience; this is known as The Male Gaze. If we take this theory and apply it to Children of Men and V for Vendetta, it becomes apparent this is no longer the case, with the exception of a couple scenes. In V for Vendetta there are two scenes in which Evey is portrayed as a sex object, exploited for her looks by other characters. One scene is when Evey is getting ready and goes on her way to Dietrich’s house, and is about to get raped by the Fingermen just before V intervenes. The second scene that reinforces this point is when Evey is in the company of the Bishop. In both of these scenes, the point of Evey is to convey the objectification of women. In dressing Evey in a cosmetically pleasing outfit, reinforces the idea of The Male Gaze, which encourages the male audience to watch the film. On the other hand, Evey promotes the independence and strength of women. This becomes apparent when V takes away her fear, establishing the Evey we see at the end of the film. Evey is also responsible for the destruction of parliament, when she pulls the lever on the train; this communicates the power she is is capable of, which can represent the power of women. with this scene in mind, we can make reference the The Final Girl concept. Although Evey is not considered pure or a virgin, she survives until the end and extinguishes the threat (the pulling of the train lever).    

In Children of Men the portrayal of women is mainly through Kee and Julian, being two of the few female characters in the film. Julian is portrayed as independent and a strong leader. This is illustrated throughout; a key scene that links to this point in particular is when she is discussing with Theo about the job at hand, while surrounded by several armed members of her cause. They all listen to her orders and do as instructed, conveying strong leadership skills by determining the response to any choices that arise. Kee can be seen as fairly weak in comparison to other characters, on the basis she receives constant guidance from Miriam and Theo. At the same time, her character acts as a symbol of strength once the baby is born. This is in reference to the sequence when Theo and Kee are thrown into the middle of a war zone. When the baby is born, the conflict stops and allows for our protagonists to exit safely. It can represent the idea that without the presence of women in society, life as we know it would descend into chaos. It relays the message that the masculine use of guns and weaponry will not match the power of women. As I see it, both V for Vendetta and Children of Men have a similar representation of women. I believe they both defy stereotypes of women, but V for Vendetta conforms to The Male Gaze Theory, to a greater extent than that of Children of Men.

The second point I will call attention to is the way in which the films conform and defy the stereotypes of men. The idea of masculinity is comprised of traits such as emotionless and physical strength. In V for Vendetta the stereotypical traits of masculinity are conveyed through our protagonist V. Throughout, he battles the minions of the totalitarian government and chooses to use knives as his preferred choice of weapon. This is apparent in the sequences when he fights Creedy and his men in the underground. The use of a knives illustrates V’s masculinity and strength against others, as the knife is considered a phallic symbol. It is used as a show of power and causes his enemies to recognise his male dominance. There is also moments in the film when V’s character communicates aspects of the developing post-modern man, displayed in our current society; although some may argue they conform more to the stereotypes of women. An example of this is when V is cooking breakfast for Evey in his lair. In this scene he is also wearing an apron. In terms of being more feminine, V’s mask has rosy cheeks and a shaped mustache. These characteristics communicate the use of makeup and male grooming, which is normally undertaken by women to appear more attractive.

When we look at Children of Men, the main character that aids us in the representation of men is Theo. He Is considered to bear both feminine and masculine traits. In one scene the audience witnesses Theo cowering and crying behind a tree, for a brief moment. Showing such emotions is considered feminine, as stereotypically it is deemed that women are the gender to deal with emotional matters. However, in this same sequence Theo can be considered quite masculine as he chooses to hide himself while he cries for an extremely brief moment. In hiding himself causes the audience to assume it is in an attempt to preserve his role as leader. By crying for mere seconds, relays the point that Theo recongnises the stereotype of crying as a sign of weakness; so in response decides to take Julians death on the chin, and carry on as normal. Another sequence that conveys Theo’s masculinity is during the war zone. He takes on the role of a protecter and tries his best to get Kee to safety. In this sequence Theo has his arm around Kee several times in order to protect her; reinforcing the view of masculinity and role of the hero, being able to protect others weaker than yourself. At the same time it can be argued he is portrayed as being feminine in this sequence. This is on the basis he doesn’t use any form of weaponry, and in order to escape, the birth of the child causes the threat to stand down; as opposed to the stereotypical male action, which is to destroy it.

Another point the essay will explore is the incorporation of parental roles in both films. Although they are not direct relationships, V for vendetta has several relationships where the role of a parent is constructed. The first being Evey as a mother figure, who gives birth to the revolution. This is seen in the sequence when she sends the train to parliament by pulling the train lever. This is also open to psychosexual analysis, where the train is a phallic symbol and the underground tunnel is a yonic symbol; seen as the conceiving of the revolution. Another relationship is the when V is reborn through fire and medical experiments, establishing the coroner as his mother. This is reinforced later within the film when he kills her in a compassionate way, when compared to the others he kills; he accomplishes this with the use of poison. We also see how Valery’s letter inspires Evey and motivates her to be reborn into a character without fear. In this sense Valery can be seen as Evey’s mother. 

In Children of Men, a key feature which helps in establishing the main plot line is the mother daughter relationship between Kee and her child. The child's birth allows humanity to maintain hope in a better future. By capturing this relationship communicates the strength of the biological bond between mother and child. It promotes the message that the thing of upmost importance is to protect, care for and nurture your children. It can also be seen that Miriam acts as a mother to Kee, taking it upon herself to try her best to protect Kee. It can be argues that she sees it has her job, on the basis that she was a midwife; however she ends up being separated from Kee and Theo at Bexhill, in the process of protecting her. In relation to father figures, Jasper acts as a father to Theo. This is conveyed through their conversations at his house. Discussing various personal issues is normally something you do with your parents, in hope they have a knowledgable response that will resolve the matter. 

The final point I will make is how British national identity is represented in both films. In V or Vendetta the characters have the stereotypical accents of British people. This is illustrated through V and Creedy in particular. Recognising this allows us to notice, that in this sense, it conforms with stereotypes that the rest of the world has establish for us. A way in which V for vendetta defies this is by portraying Britain’s society in a negative light. This is done through removing the patriarchal love for government; where as Britain is normally presented with elegancy and a strong link to the royal family. This has been replaced with the political party known as Norsefire, who wish to raise an arian race and bear similar qualities to that of the Nazis; the opposite end of the spectrum in relation to Britain. 

In Children of Men, Britain is portrayed as racist and stronger than all other countries on the planet. An example of this is when Theo passes all of the foreign people who are locked up in cages, surrounded by armed guards. This is similar to V for Vendetta as the governments wish to remove, what they see as impurities, from society. Both governments have become bodies of power who control their citizens. Portraying Britain in this dystopian style gives the message to the audience that this is what society can become in the not to distant future, if we carry on our current path. 

In conclusion, both V for Vendetta and Children of Men conform to film stereotypes to different extents. They also produce a vast array messages, which represent very similar things. In my opinion V for Vendetta conforms more to film stereotypes in relation to British national identity and the representation of women; whilst both films conform equally in relation to the representation of men and parental roles. Through analysis of my points I am able to conclude that although the films conform to certain stereotypes, they also defy stereotypes as well. A reason for this could be in order to keep the post-modern audience entertained and ensure films don not become predictable. 

Mock Exam: "How do the films you have studied (V & CoM) relate to the concept of Genre and Narrative?"

The following assignment will explore to what extent the films, V for Vendetta (2005) by James McTeigue and Children of men (2006) by Alfonso Cuaron, relate to genre and narrative. This is conveyed through the analysis of some aspects of Classic Hollywood Narrative; In addition to features of genre. These points are demonstrated by looking at the Cause and Effect theory, character motivations, opposition and conflict, the three act structure and lastly whether they conform to their assigned genres. In my opinion, both films conform to certain aspects of the Classic Hollywood Narrative, but the film V for Vendetta does to a greater extent. 

The first point I will highlight is to what extent do the films follow a Cause and Effect structure. This is the idea that when an action or event occurs within the scene, this will result in an appropriate reaction. This is illustrated throughout V for Vendetta, especially when making reference to the domino sequence which reflects on the events leading up to the destruction of parliament and liberation of the people. V for Vendetta is clear in conveying the consequences of actions and how events can easily escalate, an example of this is the rise and fall of Norsefire. The Cause and Effect structure is also present in Children of Men, but not to the same extent as V for Vendetta. It is used in the film in order to establish a structured story line.  It also reinforces the importance of one event, such as the death of baby Diego and a future where everyone is infertile. In doing this encourages the audience to relate and think more about their actions; not just the actions of themselves as an individual, but the result of societies actions, or lack of action in some cases. Holding these points in mind, reveals to the audience that both films contain a Cause and Effect structure; even if they are not always the stereotypical or predictable outcome, which is seen in the Classic Hollywood Narrative.

The second aspects of Classic Hollywood Narrative seen in V for Vendetta, is the way in which the plot is character driven. We also see how the character’s motives are communicated to the audience, to provide a sense of understanding or emotional connection to the characters. In V for Vendetta the plot being character driven links strongly with the concept of Cause and Effect; on the basis that it is through the characters actions which allows us to see the next segment of the story. Without the actions of V, Evey would never lose her fear, and the uprising against the totalitarian government would never come to be. When it comes to exploring character motives, a common theme is revenge. V takes it upon himself to conduct a personal vendetta, against those responsible for the atrocities that occurred at Larkhill. Evey joins the revolution under the influence of V, but also down to the fact her parents were killed due to the oppressive government. In Children of Men the interpretation can be slightly different. The plot is driven by the characters in the same manner, but the motives of the characters vary. Theo sees it as his mission of personal redemption to escort Kee to safety after loosing his child, in doing this also instills a sense of belonging back into him. It may be down to the fact that the future of humanity rests in his hands, which grants Theo a purpose in life. Although the characters in the films bear different motives, they both incorporate characters to help drive the plot forward.

Another point is how the films compare in terms of opposition and conflict. The conflict in V for Vendetta is clear, following a closer representation of Classic Hollywood Narrative than that of Children of Men; on the basis it is a straight forward good vs evil scenario, V vs Norsefire. Two character’s in V for Vendetta that I would class as the exception are Mr Creedy and Detective Finch, due to Creedy’s betrayal to the Chancellor, and Finch’s neutral standing throughout the film. In Children of Men there are several sides to the conflict. Not only are protagonists betrayed and on the run from a political pressure group, they are also under threat from the uprising and oppressive authorities; not to mention individuals who are out to meet their own desires such as Syd. One contrast between the films in relation to conflict, is Theo tries to avoid conflict and focuses on the protection of Kee, whilst V almost seeks out danger to satisfy his blood filled vendetta. In normal Classic Hollywood Narrative the threat (the evil) is extinguished, but in Children of Men the majority of threats remain; so in this aspect V for Vendetta is more like the Classic Hollywood Narrative. 

For this point, the assignment will address the use of the three act structure in the films. The term three act structure refers to the equilibrium (Beginning), Disruption (Middle) and Resolution (Ending). One view is that the films do not have an equilibrium as the audience is thrown into already negative societies. This is effective as it communicates the theme of dystopia. It also requires the audience to actively think and come to terms with how life and rules function in these societies of the future. An alternative interpretation is that the conveyed negativity, is in fact the characters normality, making it their equilibrium. Both films have disruptions, whether it is a confrontation with armed guards or even being caught in the middle of an uprising. The disruptions are needed as they reinforce the severity of the threat and cause the audience to question how the protagonists can come back from a position of weakness. When we look at the resolution of a film it normally entails the hero defeating the evil and getting the girl; this is not the case with these films. In both films the protagonists V and Theo die, However they bear the stereotypical traits of heroes, willing to lay down their lives for the greater good. With this in mind, both films can fall into the category of a negative resolution, compared to other films adopting alternative  postmodern narrative structures. Children of Men is also left open ended, as the audience is left to decide whether Kee reaches the Human Project.

The final point is in relation to genre. The film V for Vendetta follows the Thriller genre the most, although it has Sci-Fi aspects. It contains suspense and keeps the audience guessing, for example the questions that arise centered around V’s past. In terms of the Sci-Fi genre, it portrays British society in the not too distant future. It lacks in some of the stereotypical features of a Sci-Fi such as lasers, robots and spaceships. This use of genre hybridisation makes the films more interesting and suited to the postmodern audience. In doing this makes genre structure more diverse. Children of Men has a very similar analysis of genre. Questions are asked about various character’s pasts and it portrays a near future society. Two features that Children on Men hits which V for Vendetta tends not to do are the developments in technology, although very subtle; these range from virtual banners on the sides of buses and holographic car dashboards. The second feature being the developed separation of class in society. In one scene in particular, it captures well maintained land and people in formal attire to represent the upper class, whilst the working class are captured in a dirty city, living in a world slave to industry and media. 

In conclusion, Children of Men and V for Vendetta are similar when narrative and genre are compared. In my opinion the aspect of Classic Hollywood Narrative that both films do not conform to is the three act structure. In terms of the other aspects, the films contain features of the Classic Hollywood Narrative but to different extents. An example of this is V for Vendetta being more closely linked to the classic conflict than that of Children of Men. As a whole I believe V for Vendetta to follow the Classic Hollywood Narrative more. It is also apparent that genre has adapt over time to meet the needs of the postmodern audience; it has done this through the use of genre hybridisation. Incorporating all these previously stated features of narrative and genre has contributed in creating two thoroughly enjoyable films.                                   

Elevator Pitch

To Link my prequel to the aspects I have explored in my macro area, Narrative, I will include several features. I will ensure the characters have similar motives, to those they possess in the original film. In making it a prequel also links to my Textual Analysis, as it causes the audience to think about how the story is going to progress, to line up with the key plot points of original film.