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November 1995, Week 1

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Subject:
From:
Ulf Dalquist <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 3 Nov 1995 18:37:49 +0100
Content-Type:
text/plain
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Justine Sawyier wrote:
>I am beginning to research a paper on the question of moral ambiguity in m=
ale
>and female characters in film, dealing with the primary issue that this
>quality has been allowed in male characters (hero/anti-hero), and not in
>female characters.  I want to use examples in modern film that show that b=
ias
>is slowly changing, allowing female characters more shading and dynamic
>range.  My intent is to use examples from early film (D.W. Griffith, German
>Expressionists, Classical Hollywood Cinema, Film Noir, the reactionary 50's
>era films, up through the modern), to trace the development of moral
>ambiguity.
>
>Does anyone have good recommendations for films and materials to look at t=
hat
>deal with this issue?
>
>Does anyone have recommendations for modern films and materials that show
>this aspect evolving?
>
>Does anyone have any thoughts on the subject that they wish to share?
>
Terminator 2 is a really interesting film when it comes to female moral=20
ambiguity. Since I'm certain you've all seen the film, I won't go into deta=
ils.=20
Sarah Connor, clearly a heroine, is locked up in a mental asylum since she =
using=20
force repeatedly have tried to stop the apocalypse she's certain will come =
in a=20
few years. After her escape from the hospital she tries to assasinate an=20
engineer who is about to design the chip that would eventually destroy the=
=20
world. Sarah isn't locked up without reason. The pressure of knowing about =
the=20
coming end of the world as we know it and the fact that she's the only one =
who=20
could stop it, has definitely turned her into a psychotic (or whatever the=
=20
clinical diagnosis would be). I find it impossible to imagine a male action=
=20
character breakting down from the strain of being the chosen saviour of the=
=20
world. Surely, male action heroes have problems, usually depicted as whiske=
y=20
bottles or beer for breakfast, but they don't *break down*.=20
 
Hope this is of interest,  and apologies for my rotten english.
 
ulf
 
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