Task 13: Detailed Essay Plan

For the independent study, my chosen text is Spiderman 2. Firstly the reason for choosing this text is becuase it is contemporary, which ofcourse is the criteria of the coursework, however the reason why i have chosen this film is becuase i believe these superhero movies, since the start of hollywood, films such as Batman (1966), The Superman (1933) and many more, have always had the same, repetitive and formulaic todorovian narrative structure, the proppian style characters such as the male protagonist being the superhero (which has two sides to him) and the villain who wants to take over the world, and finally a passive female character who plays the damsel-in-distress role. (G, R, N, Todorov, Propp, Mulvey)

In Spiderman 2, the film carries out the same conventions which have been seen in previous superhero films from the past, this shows that these big budget hollywood instititutions are promoting certain values especially towards the younger generation, as the target audience for these films are approximately 7- 16 year old children. (I, H, V&I, A, P)

For this study, the other texts i will be referring to are Batman as this film also uses similar conventions, Adventures of Captain Marvel a film seriel set in the 1940s, and a contemporary text i will be referring to is a big budget and blockbuster Bollywood movie Krrish, as we can now see that other large institution such as bollywood are now pursuing the same conventions.
(G, A, N)

For the hypothesis of the independent study essay, it consists of investigating both arguments, that is the superhero film genre institutions just produing and directing these types of films to fulfil the audiences needs of escape from reality, or does it have a purpose to promote values, such as patriarchy or hegemony? (G, I, A, S, V&I)

Spiderman promoting ideologies:

• Superhero films have been using the same conventions, such as the 1933 movie, The Superman, Batman, Spiderman and many more. This shows that as these films are produced by large hollywood institutions, they tend to stick with the stereotypes and are not challanging the genre, this means that audiences wish to escape from reality and want to see supernatural actions going on especially children and young teenagers. (M, I, G, A)

• The film includes similar locations, such as the fast-paced busy New York (USA), which promotes US Centrecism and the American Dream. (M, V&I)

• This increasing film genre is reinforcing patriarchy and the old fairy tale stories, such as the hero, defeating the villain and rescuing the princess from the villain and having a happy ending. This shows that large hollywood institutions are still promoting these values to young aswell as older audiences. The male superhero is seen as the rescuer and get thew last kiss with her which promotes patriarchy, aswell as that the heroine holds a passive role an has no real significance as a result to argue that feminism has reched success, however this is promoting to the young audiences to grow older and keep patriarchy in strong position and dominating. (V&I, Propp, Mulvey)

• The decline in religion has a result tha these messages are presented covertly using the time-tested strategy of having aliens and superheroes standing in for religious figures. This is particularly obvious in Spider-Man 2. (S, R, V&I)

• Films such as Supergirl was a grat loss for the producers and did not receive any great deal of appreciation which means that we still live in a patriarchal and misogynistic society. (E, I, Mulvey)

• The film deals with many semiotics or so called "motifs, " such as the hand signal where spiderman releases his web, it has been theroised and researched as being a satanic symbol, which can mean that there are certain political and historical effects of these films that are not revealing. (Semiotics, V&I, P, H)

Contemporary texts to link to are:

Batman

Superman

Spiderman

Krrish

Key theories and theorists to link to:

Laura Mulvey: Active Male/Passive Female

Propp: Character (Stereotypical, "dumbing down)

Strauss: Binary Oppositions (Spiderman vs. Dock Ock - Good vs. Evil)

Semiotics: Signs, motifs

Marxism

Hyperdermic Needle

Spiderman providing escapism and adventure, nothing else:

• The film does not promote any ideologies as it just shows the target audience (young children) to escape from reality and to look up to these superheroes. (S, M, A)
  
• The film uses these stereotypes of the male hero, passive female to make it easier for the younger audience to identify and to understand easily. (A, R)

• The superhero film genre uses certain animal so that the audience find it unusual and unique where they can try and behave in the same way e.g. Spiderman, Batman, Catwoman. (G, M, A, N)

• There are contemporary films such as Catwoman (2004) where women are the protagonists of the film and are fighting against dangerous villains which celebrates the success of femenism. Aswell as that there is also the historical text Supergirl, which was released in 1984 which shows that feminism was achieving equal right in society. ( S, P, H, G, R)

• We can see that aswell as entertaining the audiences, it also educating the audience with moral panics about terrorism and how the world is becoming a more dangerous place. (V&I, S, P)

Key texts to refer to:

Catwoman: Female protagonist and active role.

Supergirl: Active, increase in femenism.

Key therories to refer to:

Pluralism

Uses and Gratification

Reception Theory

Summary/Conclusion:

Supehero films are repetitive and formulaic as they tend to stick with the ideologies and social norms to divide the classes and to keep a patrirchal and misogynistic society.