Representation of Women in "Sin City"

Independent Study

2008-05-08T02:26:00.000-07:00

'She won't let you feel a thing unless she wants you to. She twists the blade. He feels it.
How does ‘Sin City’ problematise typical representations of women?

Since the release of the half live action half comic book adaptation “Sin City" there has been a slew of producers and writers who want to expand on this genre. For example M Night Shyamalan uses conventions of comic book film to create his almost “sci-fi-ish” thrillers like “The Happening” which is soon to be released. ‘Sin City’ , is portrayed in black-and-white with an occasional feature of colour whether it be “a whore's lip gloss or a yellow-skinned rapist” . The almost comic production provides a breakthrough in comic book adaptations such as "Batman" and "Spiderman" of the 1970s to be recognized as the beginning of a new chapter in comic series adaptations in movie theatre.
Sin City's cinematic views of women are heavily criticised because the movie is a close reproduction of a comic. Comics are notoriously recognized to be written by men about men for men, and gender roles are made even more extreme by the adaptation as it strives to be unrealistic, fantastical, and hyperbolic. Both the men and women are immortalised and fanciful, as the men are not intended to be real men and the women are not real women. Continuously throughout the film instead of challenging traditional roles, Sin City inflates them and the men are portrayed as excessively macho, the women as sidekicks, sex kittens, or helpless victims. Like many comics, Sin City's adaptation of its male written narrative represents women from a hard-bitten, ultra-masculine point of view. The females are "told" by men, and they are positioned and poised as “vixens, temptresses, pin-ups, vamps, prostitutes, and mistresses ”.
‘Sin City’ uses a range of technology to enhance the special effects used in the film, but more obviously, it sets the grounds for a revolution in comic book adaptations by creating the first multi-narrative film in this genre. Sin City seized $29.1 million in its opening week, concluding that this film would be a gateway in the way comic book adaptations and general film productions would be intertwined to create a production of this sort.
The representation of women in ‘Sin City’ can be argued to support both the needs of the voyeur as well the women themselves. Sin City still reinforces common stereotypes of how women are represented in media, but in this case, the women are now seen in a state of power, whereby they own part of the city and even have authority to chase police out of it. “On one hand, the women can be seen as warrior-goddesses, magnificent and luminous; on the other, they are morally dubious prostitutes and strippers, servants of debased male gratification.” Throughout the movie, the roles of the female are decisive, for although the women are portrayed as strong and self-sufficient, the commentary the male narrators make about them and the way they treat them undermine their portrayal. As well, the fact that the females are prostitutes and strippers leaves them in an uncertain position and one that is at the mercy of men. The women overall are defined by their sexuality: envisaged as stunning and mysteriously seductive, they maintain power through sexuality and physicality. In other words, they are objectified and rendered by obsessive male fantasies and mythologies. However, they are also seen to repel against this as their powers of seduction are used to lure the male audience into their possession. This is the argument this essay will aim to resolve.
Sin City belongs to a genre called “Film Noir”. Film Noir was the term used to describe “black and white films”, this was successful during the early cinematic movements of the 20th century . The first book-length study of noir (Borde and Chaumeton, 1955) began this work by mapping out various recurrent themes within noir (violence, crime, psychological emphasis)." This study relates to the background “Sin City” as these three themes are the main themes in the movie itself. The narrative is fixed around three story lines, whereby sex violence and criminal activity are passionate factors in pursuing the narrative structure. Borde and Chaumeton also went on to say that a lot of film noir productions were nearly always based on the crime genre whereby they had a restricted target audience and this helped the industry make “film noir” a more prestige time of film.
In the classic detective novel "The Big Sleep ", Raymond Chandler is depicted as suspicious, loner detective challenged by lying, vindictive women and loathsome greedy criminals. Miller despondently turns up a notch on this genre. In his world, single-mindedly violent male anti-heroes protect or avenge fetishized, slutty-looking females. Horrible violence is done to innocent victims and the response of the avenger is similarly horrible which can also be seen in the special additions in Sin City’s production. Vigilante thugs hunt down psychopathic cannibals, and the mess is left to an idealistic, fatalist, loner cop who also challenges a serial rapist and a community of Rambo-style prostitutes who defend their neighbourhood against the city's corrupt cops and politicians. If anything, it can be stated that Sin City is indeed a 21st century remake of the late 1970s film noir thriller.
Additionally, the story was told by a first person voice-over narrator to help anchor the meaning of the film, this method is also used in Sin City, where a main male character- Dwight McCarthy is seen to have possession of the narrative through their own personal attributes. This is effective because it allows the audience to become more interactive with the characters and makes the film more interesting.
Female characters have been “underrepresented ” throughout the history of this genre, they have undertaken passive character roles and been depicted as fetishized objects of the male gaze by the predominantly male directors’ and writers'. Mulvey argues that one of the pleasures of cinema is “scopophilia” , a voyeuristic gaze directed at a certain audience, in this case, a predominantly male order. In order to understand whether Sin City reinforces stereotypical representations of women in the contemporary crime genre, it is essential to understand the varied and differential female character roles within the film, but also to compare the film noir of this era to those character roles back when film noir had began. Women in film noir were often seen as “dangerous and worthy of destruction” , and also that the women were addressed roles that were traditionally suited to them. These stereotypes further justified Mulveys theory of women being portrayed as “whores” to suit the “male gaze”.
It is vital that when considering the word ‘representation’ that words such as ‘label’, ‘portrayal’, ‘imagery’ and ‘stereotypes’ should spring to mind. Representation can be misinterpreted as a stereotype depending on how the representation has been portrayed. For example, Gail played by Rosario Dawson is an essential female protagonist who in the film is portrayed as the pimp amongst her fellow prostitutes, although she is in this state of power, she is still dressed in skimpy outfits, flesh on view to suit the sexual pleasures of the male audience. The gender difference stereotype has dramatically declined in today’s society. This is due to the introduction of new laws which make women just as equal as men in terms of paid employment, education and in the household , with the introduction of the ‘new man’ it is vital to understand that males feel there is a “crisis of masculinity ”, due to women taking up a range of challenges, which allows them to express themselves fully. The thriller genre has been male dominated with women taking up the stereotypical role of ‘damsel in distress’, in contrast to the male being viewed as the ‘hero’, as Laura Mulvey states (theory of male gaze). Leading on from this is one of the most typically and commonly asked questions “why are so many women in films showgirls, strippers and sex objects?” Nevertheless, award winning action thriller ‘Sin City’ attains the stereotypical view of women, with a bit of visual pleasure, and converts it to a female dominated society (the girls from Old town), whereby males answer to the needs and deeds of women. Miho (Devon Aoki) undertakes the role of a ‘powerful dominant woman’, whereas Hartigan (Bruce Willis) still expresses an active role even though he is inert towards Miho, this is uncanny as this role change does not occur in typical Hollywood thrillers, this is due to the similar roles which portray the significant change in society. Sin City has attempted to portray women in an equal light; however the active role of dominant male will still play a big part in major films.

This view of sexual pleasure for the male audience is addressed to them through the portrayal of various female characters. Like Deadly Miho, played by supermodel Devon Aoki, “Nancy Callahan” played by Jessica Alba and “Gail” played by Rosario Dawson. All three females are commonly known to play sexy roles this reinforces Mulvey’ theory of women as passive characters and in other films the females are usually designated to play similar roles with different directors. Their roles in Sin City suit the sexual factors of their male audience; however, the pleasures of women don’t go amiss. Although these female characters have been portrayed as “whores”, they are also used to help the narrative move along. It could be stated that Frank Miller has successfully created two adaptations of power within the same film, by using both genders. In succession, this makes the film attractive to both genders demolishing any type of patriarchal ideologies put across through the narrative and publishing.
The new age of feminism arose in the 1970’s after the second wave of feminism . This was brought forward to liberate female freedom and opportunity for the woman, and this also affected the roles women were given by directors in films. It can be stated that the role of women was exploited due to patriarchal ideologies that were affecting society during the period of war. The media was also controlled by men, which meant only male ideologies would be addressed to the country. However, after the era of 1970, females began to gain bigger roles as women were expressing their concerns for their oppression and restriction by the opposite gender. The “burning of bras” sparked a symbol of women overcoming their fellow gender by now gaining more rights and equality in what was still a male dominant society. Women could make their own money and therefore were not dependant on the male bread winner but in fact replaced themselves with this label. “A significant decrease from the 1970’s; only 3 percent of women were represented as housewives as their main occupation” , this is challenged in Sin City where none of the female characters are presented in this view.
Sin City contradicts the typical view of the “whore” as it shows female empowerment through the use of phallic objects owned by women themselves. In one scene, “Jackie Boy” played by Benicio Del Toro, “drives down a narrow side in the back alleys of Old town”, he is pursuing a female prostitute who is on her way home from work. The ideologies of the dominant female are shown here, when “Gail” alerts “Clive” that the girls of old town have the situation under control. “Deadly Miho” lurks amongst the top of the flats, hovering over Jackie Boy making sure no harm in brought to any of the girls. Miho then pursues to injure Jackie Boy and his companions showing that Sin City’s portrayal of the prostitute is far more deadly than its representation. Miho is always seen to have a blade or sword of some sort, this phallic symbol emphasizes the sexuality used in Sin City, but also emphasizes the dominant role that women have in the film. Scenes are also shot in a strip club whereby hookers, who play a prominent role in the story, wear as little as fishnet body-stockings and as much as skimpy leather lingerie.
On the other hand, men are occasionally stereotyped as the “active, providing and tough individual who drives the narrative forward, whereas the passive, sexually orientated and emotional” people tend to be the women who are constantly being controlled by the man and are there to make the hero look good providing ‘scopophillic pleasures’ to the audience, a voyeuristic gaze directed at a certain audience in this case. This is challenged by contemporary films for example the angels in Charlie’s Angels-Full Throttle or Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) in Cat woman (Pitof 2004), whereby the main protagonist(s) in both films are females. This stereotype is progressing in the media as awareness of women’s ability is becoming more noticeable in society.
In addition, Haskell (1973) points out those directors were guilty of having “misogynistic views upon women” . This would lead to the negative representation of women as it oppresses them. Feminism may have played a major part in the progression to minimise objectification however, women are still getting viewed for the wrong reasons such as pleasure and degrading them for instance Sin City, here women are represented both negatively but also positively, which makes Sin City an individual in the portrayal of female characters as fetishized objects as well as figures of authority. Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven, 1992) is another example where the spectators are provided with ‘scopophillic’ and ‘voyeuristic’ pleasures throughout and at this time we are introduced with the ‘female gaze’. These views are held in other films such as Thelma and Louise (1990), directed by Ridley Scott who also directed Alien, as both feature female protagonists. However, in this film the two women could be categorised in two groups. “The ‘whore’ and the ‘Madonna’. They had freedom and lived independently.
A sign of dominance from the females rather than males is also presented in films such as Charlie’s Angels-Full Throttle, Kill Bill, and Catwoman and all attract different audiences. Charlie’s Angels-Full Throttle is a hybrid due to the “repertoire of elements”, reflecting the genre theory by being “dynamic and not static” . Richard Maltby (1995) stated that “Genres are flexible” as a result genres could change or adapt. ‘Uses and gratifications theory’ could be applied to these films as they all provide the audience with escapist entertainment. This can be seen in Sin City, where stars who are beautiful and glamorous can also “kick asses and perform the role of the action hero” . This theory assumes an active audience where individuals choose the text they consume and have dissimilar reasons for consuming the films. The primary audiences are mature teenagers who appeal to an action/adventure genre providing voyeuristic pleasures. The secondary audience would be feminists and fans of the actors/actresses as it manifest female empowerment and fans of feminist movements.
Furthermore, they may be in an active role however, Gaye Tuchman (1978) argues that females are represented far less than males in film. Tuchman stated that when females have roles in film, they are mostly portrayed to suit the needs of the male audience hence Mulveys’ ‘Male Gaze’ theory. Tuchman called this ‘symbolic annihilation’ . This can be challenged to a certain extent as women in protagonist roles are becoming more common in contemporary films such as the angels however; they are still being shown in negative roles such as ‘objects’. Their human characteristics are being taken away from them leaving them as the tools of desire to entertain and pleasure such as when the females of Old town are shown in their sexy lingerie brandishing their heavy shining pistols, this also acts as a phallic symbol, enhancing the use of sexual imagery to portray the character of a female.
In conclusion, women are increasingly being viewed in films in a male associated role which now reflects the ideologies of society. They are still being represented as sex objects with the use of ‘phallic’ or ‘fetish’ objects with the main aim to attract heterosexual males in gaining pleasure and entertainment. On the other hand, females are also given sexual desires via the ‘female gaze’, the big hunky forefront of Marv’s body acts as an example to suit the sexual pleasures of the female audience. “The last twenty years has seen a “growth in the presence and influence of women in media ” despite this, their bodies are still used to attract and please the needs of the predominantly male audience to which the movie mainly appeals to. However, due to this technique, modernisation has made it so that even though the male audience have their pleasures fulfilled, it is in fact the women of the audience who in fact have the biggest satisfaction of all, due to the knowledge that men have fell into their trap of sexual seduction hence the occurrence of the “Femme Fatale”. Sin City successfully challenges the typical view of the female and contradicting this portrayal in terms of a new age in patriarchal ideologies, which now challenges the rise in feminism. Sin City overall provides both the voyeuristic and fetishist views of women as well as portraying them in more masculine statures.

'First Draft.. Has Arrived'

2008-02-11T04:40:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, Draft One, of Don Troublesomes 'Independent Study'.

Saz Jayajothy 13F.
'She won't let you feel a thing unless she wants you to. She twists the blade. He feels it.'
How is the portrayal of female roles varied in "Sin City"?

Since the release of the half reality half comic book adaptation “Sin City" there has been a spur of producers and writers who want to expand on this sort of film for example M Night Shyamalan uses conventions of comic book film to create his almost “sci-fi-ish” thrillers like “The happening” which is soon to be released. The almost comic series makes way for such classics as "Batman" and "Spiderman" of the 1970s to be recognized as the beginning of a new chapter in comic series adaptations in movie theatre. Sin City uses a range of technology to enhance the special effects used in the film, but more obviously, it sets the grounds for a revolution in comic book adaptations. Sin City claimed a staggering $94.7 million in its opening week, concluding that this film would be a success in the way animated productions and general film productions would be intertwined to create a production of this sort.
Sin City is part of a genre called “Film Noir”. Film Noir was the term used to describe “black and white films” during the early cinematic movements of the 20th century. Film Noir was heavily influenced by aspects of the German Expressionist era, whereby many of the values and principles of this era were used to construct the future of “Film Noir” and its basic purpose. "The first book-length study of noir (Borde and Chaumeton, 1955) began this work by mapping out various recurrent themes within noir (violence, crime, psychological emphasis) and relating this to particular films." This quote heavily relates to my movie “Sin City” as these three sub-genres are the main themes in the movie itself. The narrative is fixed around 3 story lines, whereby sex violence and criminal activity are passionate factors in pursuing the narrative structure. Borde and Chaumeton also went on to say that a lot of film noir productions were nearly always based on the crime genre whereby they had a restricted target audience and this helped the industry make “film noir” a more prestige time of film.
Additionally the story was told by a first person voice-over narrator to help anchor the meaning of the film, this method is also used in Sin City, where the main male character is seen to have possession of the narrative through their own sub-narrative. This is effective because it allows the audience to become more interactive with the characters and makes the film more interesting. This common convention of film noir his common convention of film noir
Female characters have been “underrepresented” throughout the history of this genre, they have undertaken passive character roles and been depicted as fetishized objects of the male gaze by the predominantly male directors’ and writers'. In order to understand whether Sin City by Frank Miller reinforces stereotypical representations of women in the contemporary crime genre, it is essential to understand the varied and differential female character roles within the film, but also to compare the film noir of this era to those character roles back when film noir had began. Women in film noir were often labelled as “bimbos” or “housewives”, and this would be the typical roles they played in films. These stereotypes further justified Mulveys theory of women being portrayed as “whores” to suit the “male gaze”. Women were seen as fetishized sexual objects of the male gaze, hence the fulfilment of the male audience’s sexual pleasures.
It is vital that when considering the word ‘representation’ that words such as ‘label’, ‘portrayal’, ‘imagery’ and ‘stereotypes’ should spring to mind. Representation can be misinterpreted as a stereotype; this categorizes a group of people by their attributes. The gender difference stereotype has dramatically declined in today’s society this is due to the introduction of new laws which make women just as equal as men in terms of paid employment, education and in the household, with the introduction of the ‘new man’ it is vital to understand that males feel there is a crisis of masculinity, due to women taking up a range of challenges, which allows them to express themselves fully. The thriller genre has been male dominated with women taking up the stereotypical role of ‘damsel in distress’, in contrast to the male being viewed as the ‘hero’, as Laura Mulvey states (theory of male gaze) “why are so many women in films showgirls, strippers and sex objects.” Nevertheless, award winning action thriller ‘Sin City’ attains the stereotypical view, with a bit of visual pleasure, and converts it to a female dominated society whereby males answer to the needs and deeds of women. Miho (Devon Aoki) undertakes the role of a ‘powerful dominant woman’, whereas Hartigan (Bruce Willis) still characterises an active role even though he is inert towards Miho, this is uncanny as this role change does not occur in Hollywood thrillers, this is due to the similar roles which portray the significant change in society. Sin City has portrayed women in equal terms; however the active role of dominant male will still play a big part in major films.

This view of sexual pleasure for the male audience is addressed to them through the portrayal of various female characters. Like “Deadly Miho”, played by supermodel Devon Aoki, “Nancy Callahan” played by Jessica Alba and “Gail” played by Rosario Dawson. All three females are illustriously known to play sexy roles this re-enforces Mulveys theory of women as passive characters and in other films the females are usually designated to play similar roles with different autors. Their roles in Sin City suit the sexual factors of their male audience; however, women aren’t left out of the excitement. Although these female characters have been portrayed as “whores”, they also hold most of the power through the narrative of sin city. It could be stated that Frank Miller has successfully created two adaptations of power within the same film, by using both genders. In succession, this makes the film attractive to both genders demolishing any type of patriarchal ideologies put across through the narrative and publishing.
The new age of feminism arose around the 1970’s after the suffragette movement. This was brought forward to liberate female freedom and opportunity for the woman, and this also affected the roles women were given by directors in films. During the war, women were associated with roles that downgraded their status, working in munitions factories under male order, but also, helping with the home front and looking after the family. Personally I believe the role of women was exploited due to patriarchal ideologies that were affecting society during the period of war. These ideologies were brought about due to the heavy influence of male power with sergeants and generals mainly being male. The media was also controlled by men, which meant only male ideologies would be addressed to the country. However, after the era of 1970, females began to gain bigger roles as women were expressing their concerns for their oppression and restriction by the opposite gender. The “burning of bras” sparked a symbol of women overcoming their fellow gender by now gaining more rights and equality in what was still a male dominant society. Women could make their own money and therefore were not dependant on the male bread winner but in fact replaced themselves with this label. “A significant decrease from the 1970’s; only 3 percent of women were represented as housewives as their main occupation”, this is challenged in Sin City where none of the females characters are presented in this view.
Sin City depicts the typical view of the “whore” as it shows female empowerment through the use of phallic objects owned by women themselves. In one scene, “Jackie Boy” played by Benicio Del Toro, “drives down a narrow side in the back alleys of Old town”, he is pursuing a female prostitute who is on her way home from work. The ideologies of the dominant female are shown here, when “Gail” alerts “Clive” that the girls of old town have the situation under control. “Deadly Miho” lurks amongst the top of the flats, hovering over Jackie Boy making sure no harm in brought to any of the girls. Miho then pursues to injure Jackie Boy and his companions showing that Sin City’s adaptation of the prostitute is far more deadly than its representation. Miho is always seen to have a blade or sword of some sort, this phallic symbol emphasizes the sexuality used in Sin City, but also emphasizes the dominant role that women have in the film.
On the other hand, men are constantly stereotyped as the “active, providing and tough individual who drives the narrative forward, whereas the passive, sexually orientated and emotional” people tend to be the women who are constantly being controlled by the man and are there to make the hero look good providing ‘scopophillic pleasures’ to the audience. This is challenged by contemporary films for example the angels in Charlie’s Angels-Full Throttle or Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) in Cat woman (Pitof, 2004). This stereotype is progressing in the media as awareness of women’s ability is becoming more noticeable in society.
In addition, Haskell (1973) points out those directors were guilty of having “misogynistic views upon women”. This would lead to the negative representation of women as it oppresses them. Feminism may have played a major part in the progression to minimise objectification however, women are still getting viewed for the wrong reasons such as pleasure and degrading them for instance Sin City. Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven, 1992) is another example where the spectators are provided with ‘scopophillic’ and ‘voyeuristic’ pleasures throughout and at this time we are introduced with the ‘female gaze’. These views are held in other films such as Thelma and Louise (1990), directed by Ridley Scott who also directed Alien, as both feature female protagonists. However, in this film the two women could be categorised in two groups. “The ‘whore’ and the ‘Madonna’. They had freedom and lived independently.
A sign of dominance from the females rather than males is also presented in films such as Charlie’s Angels-Full Throttle, Kill Bill, and Catwoman and all attract different audiences. Charlie’s Angels-Full Throttle is a hybrid due to the “repertoire of elements”, reflecting the genre theory by being “dynamic and not static”. Richard Maltby (1995) stated that “Genres are flexible” as a result genres could change or adapt. The genre of the film decides the audience and this result in an active audience. ‘Uses and gratifications theory’ could be applied to these films as they all provide the audience with escapist entertainment. This can be seen in Sin City, where stars who are beautiful and glamorous can also “kick asses and perform the role of the action hero”. This theory assumes an active audience where individuals choose the text they consume and have dissimilar reasons for consuming the films. The primary audiences are mature teenagers who appeal to an action/adventure genre providing voyeuristic pleasures. The secondary audience would be feminists and fans of the actors/actresses as it manifest female empowerment and fans of feminist movements.
Furthermore, they may be in an active role however, Gaye Tuchman (1978) argues that females are represented far less than males in film. “Tuchman stated that when females have roles, they are mostly shown as being negative roles” Tuchman called this ‘symbolic annihilation’. This can be challenged to a certain extent as women in protagonist roles are becoming more common in contemporary films such as the angels however; they are still being shown in negative roles such as ‘objects’. Their human characteristics are being taken away from them leaving them as the tools of desire to entertain and pleasure such as when the females of Old town are shown in their sexy lingerie brandishing their heavy shining pistols, this also acts as a phallic symbol, enhancing the use of sexual imagery to portray the character of a female.
In conclusion, women are now increasingly being viewed in films in a male associated role which now reflects the ideologies of society. They are still being represented as sex objects with the use of ‘phallic’ or ‘fetish’ objects with the main aim to attract heterosexual males in gaining pleasure and entertainment. On the other hand, females are also given sexual desires via the ‘female gaze’. “The last twenty years has seen a “growth in the presence and influence of women in media” despite this, their bodies are used as a mechanism to succeed in action films. Sin City successfully challenges the typical view of the female and contradicting this portrayal in terms of a new age in patriarchal ideologies, now challenged the rise in feminism.

Bibliography

1. Film Theory An Introduction (1999) by Robert Stam.
It examines issues common to both subjects such as realism, narration, point of view, style, semiotics, Feminism and The Feminist Intervention and multiculturalism. It also includes coverage of theorists common to both, Barthes, Lacan and Bakhtin among others such as Laura Mulvey and theories such as the Male Gaze.

2. Feminist Theorists (1983) by Dale Spender.
The book focuses on theory and theorists around the 80's and even back to the late 1600's E.g. Mary Astell. This will aid my study as this book focuses on the historical side of SHEP.

3. The meaning of wife (2004) by Anne Kingston.
Canadian journalist and social commentator Anne Kingston provides a fresh perspective on the role and how it affects the perception of women. This book: Explains the alternating currents of 'wife lash' and 'wife lust' Introduces the concept of the 'wife gap' that emerged in the wake of the twentieth-century women's movement Analyses the married woman's relationship to female power, sexuality and worth. The book will greatly coincide with my study as i will be looking at the representation of housewives such as Carmela as well as fetishists. It will outline the representation of housewives and the social issues.

4. Race and Gender (1985) by Madeleine Arno.
The book outlines the representations of women as well as racial issues, additionally it contains theories. The book is the contains in depth on these to key social issues in society; covering one aspect of SHEP.

5. Media Studies: The Essential Introduction (2001) by Phillip Rayner, Peter Wall and Stephen.
Explains the media concepts, cultural terms and theoretical perspectives. The book offers deeper insights to representation and gender also it looks in more depth with media theories and debates.

6. Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction (2002) by David Gauntlett.
It provides an in depth look into the different ways in which gender and identity and focuses on the media's influence on gender and sexuality. David Gauntlett explores the gender of contemporary media and draws on recent theories of gender and identity. This is one book in particular is relevant to my study as it outlines key theorists and theories and looks into SHEP.

7.Ross, Mandy (2002): The Changing Role of Women. Great Britain: Heinemann Library.
This book is useful as it explores a number of things such as how the roles of women have changed through the decades, the extent to which men and women are considered equals, how Women fought for the vote, Women in politics, domestic life of women, marriage, motherhood and divorce, women’s rights in the 21st century, how fashion gave a sense of liberation to women etc.

8. Bryson, Valerie (1999): Feminist Debates. Hong Kong: Macmillan Press LTD.
This book is based on feminist debates and theories in this day and age. It mentions issues such as women in western societies, the changing structure of the family, male violence against women, the political representation of women, the way society challenges gender inequalities, the start of feminism etc.

9. Spectacular bodies: gender, genre and the action cinema By Yvonne Tasker(1993)
This book talks about the representation of gender rather then sex, as Brigitte neilson, is a tall butch like female but her feminine features such as her breasts are enhanced naturally gives her a sexual fantasy look and has worked in Beverley hill cops. It also talks about how her real life is misrepresented and how men fear her because of her shape and size.

10. Knowing Women Feminism and Knowledge by Helen Crowley and Susan Himmelweit (1992)
This book explores some of the new developments in the Feminist theory, it also refers back to the status of women as both subjects and objects of knowledge. This book is very debative and also talks about women’s and gender, and how we perceive them. This book will be very beneficial to me as in my Independent study one of the main are that I am looking at is gender, and how women are portrayed as being subordinate to men. This book has got same excellent information about, subordination, patriarchy and dominance. I will be able to make some excellent reference from this book.

Task 12...

2008-01-08T06:04:00.002-08:00

The text that I have chosen as my historical text to compare to my own is "The Lady from Shangai". This movie was released in 1948 and was directed by Orson Welles. The basic plot of "The Lady from Shangai" is suprisingly contradiciting the view of a patriarchal society back in the mid 20th century. The lead role is played by a female which went against the common view of the gender of the protagonist in film. Having a female as the lead character sparked a revolution in feminisim, and after this movie, it could be stated that women began to gain more of a grasp on what character roles they would begin to play.

Firstly, by comparing the two texts "The Lady from Shangai" and "Sin City" is it clear to see and state that both movies carry differential ideologies on the representation of gender. Sin City is seen to be the more patriarchal production, as the main protagonists are male, whereas "The Lady from Shangai" has a female protagonist, and she herself carries the narrative along, by commiting to seduce and brainwash petty males whom she believes that the men "know nothing about wickedness". From this quote, you can already bear the impression that this woman means business, the careful use of seductive characterisation has made her character almost eminent in the fact that no other female has experienced this type of role, where as well as being shown to be a sex symbol, she attracts and draws the pleasures of men, to suit her own needs.
In contradicting the idea of women being portrayed as sex objects, the derogatory view of women being sleazy, seductive and sexually symbolized, this was used to their own benefits, as now they had an aspect of the male persona that they could now handle and control at their own accord. The use of sex was used to the advantage of females as they knew this was what controlled male figures at the time. Sex from a male point of view is seen as the seductive, male dominant battle of sexual pride and knowledge, however, for men to gain this pleasure they must be interactive with the oppositie gender, and this is shown in "Lady of Shangai" as she controls the sexual desires of some of the men she encounters with. Sin City however, has a very different approach to the sexual orientations of men and women. The text portrays women as sexual icons better known as prostitutes but not entirely matching their stereotypical descriptions. In Sin City, the "prostitutes" are seen to own their own turf, better yet known as "Old Town", here it is addressed to the audience that no police neither authority figure can trespass on their land, through this it can be seen that the sexual representation of these women is what gives them their authoritive being, and seperates them from the dominant rule of partriarchal ideologies.
During the time period between the productions of these two texts, there have been substantial changes in not only the law, but society as well as the media. The rise in feminism was brought about by the sufferagets movement, and it was apparent from these movements that media was beginning to involve women in more essential roles. Thanks to this change, it is apparent today why women were portrayed as sex objects supporting the theory of the male gaze. Essentialy, this view was only used to satisfy the needs of the male audience as they were the ones who seeked pleasure from it. However, this idea has been demolished due to the rise of female awareness, now in film, the audience will be passive to seeing a woman almost wearing nothing, to be one of the strong dependent leading characters in a text,this has been turned around by the rise of feminisim, but also, the awareness that women can control the sexual desires of men, making them the more superior gender in film today.

Mulvey...

2008-01-08T06:04:00.001-08:00

Laura Mulvey- visual pleasure and narrative cinema

Lara Mulvey, a feminist film theorist wrote an article called ‘Visual pleasure and Narrative cinema’ which was published in 1975. It is one of the most widely cited and recognized articles in the whole of contemporary film theory. Laura Mulvey has made links to Freud who followed the psychoanalytical theory which focuses on how subject positions focus on the construction of the text. Similar to Laura Mulveys theory and her stating that women are fetishized. Laura Mulvey suggests that there were two distinct sectors of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" and "fetishistic". Mulvey addresses it in Freudian terms as a response to the male ‘castration anxiety’.
Freud says that boys then fetishize over other body parts of the female through phallic objects. He also believed that the audience is constructed as male therefore the woman is forced to look from the male perspective and the process of scopophilia (which is to look) and parts of her body will be fetishized usually through a phallic object. Freud's theory is agreeing with the act that Women are there to be looked at and objectified, and also that the audience is encouraged to identify with the make as they drive the narrative forward.
Mulvey argues that various features of cinema viewing conditions facilitate for the viewer both the voyeuristic process of objectification of female characters and also the narcissistic (admiring yourself in a sense of self identification) process of identification with an ideal ego on the screen. The concept of the gaze, in visual media, is that one deals with how an audience views other peoples representation. This concept is vital in the framework of feminist theory, where it can dealt with how men look at women, how women look at themselves and other women, and the effects surrounding this.
How the theory can be useful for my independent study?
This theory supports my hypothesis in that it expresses the way women are seen in the media but most importantly their representation towards the opposite gender. This is key to my study of "Sin City" as my main argument is to understand why this particular media text uses a patriarchal ideology and oppression of females figures to carry its narrative along, whilst at the same time, Sin City ingeniously contradicts the male gaze issue whereby the fetishistic females characters are placed in higher power than the men.

Introduktion...

2008-01-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

'She won't let you feel a thing unless she wants you to. She twists the blade. He feels it.'
How is the portrayal of female roles varied in "Sin City"?

Since the release of the epic half comic- half reality box office hit "Sin City" there has been a spur of producers and writers who want to expand on this sort of film. The almost realitical comic series makes way for such classics as "Batman" and "Spiderman" of the 1970s to be recognized as the beginning of a new chapter in comic series adapatations in movie theatre. Sin City uses a range of technology to enhance the special effects used in the film, but more obviously, it sets the grounds for one of the most gripping and dangerous comic-turned-movie productions, leaving a vast gap between it and its competitors. Sin City claimed a staggering $94.7 million in its opening week, concluding that this film would be a revolution in the way animated productions and general film productions would be intertwined to make this profound genre.

1. http://www.mania.com/53821.html

2. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401792/news

10 More Online Pieces Of Research..

2007-11-29T02:20:00.000-08:00

1) http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/02/22/power_chicks.html

2) http://www.answers.com/topic/sexual-objectification

3) http://angelicrequiem.blogspot.com/

4) http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/womenbib.html

5) http://www.utoronto.ca/innis/library/womenfilm.html

6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_film_theory

7) http://libr.org/wss/wsslinks/film.html

8) http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/anneke/filmtheory.html

9) http://www.hal-pc.org/~questers/womanhood/women_in_film.html

10) http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/WomenVid.html#bodies

10 More Key Words...

2007-11-25T13:56:00.000-08:00

Audience Theory- Active models where the audience is seen as reacting to texts in a challenging, engaged and passive way. This relates to my film as Sin City contains a gripping narrative that keeps the audience on their feet.

Censorship – the practise exercised by elite groups in authority, of monitoring and controlling the media content by removing, suppressing or classifying elements deemed offensive or subversive for moral, political, religious or in this case social.

Deviance- Unacceptable behaviour that goes against the norms and values of the society.

Diegetic Sound- the programme has both diegetic and non diegetic sounds. the non diegetic sound is a very affective music playin which is similar/same as the theme tune, it plays when something is about to happen. Also, there are voiceovers which guide us through the story.

Elite – a small select group in a society which claims leadership privileges as a result of expertise, in terms of knowledge or skill, in a particular field.

Fantasy- Sin City is based on a fantasy world, the illusion of yellow monsters as a result of medical treatment and large alienated drunks (Marv) create an almost comic book surrounding.

Femininty - Feminsim fight for female rights and argue against male dominance and the patriarchal society. The sudden rise of feminist models is featured in my film, within the film cast.

Gangster - gangster movies represent the myth of America, where the conflict between good and evil is played out in the slums of big cities.

Narrative theory- what makes up a narrative which is particular to certain genres. Levi Strauss and Propp are narrative theorists.

Post-Feminism - Part of the postmodern perspective that takes the achievements of feminism for granted and views it as ineffective due to current condition of women and identity choices they face.

Blog Buddies...

2007-11-22T05:28:00.000-08:00

Blog Bud Meeting Dem

Over the week, me and jaspreet discussed topics that relate to both our studies. We are both focusing our investigations on the representation of gender roles in the media . The books that we both found helpful to each others studies were "feminist ideologies in film" and "film theory", focusing on the representation of women in the media. furthermore. "Film theory" has a section on "the feminist intervention" and includes many thoeries and theorists, Laura Mulvey, Male Gaze and also displays in depth information of marxism and hierarchical gendered social relataions-patrichal society.

Books exchanged and Studied

I have given Jaspreet the "feminist ideologies in film" book as it provides a detailed insight into feminism. The book we studied together was "violence in the media" as both our texts focus and crimes against women and their portrayal of sexual objects. The book i was given by Jas was "the monsterous feminine" the book give indformation of the feminism movement and thoery of specific film texts, this will help me as it shows how women were portrayed in past films.

Book Bibliography...

2007-11-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

1. Film Thoery An Introduction (1999) by Robert Stam.
It examines issues common to both subjects such as realism, narration, point of view, style, semiotics, Feminism and The Feminist Intervention and multiculturalism. It also includes coverage of theorists common to both, Barthes, Lacan and Bakhtin among others such as Laura Mulvey and thoeries such as the Male Gaze.

2. Feminist Theorists (1983) by by Dale Spender.
The book focuses on theory and thoerists around the 80's and even back to the late 1600's E.g. Mary Astell. This will aid my study as this book focuses on the historical side of SHEP.

3. The meaning of wife(2004) by Anne Kingston.
Canadian journalist and social commentator Anne Kingston provides a fresh perspective on the role and how it affects the perception of women. This book: Explains the alternating currents of 'wifelash' and 'wifelust' Introduces the concept of the 'wife gap' that emerged in the wake of the twentieth-century women's movement Analyses the married woman's relationship to female power, sexuality and worth. The book will greatly coinside with my study as i will be looking at the representation of houswives such as Carmela as well as fetishists. It will outline the representation of houswives and the social issues.

4. Race and Gender (1985) by Madeleine Arno.
The book outlines the representations of women as well as racial issues, additionally it contains theories. The book is the contains indepth on these to key social issues in society; coveing one aspect of SHEP.

5. Media Studies: The Essential Introduction (2001) by Phillip Rayner, Peter Wall and Stephen.
Explains the media concepts, cultural terms and theoretical perspectives. The book offers deeper insights to representation and gender also it looks in more depth with media theories and debates.

6. Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction (2002) by David Gauntlett.
It provides an in depth look into the different ways in which gender and identity and focuses on the media's influence on gender and sexuality. David Gauntlett explores the gender of contemporary media and draws on recent theories of gender and identity. This is one book in particular is relevant to my study as it outlines key theorists and theories and looks into SHEP.

7.Ross, Mandy (2002): The Changing Role of Women. Great Britain: Heinemann Library.
This book is useful as it explores a number of things such as how the roles of women have changed through the decades, the extent to which men and women are considered equals, how Women fought for the vote, Women in politics, domestic life of women, marriage, motherhood and divorce, women’s rights in the 21st century, how fashion gave a sense of liberation to women etc.

8. Bryson, Valerie (1999): Feminist Debates. Hong Kong: Macmillan Press LTD.
This book is based on feminist debates and theories in this day and age. It mentions issues such as women in western societies, the changing structure of the family, male violence against women, the political representation of women, the way society challenges gender inequalities, the start of feminism etc.

9. Spectacular bodies: gender, genre and the action cinema By Yvonne Tasker(1993)
This book talks about the representation of gender rather then sex, as Brigitte neilson, is a tall butch like female but her feminine features such as her breasts are enhanced naturally gives her a sexual fantasy look and has worked in Beverley hill cops. It also talks about how her real life is misrepresented and how men fear her because of her shape and size.

10. Knowing Women Feminism and Knowledge by Helen Crowley and Susan Himmelweit (1992)
This book explores some of the new developments in the Feminist theory, it also refers back to the status of women as both subjects and objects of knowledge. This book is very debative and also talks about womens and gender, and how we percieve them. This book will be very beneficial to me as in my Independant study one of the main ares that i am looking at is gender, and how women are portrayed as being subordiante to men. This book has got sme excellent information aboout, subordination, patruarchy and dominace. Iwill be able to make some excellent reference from this book.

Miho Takes Over....

2007-11-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

10 Keywords...

2007-10-19T04:52:00.000-07:00

Antagonist: The opposing figure or villain in the narrative. Sin city has many antagonists who appear as protagonists therefore creating a contrast.

Butler, Judith: Theorist on sexuality, gender and representation.

Culture: There is a mixture of cultural beliefs in Sin City through the use of varied ethnic characters.

Dystopia: A sci-fi view of movies, wider contexts included: Blade, Terminator and Matrix, all films use a created main protagonist who isn't human.

Enigma code: A use of cross narratives, to create an overall story. Sin city has 3 stories it intertwines together.

Fantasy: One of the genres that makes Sin City such a unique production.

Genre: Different genres are patched together to create an overall narrative.

Male Gaze: Laura Mulvey, a theorist on the male point of view.

Narrative: A series of narratives are used in Sin City to portray different stories happening in different parts of the sinned city.

Sexism: The discrimination of the portrayal of sexes in Sin City.

Self-Directed Research...

2007-10-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000855750 << Portrayal of women in Sin City

http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=145672 << Sin City Channel 4 review

http://movies.about.com/od/sincity/a/sincity033105.htm << Media terminology to express characters

Self Evaluation...

2007-10-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

SELF EVALUATION
Write an evaluation of your progress on the Media course so far.Post the work up on your Module 5 blogs.a. Comment on each of the following, giving yourself a grade with an explanation outlining why:(Grading should be1-5: 1 = excellent, 2 = v. good, 3 = good/average, 4 = poor, 5 = v. poor)
Attainment - 3: Beginning of the year, i still have to get used to the routine, so im starting off on the averages.
Effort - 2: Efforts at very good, because i feel i do contribute alot to the media lessons, and i try my best in completing class work.
Punctuality - 2/3: If im not at the lesson, the only other excuse is teachers not being around.
Submission and quality of homework - 3/4: I admit my homework has been slacking this term, but it will pick up and the standard will be even better than last year.
Ability to work independently - 2: I like to think with my own mind, i can always work passionately by myself.
Quality of writing - 2/3: Doing English at A2 gives me good help in writing essays and structuring written work, it works as an advanatge for me.
Organisation of Media folder - 2/3: All my notes were up to date, seperated into each lesson and chronologically set out.
Oral contributions in class - 1/2: Always contribute in lesson when i know my opinion will make a difference for a certain text.
Standard of Module 5 blog- 2: Since i've got more work on this blog, it would have the higher rating.
Standard of Module 6 blog- 3: Haven't been able to update this site as much, but the information on there is key and relevant.

b. (WWW)- 1. Notes from lessons always carry relevant information.
2. Macguffin blog site is always helpful.
3. Media opens my eyes to aspects of film that i never knew existed.

(EBI)- 1. Lessons to work on blogs

Tha Del.ici.ous Links...

2007-10-18T04:56:00.000-07:00

http://www1.medialiteracy.com/representation.jsp<< Representation of black women

http://www.afterellen.com/people/2007/6/hotlist?page=0%2C0<< Has some of the stars from the film

http://www.mediaknowall.com/gender.html<< Alot of excellent film language i could use for my essay

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/woman/story/0,,1985636,00.html<< Female stereotypes

http://www.physorg.com/news83863660.html<< Males represented as new sex objects for women

http://www.re-public.gr/en/?p=163<< Representation of women

http://angelicrequiem.blogspot.com/<< Another blog attempted my task previously, sadly... they passed, but i'll do exactly the same:)

http://changesofwomen.blogspot.com/<< Blog on the representation of women in the media

http://c-angels.blogspot.com/<< Women as sex objects for the pleasure of a male audience?

http://bellawoman.50megs.com/custom.html<< Women portrayed as sex objects to exploit men and create a matriarchal society

http://www.girlpunk.net/website/index.html<< A female site supporting the acts of a feminist society

Movie trailer

2007-09-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

Comments...

2007-09-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Kabirs Study- http://kabirsstudy.blogspot.com/

WWW:

Got his ideas set out, knows exactly what hes doing
Good use of media language
Found a prime example to focus his study on

EBI:

A bit more written evidence of his findings

Dips' Study- http://xxmrandmrssmithxx.blogspot.com/

WWW:

A sociological argument formed
Good analysis on her key concepts
Great comparison between white Mr and Mrs Smith and the black couple.

EBI:

Less words, more images

Hammads Study: http://www.bollywood-subverting.blogspot.com/

WWW:

Blog looks interesting, keeps readers aware and not bored.
Good level of information
Various movie clips

EBI:

Kirans' Study: http://www.bb8-kiran.blogspot.com/

WWW:

Interesting blog
Lots of key information and links to other movies
Good grasp of key media concepts

EBI:

Space out alot of the text, should do various topics on various pages.

Blogs most similar to mine...

2007-09-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

http://kabirsstudy.blogspot.com/

http://dilrajbhamra.blogspot.com/

http://xxmrandmrssmithxx.blogspot.com/

http://www.bollywood-subverting.blogspot.com/

http://www.bb8-kiran.blogspot.com/

Research has Landed!!

2007-09-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

A Trip to Sin City

Frank Miller is the man generally credited for taking Batman and returning the character to his roots (through his groundbreaking works The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One) as a take-no-prisoners hard-ass. For a lot of people, myself included, that probably would have been enough. Personally, I'd have called it a day, because the aforementioned stories are seminal works that even the most talented graphic artist (which Mr. Miller clearly is one of) would be hard-pressed to top. Keep in mind, his work on Batman follows a lengthy stint on Daredevil in the early '80s that has proven to be the definitive take on the Man Without Fear, influencing the character's adventures under every writer since.
So in 1993, having rebuilt one franchise character and practically created another, as well as inspire an entire movement within the comics industry (the so-called "grim and gritty" trend of the early '90s, an ill-advised creative bent blamed on Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen), Miller went to Dark Horse and, rather than start a creator-owned superhero book, as was the trend at the time, serialized a singularly original take on both film noir and the concept of the anti-hero.
Sin City
Sin City is actually a very simple story, at its heart, a tale of murder and corruption, devotion and revenge.
Marv, a recently paroled and borderline psychotic mountain of a man, cuts a bloody path of revenge through the streets of the titular metropolis. Awakening after a drunken night of passion with the kind of woman who normally wouldn't haven given him a first look, much less a second, Marv finds the object of his infatuation, Goldie, lifeless beside him, her perfect form unmarred by any sign of foul play. Before he can collect his thoughts, the blare of sirens heralds the arrival of Sin City's corrupt police force. Reasonably certain that he didn't murder Goldie, Marv decides that the fix must be in on him. Swearing revenge over the body of the woman he idolized, he pummels his way through the oncoming cops with Hong Kong action flick acrobatics that belie his massive bulk.
Over the course of the graphic novel, Marv stalks through the seedy underbelly of an already morally bankrupt burg, using his connections in the strip joints and back alley dives of Sin City to unravel a mystery that encompasses far more than one murdered prostitute and stretches dangerously higher than the gutters that Marv calls home.
Sin City works on basically every level. Visually speaking, Miller's use of negative space and choice to render his sequential noir in black and white make for some of the most striking and memorable images in comics history (see the scene of Marv in the rain for particularly strong examples). Sin City is a mean, ugly story about a brutal man and Miller never shies away from showing the gruesome results of Marv's handiwork. At the same time, however, it's by no means a gratuitous splatterfest. Still, make no bones about it, Sin City is a story for mature readers only.
Regarding the script, Miller's authorial voice is particularly strong in his protagonist, Marv's internal monologue showing both the influence of classic pulp fiction and film noir, as well as the effects of the main character's own dubious sanity.
At the end of the day, the entire Sin City franchise of graphic novels is worthwhile (except for Hell and Back, which is a drastically weaker affair than its predecessors), but it's the original that probably holds up the best. Sin City is an ugly, visceral tale about a disturbed man's blood-soaked quest for revenge, but at the same time, it's a moral story. Marv knows he'll do prison time, at the very least, for what he's planning, but he does it anyway simply because he genuinely believes it's the right thing to do.
And while later stories would delve into the city itself in greater detail, Sin City somehow never felt as real as it did the first time around. It's simply a classic of modern graphic fiction.
Sin City: The Big Fat Kill
While the original Sin City was by no means bereft of action, it did tend to strike a fairly moody, introspective tone at times, with whole sequences devoted solely to Marv questioning his own sanity and mulling over the justification for his killing spree. The Big Fat Kill, however, is practically full to the brim with gunbattles, fistfights and explosions.
But I suppose it shouldn't come as any surprise.
It is called The Big Fat Kill, after all.
This third volume in the Sin City series focuses on Dwight McCarthy, the tortured protagonist from the previous volume, A Dame to Kill For. Having finally put his heart-breaking affair with Ava to rest and been successfully brought back from the brink of death by the prostitutes of Old Town, Dwight undergoes plastic surgery. Wanted for murder (after the end of A Dame to Kill For) by the Sin City PD, a new face is the only way he can continue to live in the city he loves.
Lying low, Dwight has fallen in with Shellie, a good-hearted barmaid whose affection for him has been no secret for years. After driving away a drunken, abusive ex-boyfriend named Big Jack, Dwight thinks better of letting Jack and his friends leave generally unscathed. Fearing that they might head into Old Town and take their aggression out on the girls working the streets that night, he chases after them in his car.
But Dwight has little to fear, it seems. As the result of a truce between the citizens of Old Town and the police in Sin City proper, the working girls are effectively the only law recognized in Old Town, with every hooker in town packing heat and ready to defend themselves and their turf from unruly customers and would-be mobsters alike.
After his arrival in the area, Dwight begins to feel almost sorry for Big Jack and his crew, as it becomes increasingly obvious that an object lesson is going to be made of them by the itchy trigger fingers of Old Town. However, things rapidly go south on the whole affair as, after his death, Big Jack is discovered to in fact be "Iron" Jack Rafferty, a hero cop from Sin City. Fearing the worst, that the death of such a prominent and respected figure would bring an end to the truce and a return of the old days of mob control, the Old Town girls leave their fate in the hands of Dwight. He's on the man on the run from the law, but he's also a man who owes them his life.
What entails afterwards is a sometimes gritty, sometimes comedic, but always hard-boiled caper through the streets of Sin City as Dwight first fights to dispose of the bodies of Jack and his friends, then engages in an ongoing struggle for possession of Big Jack's severed head.
The original Sin City didn't have light moments, by any means. The Big Fat Kill, however, is a different sort of animal, possessing a dark sense of humor. The simple fact that rival gangs are competing for the severed head of a hero cop is sort of amusing in its own twisted way (though I imagined you'd have to see how it plays out to really get it), but there are other moments of violent levity, like a hired goon that ponders aloud with casual clarity when someone will bother to remove an arrow that was shot through his chest or a group of IRA soldiers turned soldiers of fortune who are amazed at how much easier it is to do their job in America. It undoubtedly seems strange to call these moments comedic, but the difference between Sin City and Big Fat Kill is readily apparent if both books are read in close proximity.
Sin City was, as stated earlier, a bit of a strangely moral tale about doing the right thing, even if that entails killing your way across town. The Big Fat Kill doesn't veer too far off that established course, going so far as to have tagged one of the single issues with the line, "Sometimes standing up for your friends means killing a whole lot of people." It's essentially a story of frontier justice, a tale that definitely adds to the mystique of Sin City itself, as well as one that successfully plays off of earlier works, but manages to remain completely accessible to new readers.
Sin City: That Yellow Bastard
That Yellow Bastard is a unique creature in terms of the Sin City franchise as a whole. The series, as a general rule, paces itself well; that is to say, the stories are neither padded nor rushed, taking an appropriate amount of time to establish mood and tone and atmosphere and what not, but still getting on with the business of advancing the plot. The pacing in That Yellow Bastard, however, is something else entirely.
When I was first in the process of reading it, I remember disliking it a fair bit. It didn't seem like it was too well thought-out, that it hurried in the beginning, then plodded in the middle, then rushed to conclude. However, when I put it down after that first read, I mulled it over all day. And the longer I did, the more it grew on me. See, That Yellow Bastard is what they call a bit of a slow burn. It's not that there's anything wrong with it, per se; it's just a different kind of graphic novel than the rest of the franchise. And there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, by any means.
First and foremost, That Yellow Bastard is almost a prequel to the original Sin City, and having read that first volume is sort of a prerequisite. You could undoubtedly get by without having read Sin City and you'd probably enjoy it. All the same, a lot of the subtleties and in-jokes of That Yellow Bastard would be lost on you, so it's worth checking out the series' beginning first.
Hartigan is a Sin City cop working his last day on the beat before a heart condition puts him into mandatory retirement. However, there's just one case left on his agenda and it's a case that owns him. The son of Sen. Roark (who is the brother of Cardinal Roark, a man with ties to the conclusion of Sin City), a man known only as Junior, is everything but convicted by a jury for the kidnapping, rape and murder of a series of young girls. The problem, of course, lies in actually getting him before that jury, as his father's political connections makes the charges roll off Junior like water off a duck's back. Mere days before his retirement goes into effect, eleven-year old Nancy Callahan (herself a player in Sin City) goes missing and Hartigan finds himself unable to rest until he's rescued her from Junior's clutches.
The book opens at Hartigan and his partner race across town, tipped to Junior's hideout by an informant. These opening chapters are a frantic affair, as Hartigan chases down Junior, maiming and nearly killing him in the process, then as the one honest cop in Sin City tries to stay alive long enough for backup to arrive after his corrupt partner makes an attempt on his life, having been bought off by the Roark family fortune.
Hartigan succeeds in rescuing Nancy, so all would seem to be right with the world. However, the vengeful Sen. Roark, furious over the condition Hartigan left his son in, frames Hartigan for the abduction and "rape" of Nancy. Threatening to kill both the girl and Hartigan's wife if he so much as speaks a word in his own defense, Roark leaves the man in torment, his dignity wrestling with his sense of right and wrong.
In the end, Hartigan chooses to sacrifice his own career and good name for the safety of his wife and Nancy, theorizing that if one old man has to die for a young girl to live, it's a fair trade. That Yellow Bastard then hits a bit of a lull, though it's merely a calm before the inevitable storm. Detailing the police's attempt to beat a confession out of Hartigan, as well as his interactions with others, all of who now believe him to be a violent pedophile. Sent to prison, weekly letters from Nancy under an assumed name keep him sane and alive in solitary confinement. For eight years, Hartigan maintains the status quo, never copping to the charges, but never asserting his innocence, secure in the knowledge that Nancy is safe. Then a week arrives without a letter from Nancy. After two months pass without word from her, he simply assumes that she's outgrown her infatuation with her rescuer and though he's heartbroken, in a way he's relieved that she's finally gotten on with her life. Then a simple package arrives: a severed finger, appearing to be taken from the hand of a young girl. Fearing it to be Nancy's, Hartigan now realizes that there is nothing he won't do to ensure her safety and sets about freeing himself from prison. Finally signing a confession and begging for Sen. Roark's forgiveness, Hartigan is paroled. And a man possessed by a righteous fury is back on the streets of Sin City.
That Yellow Bastard marks the first use of color in a Sin City tale, with Lynn Varley coloring the skin of the titular character (who is, of course, yellow), a nice effect particularly in the scenes where he is following Hartigan from a distance. The graphic novel is full of eye candy, particularly the scenes of Hartigan in solitary confinement, where Miller's rendering of a single cell in a shaft of light amidst a background of solid black is especially memorable.
As I said earlier, That Yellow Bastard is a different kind of Sin City story. It's a deliberately paced story about the lengths that one man will go to take a stand in a town without morality, the sacrificing of his own dignity to protect the innocence of a child. It's not a story about revenge so much as it's a story about vengeance. It's also my favorite Sin City story.

Media......

2007-09-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Media Institutions...
What is the institutional source of the text?
Dimension Films.
In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?
Dimension films are known to create tense films that attract action packed audiences. With Sin City's similarity to other urban comic adapted movies like Batman and Spiderman, it creates a virtual world where comic books become a reality.
Is the source a public service or commercial institution? What difference does this make to the text?
Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter?
How has the text been distributed?

Media Values and Ideology...
What are the major values, ideologies and assumptions underpinning the text or naturalised within it?
The contrast between the portrayal of the female being the "whore" and the female being a "madonna" emphasises the debate on how women are portrayed in the media. Sin City challenges this view by placing both labels on the same characters as you have sexy women dressed in almost nothing but with all the power of the town in their hands, giving back power to the women.
What criteria have been used for selecting the content presented?

Media Audiences...
To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience?
I think Sin City is aimed at an older audience e.g. 18+ due to its intelectual narrative. A unisex production which gives it authenticity but morely aimed at a male audience to due the gritty violence shown.
What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text?
Audience can relate to Sin City characters as comic book characters with an urban gritty makeover.
What assumptions about the audience are implicit in the text’s scheduling or positioning?
In what conditions is the audience likely to receive the text? Does this impact upon the formal characteristics of the text?
What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience?
What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text?
How do you, as an audience member, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background etc?

Genre...

2007-09-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

To which genre does the text belong?

Sin City is mainly classified under the sci-fi genre.
What are the major generic conventions within the text?
What are the major iconographic features of the text?
What are the major generic themes?
To what extent are the characters generically determined?
To what extent are the audience’s generic expectations of the text fulfilled or cheated by the text? Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically?
Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have?

Narrative...

2007-09-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

How is the narrative organised and structured?

In Sin City, Frank Miller has ingeniusly intertwined various story lines to create a domino effect in the way they end one by one. This creates a fantastic sense of suspence as the audience must stay fixed to know how each story ends out.

How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?

The narrative is being addressed to the audience as it is up to them to unfold the storylines. Various scenes correspond to various ages, genders and genre enthusiasts. There are alot of contrasts between emotions within the movie, as you have the portrayal of women as whores yet they are the most superior group in "Old town."

How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?

Powerful characters are highlighted using high angle shots. However, shots are varied within the film to increase the audiences vulnerability about who the characters really are, whether the evil ones are villains or in fact heroes.

What techniques of identification and alienation are employed?

1st person narrative from each character as well as the use of close up shots.

What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?

It keeps the storylines rolling on, keeping the audience interested therefore killing two birds with the same stone. It makes the film much more easier for the audience to understand and follow.

What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody?

The main themes in Sin City are romance, thriller, action, and a cross between sci-fi and comics. I believe this is the main reason why Sin City has such a widespread audience. Frank Millers version of a reality comic almost brings back epics like Batman back to life.

Media Representations...

2007-09-20T03:23:00.001-07:00

Who is being represented?

In 'Sin City' you have varied representations of characters. You have 'Hartigan' played by Bruce Willis, who can be seen as a key hero within the movie, however he is also challenged by this view due to his involvement with another key character 'Nancy' (Jessica Alba) who can be seen as the feminine protagonist.

Characters have twisted representations in Sin City to compliment the intertwining story lines that Frank Miller has successfully created.

The representation of characters is neither fair nor accurate, but something reaching just around the middle. Females are portrayed in both masculine and femine roles creating a clash of 'Madonna' vs 'Whore' heroines. Men however face a 'hero' vs 'villain' challenge as you have 'Hartigan' played by Bruce Willis who is seen as the male protagonist hero, but you are delivered with Benicio Del Toro who plays 'Jackie Boy', a sleazy drunken undercover cop, which also reflected the view of "dirty cops" that existed at the time.

The Reviews 2

2007-09-20T03:20:00.000-07:00

A review of one of Frank Miller’s graphic novels sums up his work – and the movie Sin City – succinctly: it’s “dark, violent, sexy and very, very cool.” And those same four descriptors pretty much sum up my doubts about this film, especially the last one.

Sin City, perhaps best described as film noir on steroids, is a movie that’s so cool you’re not supposed to be concerned about its total lack of moral grounding. Nor its profound sexism. Nor its misanthropic nihilism. This is a movie for people who hate people. And why is it cool to like stories about little more than corruption, greed, hate and violence? Just because it is.

Robert Rodriguez is a fan of Miller’s work, and this is apparent from his careful attention to retaining a graphic novel feel throughout the movie. If you love Miller’s graphic novels, then you’ll almost certainly adore this film. Everything about it, from the look to the dialogue to the episodic presentation of three stories framed by brief opening and closing scenes, reminds you of the dark comic books, er, graphic novels, that inspired it.

Shot entirely with digitally-rendered backgrounds, this is as close as you can come to an animated movie without fully qualifying as one. If you feel emptiness when watching an endless series of unreal buildings, cars, scenery and props, then you’ll feel profoundly empty watching Sin City. Even the actors – some of their appearances heavily modified by makeup and prosthetics – seem unreal in this digitally-shot film. And the movie’s unrealistic style – complete with a black and white presentation that gets just a few splashes of colour along the way – is perhaps one if its redeeming features, as this at least reminds us that the almost universally despicable characters we see onscreen don’t represent the reality of our world. Every authority figure here – save one – is corrupt; every woman is a stripper or prostitute; every hero is brutal. It’s a world suited to a young teenager, rebellious, pessimistic and desirous of simply writing everyone off rather than making the effort to change things.

I’ve made a sincere effort to figure out what we’re supposed to gain by immersing ourselves in Miller’s pubescent worldview, but I’ve yet to find it. Film noir long ago probed the underbelly of the American Dream; what’s the point of just taking it farther and farther into darkness? Sin City is slickly made, and its attempts at shocking us are certainly successful, but what’s the value of shock for shock’s sake?

Because Miller and his comics are so cool, Rodriguez had no problem gathering together a big-name cast, including a who’s-who of no-talent thugs like Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke and Michael Madsen. The scantily-clad female cast members include Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson and Brittany Murphy.

The three stories that make up most of the movie – each based on one of Miller’s graphic novels – concern corrupt cops, politicians and clergy, angry hookers, sexual monsters, and male protagonists who don’t hesitate to pound a bad guy’s head into mush. It’s apparently cool to cheer on decapitation, bullet-riddled bodies and gunshots to the back or crotch, so Sin City provides cool people with plenty to cheer about. Those of us less cool, though, are left at a loss.

While technically well-made, this sort of filmmaking does little to inspire viewers’ interest. Digital animation is far less interesting than the real thing, and there’s already more than enough hipper-than-thou cynicism in our day-to-day lives; we hardly need another huge dose of it at the movies.

Brian Webster

The Reviews

2007-09-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

'Miller's art realized in fast paced nice film noir tribute'. (18/06/2005)

I'll put my bottom line at the top so you can decide whether to read on. I can't recommend this film to the average cinema-goer. Instead, I will recommend it to those who are fans of Frank Miller, film noir, Robert Rodrigues, and to a lesser extent Quentin Tarantino. This is also not a film for feminists. Others should read on and decide if this is something they want to see.
The fact that Frank Miller was listed with Robert Rodriquez as co-director of this film, and the cleverly ambiguous film noir trailer hooked me. So, the spouse and I went to see it shortly after release, expecting exactly what we got - a very cleverly and interestingly shot film noir version of several Frank Miller stories taking place in Basin City, the locus of Miller's graphic novels of the same name as the film.
Quentin Tarantino guest directs one of the segments. I'm not sure which - Rodrigues' style is as often violent, but a bit more comic. Based on some of the ridiculous violence of the film, I think it likely that QT had some influence on the other segments as well. My only objection to this film is really the quantity of absurd and frankly grotesque violence scenes. Though the violence is true to Miller's work, seeing it as a process creates a very different effect than Miller's art. Fortunately, Rodrigues' sense of humor also prevails in most of the most violent scenes. The use of colorization emphasizes the film's bloodiness through the only colors used in the film - red, ultra-white and yellow - comic exaggeration and a wonderfully eerie noir feel.
Predictably, this is a very dark film, and quite a bit more disturbing than the average commercial stuff.
What the spouse and I didn't expect was pleasantly surprising - one of the most artistically well done interpretations of the comic medium I have yet seen (and I have seen them all) and stand-out performances by Del Toro, Mickey Rourke and Willis. I expect nothing less from Del Toro, but I have to admit Rourke just blew me away as Miller's phenomenally ugly and invincible tough guy - Marv - who decides, for once, to do something good with his life. Rourke's character is played with such empathy that you won't want his segments to end - you will want him to become the final hero of the film. I was less enchanted with Clive Owen's portrayal of Dwight. Though this segment was good entertainment, I thought Owen could have given a more emotive performance. Elijah Wood was exceptionally creepy and well cast in his very brief role.
All of the heroic male characters (and this film is VERY much filmed from a stereotype film noir male point of view) have one common characteristic - they are all very tough critters fighting against all odds against endemic corruption, murder and injustice, but not at all afraid to indulge in it to further their own ends. The vignettes are loosely but satisfactorily connected. But the plots are less important than the way the film FEELS. The film mixes hopelessness with fearlessness and fatalism to the extent that you'll feel like an honorable death ending a brief life is far more appealing than a lengthy life devoid of self-respect. It's a really well done homage to Comic Book as an art form, and the film noir motif. Whoever thought of putting Rodriguez and Miller together on this one deserves a nod from fans of both genres.

Initial Proposal...

2007-09-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

'She won't let you feel a thing unless she wants you to. She twists the blade. He feels it.'
How is the portrayal of female roles varied in "Sin City"?

The aim of my independent study is to find out how the use of female roles are varied in the epic part comic part reality movie hit "Sin City". This topic has attracted me as Sin City is one of my all time favourite productions due to its dramatized projection of an almost "Gotham" like underworld as featured in another favourite of mine "Batman Begins". An interesting point i will hope to overcome in this study is that of the 'Madonna Vs. Whore' debate which can be related to most films which feature a varied range of female characters. Women are not always portrayed to the audience as "eye candy" as 'Sin City' reveals with the dominant female roles which disturb the claim of a patriarchal society.

Mis en scene- Patriarchal and Matriarchal societies both portrayed in the film. Gritty underground nature emphasizes similarities to mafia movie environments.
Ideologies- Women portrayed as whores as well as heroins, changes the attitudes of most films known to create patriarchal relationships.
Genre- Gritty action sci-fi flick with a pinch of comedy and romance...The perfect film meal:)
Representations- Women can also be perceived as dominant females in their own division. Men shown as criminals, heroes and psychopaths.
Audience- 'Sin City' is targetted at most marvel comic fans, unisex production aimed at an age group of 15-mid 20's as the interest of a comics and realitys reproduction of the famous created world is most popular within this age group.
Narrative- Mixture of subplots lead to varied happy and sad endings.

Theorists-

Genre- Richard Dyer
Narrative- Propp, Todorov, Levi-Strauss and Barthes
Representation- Laura Mulvey ( Male Gaze)

Wider Context-

Gritty urban scenes relate to an underground portrayal of crime in a busy "New York" atmosphere.
A division of dominance in society between women and men shows an almost equal reign of society.
Both men and women are used as pawns in an intertwined story line.

Other texts-

300
Fantastic Four
Batman
Spiderman