Les revenants: Representation + mini mock

 representation looks at:

1. the group, place or issue on which a media product is focussing
2. the media language the media product uses in order to present these groups or issues.
3. the ideological perspective about the group or issue being created within the product 
4. the impact of the ideological perspective on the target audience.

Judith butler- gender performativity

Stuart hall- stereotyping and inequality

bell hooks- feminism, for ending the patriarchy 

van zoonen- gender is constucted 

Simon

 

• white, french male.
• sterotypically masculine- stern expression, serious, first episode we see him in a suit which is a sign of masculinity and often power or status.

Camille

• she is simple and young, looks and acts her age, not overly childish or over sexualised considering shes a woman. lack of makeup also seems younger 
• can be considered stereotypically female- long hair 

julie

not defined by her sexuality, simple and almost "plain" looking. dosent care much for her appearance which is very opposite to how women are often represented (vain, self obsessed but also insecure, highly sexualised through clothes that show lots of skin or are tight fitting and use of heavy ,makeup)

mini mock

Liesbet van zoonen argues that media language encodes how male and female characters act in media products. Explore how representations position the audience in les revenants. 

plan/brainstorm

• subversive representation of gender: in scene where lena walks simon home. she asks lots of questions whereas he gives short answers as if hes not bothered lena is the one trying to hit on simon, she is active whereas he is passive. often men walk women home the way lena is here, she seems as if she wanted more and is let down or hurt when simon walks off to find adele calling him a "dickhead"

• Lena - instruvie, chatty, forward - hair down and costume suggest sexuality. Simon ‘leading’ the way connotes patriarchal hegemony - positioning within the scene. Exposed legs and her appearance suggest a sexualised representation. Van Zoonen - male gaze - sexualised 

• Long shot of the mirror - highlights how women should be obsessed with the appearance, adele in perhaps a wedding dress? Marriage = purpose - reinforcing typical femininity 
• Adele fits the stereotype of being very emotional and overwhelmed - also acts as a nurturing mother to her daughter - reflects conventional depiction of women as maternal - Simon is unemotive and aggressive in behavior - typical of masculine identity
• Simon evokes the stereotype that men are angry and aggressive - he doesn't any emotion until this scene - the only emotion he shows is frustration, anger and aggression - Butler - performance of masculinity 
• The costume that Simon (open collar suit) is typically masculine - connotes suaveness, legitimacy, intent and gives him a purpose - reinforces his action, active within the narrative
• Suit connotes an ideology of  class (middle to higher) - suggests he is more important than Lena - patriarchal hegemony - suggests a control and dominance

Answer/response

Representation is the way in which a group of people, place or ideology is presented back to us as the audience. it can be done through stereotypes, which can seem familiar and easy for us to identify groups of people for example, actions or behaviours shown to us. representation scan be traditional/ stereotypical or subversive/Avant Garde. Lisbet van zoonen's theory states that gender is constructed and can be influenced by stereotypical or subversive representations of males or females. these representations can be encoded through elements of media language such as costume, codes and conventions, camera work and sound. i will analyse and discuss how the male and female genders are represented in Les Revenants (French for "the returned") .Its a French supernatural drama television series created by Fabrice Gobert based on the 2004 French film "they came back" directed by Robin Campillo.

one way in which the representation of gender can be seen as subversive is in the scene where Lena walks Simon to Adele's house. Previously at the bar she had been the one hitting on Simon regardless of him seeming uninterested, when walking she makes conversation and is the one asking questions while Simon answers bluntly. when they arrive at Adele's house and Simon walks off without saying a word, Lena is clearly angry and upset as if she was expecting something out of their interaction. this seems a familiar interaction that has stereotypically been played out in other movies or series' but where the man fits into Lena's role and the female Simons. this has been encoded through the diegetic sound, dialogue (Lena asking the questions and simons vague snappy response). the representation of women is subversive in this scene as Lena is represented as more upfront, direct and active, contrary to how women are normally seen (passive and submissive).

however it can also be argues that representations of gender are very stereotypical in Les Revenants. Simon for example is a masculine man, he has strong sharp facial features and has a stern expression on his face connoting that he may be private with his emotions, traditionally men are supposed to be strong and not show their emotions whereas women are seen as the opposite this is up until the scene where he knocks on Adele's door, only now do we see any type of strong emotion, expressed and anger and aggression which is synonymous with the men. the mise-en-scene like his costume also reinforces stereotypes of men, the suit is a code, a symbol, is typically masculine - connotes suaveness, legitimacy, power, intent and gives him a purpose - reinforces his action, active within the narrative. furthermore the Suit connotes an ideology of  class (middle to higher) - suggests he is more important than Lena - patriarchal hegemony - suggests a control and dominance. Another way in which representation is seen as stereotypical is through Lena's costume and appearance, she wears a short skirt exposing her legs, skirts are an article of clothing associated with women, as well as her legs being sexualised as theyre exposed, we can apply the male gaze theory to this as its possibly done in order to be pleasing to men. Lena has long hair, which reinforces that women should have long luscious hair to be seen as feminine and gentle. This positions the audience in an interesting position as there are many instances where we see very stereotypical representations but also juxtaposed with subversive representations, almost leaving it up to the audience to interpret gender as more fluid and less rigid in this modern text.