Thesis

The Tarantino films, Django Unchained (2012) and Inglorious Basterds (2009) are similar and recognisable through terms of the themes and style that the films tackle. Both films are based around a historical event or situation. Due to being independent, the themes and style that they tackle subvert and challenge a mainstream film culture, often resulting with the oppressed protagonist, becoming the oppressor; questioning the dominant historical narrative, offering a new perspective and subverting the dominant views.

Thesis: Children of Men and V for Vendetta: Narrative

Birth

•  Children of Men: Birth of the new baby: Baby Being Born: Actual birth
• V for Vendetta: Birth of new character development; God is in the Rain scene: Spiritual Birth

Redemption

• V's changing the government
• Theo determined to get Kee to safety due to his child dying

Terrorism vs State Control

• Is V a terrorist of freedom fighter? Oppressive, fascist government, controlling the public; curfews/media/propaganda
• Children of Men under fascist totalitarian government = oppression

Complicated stock characters; Theo vs V

Both have a female protagonist

V conveys more heroic stock character elements that Theo due to the realism in the film Children of Men.

Messages and Values:

V= warning

Children of Men = hope

Oedipal Complex

• Father figure = Jasper in Children of Men / Diestrich in V for Vendetta

Monday 3rd November 2014: Children of Men

Why is this scene important for the themes of the film?

The theme of the film could be oppression, it portrays this as we see the conflict between the two groups, however this stops when they hear the child cry
Unity, peace, rebirth, fear, fascism


Representation of gender, why is this important in the film?

Mainly women trying to look
Theo protecting Kee and the baby, typical male role, a fatherly role
Kee is adopting the typical female maternal role
Macho men become maternal
The baby represents peace, hope and unity
Religious, biblical representation
Hope lies in the new generation

Style; the way it's shot/cinematography

Dim lighting

An independent film is designed to make you think/ make your own interpretation as it subverts a classic Hollywood narrative


War vs peace: contrasts/juxtaposition to draw attention to the differences

If you take away the children, you make women completely redundant, this enforces hyper-masculinity, but is instantly stopped with the child crying. Even the women are made hyper-masculine, for example Julie, who is a terrorist but was a mother, this was taken away from her and was made to lose her femininity and maternity when her child dies.