POST 6: Representation Theory

Representation is constructed from certain aspects of the product these are, people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other abstract concepts. Micro elements are also used to create larger meanings and values. The types of codes are codes such as camera angles, shots, editing, mise en scene etc.

"Representation values in the media shape our understanding of the world we live in and shape ourselves as individuals".

Representation is vital to the target audience as they has expectations, these expectations are influenced through inscriptions in texts. The target audience will find representations inspirational or the representation will link to the values of the target audience.

Karl Marx created the Marxist approach which reflects how representation works he concluded that what we see through the media reflects the dominant ideologies in our society. According to Marxist theory what we see in the media we will take it in as the norm. Social codes such as the male gaze would represent women as being used as a sex symbol and this would not be accepted in non-western societies.

We have watched short films in class; I am going to apply representation to 3 of the films I have watched. The first film is 'Jade' this opens as her swimming we find out later on in the film that she is pregnant, the blue of the swimming pool represents the blue line you get on a pregnancy test but it also represents the sadness of her life and being 'out of her depth'. The main character Jade was represented as being quite and very much isolated, she comes in from school and goes straight to work at a caravan park where she is once again alone, when we find out she has a relationship with an older family man it opposes the representation and the expectations that have been set up. The film ends with her sitting in the car with it pouring with rain her problems haven’t been resolved and the rain represents the dull mood and the need for her to cry.

Another short film that we watched was called 'Whore', the main character which is a girl is represented as a promiscuous teenage school girl. When we are first introduced to her she has altered her school uniform and wearing bulky jewelry her skirt is short and she looks scruffy. Because she has broken away from the school rules about uniform it represents her as being a rebel, she is also shown as smoking in school toilets which is illegal in the United Kingdom anyway. We are also introduced to her love interest they are sitting outside of school and he tells her to take off her knickers, she does without a question and doesn’t seem to care this shocks the audience, although we expect her to be promiscuous they fact that she so easily does what the boy tells her to do is shocking and represents that the boy has power over her, and makes her seem vulnerable to his power which opposes the set up representation.

The last film I am going to apply to representation is the film 'Tender', the boy came from a single parent family his mum was young and had a boyfriend, the family was represented as disconnected, they mother didn’t care about her son or look after him she was just interested in her boyfriend who was aggressive and abusive. The young boy is also shown as being alone at school and not engaging with his peers expects one girl.  This representation is reflected on the boy when at the end of the film he takes the weapon his mother’s boyfriend used to beat a neighbor, with him to meet a girl. Within the film there is a lot of silent scenes this represents the boy being isolated and alone. The representations have been sent up as a reflection to what a negative home life does to you.