Societal Movements and Film Narrative

Paper by Alyssa Junco. Viewed on DVD.

Interdependency is an important factor in modern day society. Just as humans work together to create a sustainable living environment, the modernization of the habitats that have been created over time directly effect the way important aspects of our society run and what things are popularized or stigmatized. As a project that depends on the vast amount of people creating it, film presents its ideals to directly correlate with the trending ideals of the society it belongs to. By looking at historical events and comparing them to their thematic representation in film, it is easy to see film as a mirror of history. Changes in film’s narrative are a direct representation of the changes in production methods, which can be traced back to social movements of the era the changes were made. Not only did these social movements effect the living standards of many communities, it effected the main form of entertainment. The 1980’s were a result of social movements that catalyzed a change in the production system and in turn a change in narrative styles. The change in societal norms resulted in the importance of gender politics in film narrative of the 80’s until today, which can be seen in Pulp Fiction and 10 Things I Hate About You.

In the 60’s there was an uproar of sexual revolutions and feminist movements which embedded a certain mindset, majorly, into the minds of college students of this time. The sexual revolution of the 60’s and 70’s implemented this idea of finding oneself, promoting the idea of being liberated from other humans to gain happiness through independence. Norms of society changed: sex was more socially acceptable. Sex was a way to further explore yourself, exploration of boundaries was widely accepted. Sexuality made it’s way to the screen in the late 60’s and 70’s, mirroring this movement. In Dr. Strangelove there is a scene where a woman is in a bikini and obvious intimacy is shown. The Happy Hooker Trilogy, a “series of R-rated films in the sexually revolutionary 1970’s was loosely based on the novelized true accounts or raunchy memoirs of former call girl” (http://www.filmsite.org/sexinfilms26.html). Sexualization of the female character became a way to attract audiences, giving rise to the porno chic genre of exploitation films. Sex was a way to attract audiences, therefor leading women to be treated as objects of marketing strategies instead of independently minded, and capable human beings. Women were not beneficial characters to a narratives progression. But more women started working and less were staying in the home. This feminist movement changed gender politics. There was less of a hierarchical structure in gender politics and lessened the expectations of genders by society. The second wave of feminism swept the nation in the 70’s. Advocating equality between men and women, this fight to end gender discrimination seeped into the world of film changing the way men and women were represented in movies.

By the 80’s signs of feminist ideals are shown In movies, characterizing the change in societal demands for males and females. This “progressive narrative” of film, as defined by feminist theorist Clare Hemmings, correlates directly to the second wave of feminism (Warren). By the 1980’s both men and women’s roles in society were being debated and by the 90’s the Glass Ceiling Commission was passed. This commission ruled that men and women must have an equal opportunity in the workforce, showing society that women were just as capable as men. Having roles for gender were trying to be evaporated completely, creating a blank slate for each gender to grow from.
Interwoven with the importance of historical events is the change in motion picture regulatory standards. According to the textbook, the Motion Picture Production Code was a set of guidelines filmmakers had to follow that were set into play by the Association of Motion Picture Producers (Hammond and Williams). The code restricted things that would corrupt the moral standards of society. Written for the 1930’s, regulations included “pictures shall not infer that low forms of sex relationships are the accepted or common thing,” that “complete nudity is never permitted” and obscenity in word, gesture, references, song, joke, or by suggested… is forbidden” (Bynum). But by 1967 the Motion Picture Production Code crumbled. The sexual revolution was at full power at this time. Restriction of sexual desires was stigmatized, and expression of intimacy and sexual exploration became the norm. The set of codes were no longer a benefit to the moral standards of society, but a means of stunting proper societal and individual growth. A new system needed to be devised, leading to the Ratings system. The Ratings system came into existence one year after the fall of the Motion Picture Production Code. With studios struggling to stay afloat during the rise of TV and the rising popularization of lack of censorship in low budget films, a change was needed to me made to keep up with societal demands. Filmmakers saw the societal shift and demanded a new set of rules that allowed them more creative freedom. They could now work freely, within moderation. This new set of rules was not as much a set of restrictions as it was a guidebook to follow that kept up with the constantly changing ideals of the world. There was much more nudity and progressive ideals in the movies that came from the era of the ratings system than there were when the MPPC was in action. Films could now explore inconsistencies prevalent in the human mind and did not have to filter their movies any more than they filtered their minds. Filmmakers began to speak freely, and personify the movements of their society.

The change in production code due to historical events led to the change in gender politics of film. Film was and is a major influence and medium of communication to mass audiences. As said by the Hays-Code (Motion Picture Production Code) “the motion picture within its own field of entertainment may be directly responsible for spiritual or moral progress odor higher types of social life and for much correct thinking” (Bynum). Even the antiquated production code knew the influence film had on society. Film is a powerful medium. That is why when combining historical events with film, there is great change. The evolution of gender politics in history coincides with the evolution of the production code, matching and most likely leading to the change in narrative of low budget and independent films. Sexual expression in films was new and exciting, leading to a large degree of attraction by a large group of people. Each historical event was a catalyst in the change of gender dynamics from the 1980’s on. Just after the Ratings system, sexuality was used as a means of attraction, but when feminist rose and opposed the exploitation of female bodies to attract audiences (as if they were simply objects of marketing), the narrative again changed, and paralleled the Glass Ceiling Commission of the 90’s. In the 90’s, tampering with traditional gender roles became a means of attraction. Feminist ideals were splattered across the narrative themes of movies; women played important roles. Female dynamics were not the only thing that was changing. Men needed to build up their reputation since women were proving to be powerful. Though action and adventure movies were always popular, they made a sort of second debut in the 90’s and a great deal of action movie remakes took over. Films with central woman themes did shine bright but “Hollywood needed to build up the old fashioned macho man. Hence the development of the hyper masculine adventure movie” (Maio). Backlash at feminist ideals were present, but even more prevalent was the pro feminist attribution to narratives of the 80’s and on.

Pulp Fiction is a movie from 1994 by Quentin Tarantino. Pulp Fiction is an independent film that gained its popularity through the awards it received at the Cannes film festival. It had an estimated budget of $8,000,000, and was produced by the independent film production company Miramax films (imdb.com). Tarantino was born in the 60’s, growing up around the sexual revolution and feminist movements of the 60’s and 70’s which most likely influenced the subtle feminist tones and beats in the film. The movie was being created parallel to the creation of the Glass Ceiling Commission which working its way to full effect. In the beginning of the film, Vince and Jules talk about Vince taking Mia Wallace out while Marcellus Wallace is away on business. In itself, the situation sounds as though Marcellus Wallace is treating her like an object, thinking it needs to be watched and protected while he is away. Mia is brought up, in this way, before she is even seen which makes it feel even more like she as an object than an actual human being. Tarantino sets up the idea of gender dynamics in this same conversation when the topic of foot massages is presented. Jules refers to a woman as a bitch when he says “eatin a bitch out and givin’ a bitch a foot massage, ain’t even the same f***ing thing” setting Jules and Vincent as anti-feminist characters. This ties into a later scene when Mia ends up overdosing. Mia’s overdose is a response to being “watched” by Vince. She wants to break free from the confining nature of mens ways to be independent, promoting the idea that women desire independence and have an active and able mind. When you look at these scenes beside the dinner scene where Mia explains her attempt to be a working woman, acting as a superhero (a typical male role), but the film only made it past pilot season, feminist themes are evident. Gender roles are tampered with to parallel the zeitgeist of the time; that women were being shut down from typical male roles despite their capability to succeed in that role. The audience is captivated by Mia’s story, but somehow it is shutdown and the audience does not get to see more. Tarantino uses this to explain the unequal gender dynamics that are restricting positive attributions to occur in society. Jimmie, played by Tarantino himself, proves to be the loudest voice of speculation on gender dynamics paralleling the social movements of ’94. Jimmie is presented as a male, but is dressed as a housewife. He is drinking a cup of coffee and lounging in a robe. The way Jules and Vince speak to him is extremely important: “Jimmie refers to Jules as Julie and demands that he answers his questions, which highlights the idea that the men’s statuses are demoted and stresses the image of Jimmie as a mother-like and feminine character” (Willard). This scene calls out Jules and Vincent’s anti-feminist “bitch” comments from the earlier scenes, putting men and women on an even playing field. It juxtaposes the violent scene that came before it, to show that men need help too, violence and barbarianism are not the only characteristics men uphold. Tarantino calls out the zeitgeist of the 90’s, putting men and women on an even field by calling out societal standards that stunt societal progression.

Whereas Pulp Fiction strives to call out society on their gender expectations, 10 Things I Hate About You emphasizes the importance of an independent female voice. Julia Stiles character, Kat Stratford, plays a strong independent woman who succeeds without the help of a man. The premise in and of itself is extremely feminism. It compares the relationships of Bianca and Kat to show that you don’t have to succumb to the expectations of society (represented as the popular kids) to end up with a happy life. This film is important at showing the change in narrative as the narrative follows historical patterns just as Tarantino’s film does. The director of 10 Things I Hate About You, Gil Junger was born in the 50’s so he saw even more of the feminist and sexual movements of the 60’s and 70’s. This film was made in 1999 which is in sync with the rise of the third wave of feminism. By the early 2000’s strong females leads, like that of 10 Things I Hate About You grew popular and filled the narrative of many low budget films. Exploiting sexuality was no longer an important part of low budget narrative, as strong female leads were now more important in attracting audiences.

Gender politics in film’s narrative shift with the historical changes of society. The early sexual revolutions and constant feminist approval after the 1970’s led to a large change in the way men and women were seen in movies. No longer were women just objects to attract viewers, but instead held respectable roles in the thematic development of film’s narratives.