RelevanT LinkS...

http://www.laalternativepress.com/v03n17/film/antani.php

This link is taken via 'Rotten Tomatoes' and is a short review criticising the works of Zhang Yimou, well more precisely, his attempt to captivate a love story in House Of Flying Daggers...this will be useful to me as i can state whether Yimou's effort to make a 'love story' was just a desperate way to grab the attention of female audiences...

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?DVDID=10546

Additionally a positive review from Empire, stating that 'this is how action movies should be made...'

http://www.totalfilm.com/cinema_reviews/lara_croft_tomb_raider

A reveiw for Tomb Raider, one of the other texts which i might refer to as it was suggested by some other people..

http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824016/index.html

A short article which decribes 'The changing images of women in fiction film', as written by Sarah Cardwell...this will be usseful to me as i can compare the roles that women played in past to now...

http://www.kungfucinema.com/reviews/enterthedragon.htm

Enter the Dragon - website dedicated to asian cinematography, moreso centered around Kung Fu...

LaurA MulveY..

Laura Mulvey is possibly the main theorist which i will be comenting on in my Independent Study. She constructed the idea of ‘the controlling male gaze’ which presents ‘woman as image’ and man as ‘bearer of the look’. She suggests that mny classical Hollywood movies focus on a male protagonist in the narrative but also assume a male spectator; therefore, the action on screen is aimed at other males as this allows them to identify with the male protagonist. In this case, males are often portrayed as powerful and ones who regulate the events. Women are objectified as sex symbols or feeble in order exert more dominance on the male protagonist.

Mulvey distinguishes between two modes of looking for the film spectator:

Voyeuristic looking involves a controlling gaze and Mulvey argues that this has associations with sadism: ‘pleasure lies in ascertaining guilt - asserting control and subjecting the guilty person through punishment or forgiveness’

Fetishistic looking, in contrast, involves ‘the substitution of a fetish object or turning the represented figure itself into a fetish so that it becomes reassuring rather than dangerous. This builds up the physical beauty of the object, transforming it into something satisfying in itself. The erotic instinct is focused on the look alone’.


Many classical Hollywood movies focus on a male protagonist in the narrative but also assume a male spectator; therefore, the action on screen is aimed at other males as this allows them to identify with the male protagonist.

In this case, males are often portrayed as powerful and ones who regulate the events. Women are objectified as sex symbols or feeble in order exert more dominance on the male protagonist.

LiL CommentS..

Rishi - http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=34072898&postID=115784869934898907&r=ok

Anika - http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=32340875&postID=115496804311495265

Bush - http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33650214&postID=115712902364824325

Kiranjit - http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34158691&postID=115789226877010644

Avinash - http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34131960&postID=115784554198393223

hope they helped xxx

TraileR..

MIGRAIN...

M-

Zhang Yimou uses many angles and shots in the ‘House of Flying Daggers’ but above all he likes to take advantage of ‘close-up’ shots. To signify the love between Mei and Jin and the love that Leo has for Mei, Yimou decides to show the intimate movement of hands meeting and touching. During one of the main fighting sequels in the bamboo forest, the main colour on screen is green. This connotes the build-up on envy and jealousy that the fighters have enraged; either for between the two alliances or the lovers. At this point the non-diegetic music is speedy and adopts instruments from the Chinese culture. The beats of the drums become deeper to intensify an action and this is complimented by the fast-action shots and angles. However as we approach the ending combat, there is significance in the weather change and this connotes the duration that Jin and Leo have been battling for. Furthermore, this could also portray the upcoming tragedy as the weather dramatically turns from a bright spring day to a blizzard. As this is the most important battle, there are various slow motion and close-up shots, especially concentrating on ones facial expressions to convey the heartbreak. The music saddens at these points to exaggerate the action and also to give the ‘love-story’ authenticity.

I-

The film is produced by ‘Sony Pictures Classics’ and this influences the audiences that will go see it as they expect to see a high-budget classy movie. It produces, acquires and distributes independent films from America and around the world. Michael Barker, Tom Bernard, and Marcie Bloom are the co-Presidents of Sony Pictures Classics an autonomous company of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in January 1992.[1]

G-

The ‘House of Flying Daggers’ can not be specifically categorised to one genre, as there is a mixture of stories being told. The movie is action, adventure, love and fantasy. This is similar to other texts directed by hang Yimou, such as Hero, as this move contains elements of action, adventure and drama. In the ‘House of Flying Daggers’, there are many intimate moments where the protagonists reveal their feelings for one another by either holding hands or even kissing. However, the iconographic images of the swords, daggers and even shots of blood reveal the action and adventure side to the film.

R-

Throughout the movie, middle class Chinese men and women are being represented in a quite deceitful, yet very active role. Women are shown in glamorous brothels which show them to be a fantastical place. They are portrayed as honorary, reliable and people who take much pride in their culture. Their clothes symbolise their wealth and music represents harmony. However, there are obvious signs of a corrupt government and therefore makes you question whether they are peaceful or violent people. Yimou may have wanted to represent them in this way to show how they in some ways differ from the rest of the world when it comes to their fighting techniques but also show similarities in the way their political system works. This representation could be fair and accurate but most certainly is exaggerated in some ways, for example, does every Chinese/Japanese person know how to fight?


A-

As the movie has Chinese/Japanese people being presented you can infer that the audience will also be this Asian audience, middle class males and females, possibly around the ages of 15-30ish. However due to ‘Sony Pictures Classics’ producing the movie, you know the film will be screening in western cinemas. This will therefore promote the film to a western audience, increasing the audience to the film enormously. You can assume from this that the film will possibly be a success as ‘Sony’ is a wealthy company with a reputation to withhold. The fact that film is a Asian film, audience will probably expect to see something unique and spectacular, the trailers promote the movie as action-packed with a love story. Audiences will see this movie as having a bit of everything making it overall very entertaining.

V/I –

The major values and ideologies of the text is the dominance of women and their growing power. However, the movie does not fail to recognize the corrupt government and policing and in some ways the mistreating of women in China. From this you can assume that their may be alot of devaint behaviour in China.

N-

The movie starts off with a brief summary of what has been happening in China and the unrest. As we being, men are shown as the police officers whereas women are dancers in a brothel. They look inferior to the men. However, when Mei is asked to perform the first dance, her elegance overshadows her wit and ability to fight, however this is soon exposed as the story continues. The audiences are constantly surprised as the story unravels revealed the true identities of the characters. Heroes are villains are created not through the action but through the love that characters have for one another. If two characters are not allowed to love in peace because of another, that person automatically becomes the villain. Throughout the story, the music never fails to compliment the events, nor the setting and surroundings. China is portrayed as a beautiful country, embedded with trees and streams of lakes.

[1] http://www.sonyclassics.com/about.html

My ShorT ReveiW...

The ‘House of Flying Daggers’ is an underground alliance in China, 859AD, gradually becoming stronger, however there is a new leader, and by the demands of the Chinese government, Leo (Andy Lau) and Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) are ordered to capture this new leader and destroy the Flying Daggers for good. Their only hope of any answers is from the new blind dancer in the brothel, Mei (Ziyi Zhang), whom they suspect to have answers of the whereabouts of the House of Flying Daggers. After she has been captured and taken into questioning; she stubbornly refuses to open her mouth, thus forcing Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) to slyly gain her trust by helping her escape prison. Throughout their journey, Jin seduces Mei in order to reassure her of his sincerity; nonetheless Mei is still not fully convinced. After Jin saves her life countless times, Mei slowly falls for him and to Jin’s surprise the feelings become mutual. But how long will it be until the secrets are revealed?


House of Flying Daggers (2004) d. Zhang Yimou, tells the stunning story of betrayal, honour and love. After producing the epic ‘Hero’, Yimou has not failed to impress again with Flying Daggers. The intimate love story entangled within ones honour of status and position in society makes the overall movie tear-jerking. However it’s not your average heart-sobbing love story as the action sequels are striking and definitely pick up the pace and additionally give the movie originality.

CasT..

Ziyi Zhang ... as MEI


















Andy Lau ... as LEO






Takeshi Kaneshiro ... as JIN

ProposaL...

‘You Can’t Force A Woman Against Her Will’- with reference to ‘House of Flying Daggers’ (2004 d. Zhang Yimou), have women become the protagonists in action/adventure movies OR are they still perceived as inferior to men?

My independent study will be focusing on the representations of women and their roles in action films. I have conducted my research over various resources, such as looking at reviews on ‘House of Flying Daggers’ and other sub texts which I will be referring to such as ‘Kill Bill’. I will be concentrating on the subject of the feminist theory, exploited by Laura Mulvey, and such texts ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’.

MediA LanguagE:
Speedy camera movements connote an adventurous and action packed film. Long-shots help audiences to understand the setting and create a more fantastical look whereas close-up shots convey significance of and object or an action.

InstitutioN:
A foreign arts film produced by ‘Sony Pictures Classic’

GenrE:
Action/adventure movies contain many combat scenes. However, in the ‘House of Flying Daggers’, there is a common love triangle forming; you can presume that this film will end in tragedy.

RepresentationS:
Both males and females are participating in more active roles. Women are becoming superior and ones with higher authority.

AudiencE:
Men may be attracted due to the theory of the ‘MALE GAZE’, however due to the element of a love story; women may also be quite intrigued. Due to the martial arts being conducted by both male and females, portrays the film as being exciting and unique and targets Chinese / Japanese audience as well as a western audience.

IdeologieS/ValueS:
Feminism
Equality

NarrativE:
Story builds up to the epic battle at the end between the hero and the villain. Who or what is it over?

SociaL ContexT:
Women are no longer recognised as just domestic housewives; they peruse life-fulfilling careers.

HistoricaL ContexT:
Films such as ‘Enter the Dragon’ only screened fights between males; women played the dependent and caring female roles.

EconomiC ContexT:
Action/adventure movies have higher budgets compared to other films.

PoliticaL ContexT:

OtheR TextS:

Kill Bill

Lord of the Rings

Enter the Dragon

Bibliography:

"House of Flying Daggers"
Empire Magazine
http://www.imdb.com/
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/