Fight Club 270418

17.  Explore some of the ways in which placing your chosen film within a broader critical framework has helped to develop your appreciation and understanding of specific sequences. [30]

Crisis of Masculinity



The lighting in the scene is really low key, perhaps symbolising the darkness in the Narrators mind, and the idea that he in unacquainted (or 'in the dark') about his masculinity.
In the mise-en-scene, both AngelFace and the Narrator are shirtless, giving the fight a sense of homo-erotica. This is further backed up by the narrative and the reasoning behind the fight; the Narrator is intimidated by AngelFace's beauty as it is a challenge to his masculinity, and so he wants to 'destroy something beautiful' to feel like a man again.
The diegetic sound of the punching is very primal, loud and animalistic.
The fact he is called AngelFace, rather than his real name, makes him seem like he has no identity. This is another factor which shows the crisis in masculinity.



On the bus, they see a Gucci advert/poster. This represents crisis of masculinity because it is creating the idea that men have to be well-groomed, six-pack, sharp jawline. It is a metrosexual point of view. It also makes men who don't have that figure feel like they aren't real men. Tyler says that "Self improvement is masturbation... Self destruction.." which backs up the idea that they have a crisis in masculinity. They feel the need to get really hurt to prove that they are men.
Again, the lighting is pretty low key, more so on Tyler, as he is 'the Id' (in regards of the Freudian theory) and he has darker intentions and a darker mindset about life.



Marla is an anagram of alarm. Throughout this scene, sirens can be heard in background.
Marla is kind of masculine, and is intimidating to Narrator as he is having a crisis of masculinity.
She wears all black, making her seen dark and mysterious, as well as helping her look like a physical embodiment of Narrators fears.

revision notes

14)

• agree with statement: different kind of spectatorship
• not everyone will emotionally connect or even understand what’s going on in the film

ALICE- not for children; we found it uncomfortable

-camera: jittery movements of rabbit due to stop motion when eating sawdust. -close up of rabbit’s face felt very uncomfortable due to ugly teeth/not well groomed. 

-sound: diegetic sounds were way too loud for their purpose; scary/off-putting

-also got boring during this scene; all beige colours in mise-en-scene, not attractive to the eye.

SCREEN-TESTS ANDY WARHOL - it’s boring to watch: no narrative, script, sound, nothing happening. watching someones transitioning facial expressions

people would be filmed for 3 minutes, but it would be slowed down so they end product is much longer.

-just one mid shot for a long time- no editing

KOYAAANISQATSI - not a clear narrative (even though there is one)

lots of hight angle, establishing shots

Crisis in Masculinity

Men feel like they have to protect their masculinity: they feel like they can't share emotions, they feel like they can't wear makeup, skirts, things that are seen as feminine. Men feel like they have to be the provider in the family, the source of income.

"Role of a man in a family included the following functions:
• A protector;
• A leader;
• A teacher,
But even this can be handled by women today. So, who is a man today? A hunter and protector or the nurturer, who takes a maternity leave and lives with a bread-winning wife?" 

https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/mans-role-society-family-crucial-change-21st-century-spnsr/ 


Metro-Sexual: 'Feminine' Straight Men. "meticulous about his grooming and appearance"

 

https://www.elitedaily.com/life/culture/what-means-to-be-a-man/958158

"Suicide is now the single biggest cause of death in men aged 20–49 in England and Wales"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/11238596/A-crisis-of-masculinity-men-are-struggling-to-cope-with-life.html