Section C –
Messages and values are expressed
throughout both films but some differ. Gender representation changes from when
Badlands was set – directed by Terrence Malick, to when Natural born Killers
was exhibited. This is because in Badlands, Holly’s female character showed
inferiority compared to Kit and her performance was that she was calm and
quiet, obeying Kit. There was a recurring one shot of the characters, implying
an emotionless relationship. However, In Natural Born Killers, the director,
Oliver Stone shifts the gender power by giving Mallory some superiority because
her performance showed her to be shouting at Mickey and expressing herself
aggressively, in turn showing the theme of ruthlessness. This highlights
dysfunctional society because the traditional male empowerment had been
abandoned and people had almost turned animalistic, shown by the mise en scene
of snakes around Mickey and Mallory in the desert. They are shown to be in a two shot,
highlighting their passionate relationship, which is not the same as Badlands.
Non-linear flashbacks occur in Natural Born
Killers, showing that Mickey had a dysfunctional family with the mise en scene
of his father abusing his mother, which helps to see why he is the way he is
and that his violent persona was influenced by the past. It also helps to show
his rootlessness of never being accepted, which is why he is always on the run
with Mallory. The crime genre is imminent throughout. On the other hand,
Badlands has no flashbacks, which questions Kit’s motives because I get a sense
that there is no logical reason for the way he behaves which implies a theme of
rebelliousness since he is always rebelling against society regulations,
linking to the James Dean persona that he tries so hard to achieve. Both films glorify the idea of fame, Kit
always recorded his voice (diegetic sound) so that he could be like Elvis
Presley and Mickey always pointed out the fact that he was on TV (mise en
scene) which also resembled the idea that fame was his only motive. The fact
that fame was the importance and recurring genre showed the idea of society
idolising criminals, which supported the theme of dysfunctional society,
absorbed by the media. Scenes in both Badlands and Natural born Killers were
shown with a Dutch angle to highlight exactly that. “Genre are instances of repetition and
difference.
Both films have a car convention implying
lovers on the lam but the locations are different. Mickey and Mallory have mise
en scene of gas stations and American Diners, showing the modernized culture of
society but Kit and Holly have locations of the open road and the wild setting
which shows that they are less accepted in comparison as the isolated setting
reflects off their isolation from society.
In Badlands there are binary opposites
because Holly is shown in light(purity and innocence) where as, Kit is shown in
shadow, implying that he has a dark side. However, In Natural Born Killers, Mickey
and Mallory’s performance are both shown to be rebellious and aggressive,
showing no signs of innocence or purity, yet again highlighting that most of
America were corrupt.
Throughout the sequences, there are a lot
of connotations to the American Dream ranging from the colour themes of red,
white and blue of Mickey and Mallory’s clothes or the location setting shown in
Badlands of mise en scene of holly’s picket fence and her home represented as
the perfect life.
No comments:
Post a Comment