Ideology

1. What is ideology and how can it be implicit vs. explicit?

It describes the set of beliefs or principles that someone believes in. In film, the director or writers ideology is the message that the audience is supposed to see as there style. Explicit is when the character declares to be the subject of the film. Implicit is when the director wants the film to be debatable and have different perspectives from the audience. There is no real answer to what the film is about, but it is what you see the film as.

2. Ideology and Expectations;Give an example of an a actor that presents a predictable ideological package that studios are quick to use. List as many of their film roles as possible – noting the particular actions/dialogues associated with the character that they play. Make a list of the five adjectives that you think best capture their typical role. Produce a detailed description of what you think their next role will be like.

Adam Sandler
Billy Madison- A spoiled, rich, and apparently stupid man who has to go back into school grades 1-12 to get his father’s hotel chain.
Happy Gilmore- An angry hockey player who finds out his hidden talent of being able to play golf and how he turns pro.
The Longest Yard- A crazy pro football player who gets sent to jail and starts up a football team of prisoners in a big football game against the guards.
Anger Management- A mellow 30 year old guy who gets sent to anger management and has to pass all of the tests thrown at him.
The Waterboy- A stupid redneck boy who goes to college and ends up having a great talent for playing football.
Grown Ups- A rich film agent goes to his old coaches funeral and reunites with his old teamates and best friends
5 adjectives- (Athletic) (Witty) (Bipolar) (Hidden Anger) (friendly)
His next major role will probably be an Athletic quiet man. The man would probably have something bad happen to him and he will have to somehow use his talents to help with it. Adam Sandler always appears in a comedy film and I think he will remain in this business for the rest of his career.

3. Personal Ideologies and the Enjoyment of Film: Think of a film that you enjoy and know well. Consider which characters you like. Analyze your favorite character using these useful questions to bear in mind when considering ideology are:

A film I tend to enjoy is Spaceballs due to its hilarious spoofs and random occurring events. My favorite character is Dark Helmet as he appears to be a strong and fearless villain but he is really a weak egomaniac that wants everything his way. They portray him to be the klutz of the film as anything bad that happens ends up being him. The only thing that the film does wrong to portray in the film is to give him a personal side where people can actually feel sorry for him. They should have given him a sad story where the audience can relate and make a comedic sense out of it. As an example he could never play sports so he was picked on as a kid. He was just so terrible that it could be comedic.

4. Changing Ideologies: Why would the ideologies of a given era or time period change the way a narrative is presented to its audience? Can you give an example of a film narrative that has changed over generations?

Areas of different regions enjoys different kinds of film or how it is presented. The US tends to enjoy thriller or action films that have lots of guns and killing. These actors in the film have to learn how loss is and act like they need revenge. Where in Japan, they tend to enjoy animated films and numerous films that are animated are coming from Japan. Every region has it’s own style of film as California has that kind of laid back appeal while New York has that kind of tough guy appeal.

5. Ideology and the "Effects" Debate: Do you feel that films can affect you and your behavior without being conscience of it?

Yes it most definitely can effect what the population sees as right or wrong. If the guy in the movie can do it that we can do. Films are mostly based after what the audience wants to see and what is in style. But if the director breaks this balance than it can start a new trend.

6. Ideology and Realism:Define Suspension of disbelief and give an example from a recent film you have watched.

Suspension of Disbelief is allowing the changes and accepting what cannot be seen to be real. The Paranormal Activity series of movies goes off the realism of ghosts buy nobody really knows if ghosts are real or not. The fear of ghosts make this film so effective in creating suspension. It leaves people having nightmares for weeks due to the unknowing of what happened in the film can happen to you. Can people really believe in what the film show as real?

7. Ideology & ownership: Does the financial support of a film or the ownership of a production company influence the ideology represented in a film? Explain with an example.

Yes it can most certainly can. If a large production company wants to make a film look like the way they want it than all they have to do is threaten to take all the funds going into the film out. They basically own the rights of the film and can do as they please. They are going to advertise the film as they want it to be and make it look like a popular style.