A solid C for Inside Man
The Representation Project is a movement that is bringing
change and justice to the film industry.
Injustices flood our minds from movies, TV shows, magazines, and add
campaigns that subconsciously create gender stereotypes that effect our
perception on gender roles in society. By taking the Representation Project
pledge individuals are “challenging the status quo by transforming culture so
everyone can fulfill their potential” regardless of race, gender, class, age,
and sexual orientation. Understanding the misrepresentation media condones,
many films standout in a negative light revealing the misrepresentation men and
women receive.
The film Inside Man
is about a New York City bank robbery that will go down in history as one of
the most elaborate heist. Clive Owen, who plays the main robber, has thought of
every possible scenario in order to pull of this robbery. His ability to stay
one step ahead of the law frustrates Denzel Washington, who plays the
negotiator and detective that has never failed New York City until this hostage
situation.
Based on the Misrepresentation checklist, a list to rate
movies based on equality of race, gender, and sexual orientation, this movie
received a score of 5 and a grade of a C. While watching the film and being
aware of the checklist I was not surprised, but if I was just watching this
with my friends I would have not caught onto the issues that created this movie
to have a score of a C. This just proves
how our culture passively absorbs and supports injustices presented through the
media.
One of the major misrepresentations in the movie was having
no female lead role, let alone only showing three women in the entire movie.
The only female that talked in the movie was Jodie Foster who was playing the
high profile negotiator. Foster was hired by the bank owner to keep his secrete
safe from the police, as she did her job she displayed no fear and power among
the situation. Although Foster was only main female role she was portrayed
strongly and not in the usual way women are portrayed in the media. When she
had to negotiate with the robbers she had no fear and walked right into the
building with only her goal in mind. But when it comes to the other women showed
in the film, her role was reverted back to the “typical” women waiting around
for the man. For example, th detectives girl friend was only shown wearing
lingerie waiting around for him to come home in bed. One other time you could
hear her voice but was not shown when she called him at work to make sure he
was going to come home that night.
The men in the film were portrayed very stereotypically with
both the villain and heroes being males, as well as, all males were shown in a
powerful role. The detective, played by Washington, was shown as having the
women and the job. Then the robbers were males who showed their power by
robbing a bank. The film glorified men as being fierce, strong, and playing
powerhouse roles, which just contributes to the dismorfia society has on gender
roles.
There are many issues
that the Representation Project would have with Inside Man, but there are a few positives that have been over
looked. The films star, Denzel Washington, was an African American who was not
reduced by prejudice, but was respected by his fellow deputies and Police
Sargent. As well as Spike Lee directing the film further represented the
African American culture.
The checklist for Representation
Project is very eye opening and hits the major issues that usually films don’t
have. With this being said, I think most of the checklist stands true, but some
of it isn’t fair representation of a film. The checklist representing
misrepresentation of men and women stands true, and I think it is easy to show
women in a different light and have boys gender roles be so strict. The part of the checklist that I don’t believe
is a fair representation of a film is requiring every film to have homosexual
relationships in as a protagonist. Not every plot is suited to with hold a main
character to be gay, just as every plot doesn’t have to have a female lead
role. I think that the chart is useful as a guideline and that it should not be
a “go to” on deciding weather a film is appropriate or not, but instead a
conversation starter of how the film misrepresents gender, sexual orientation,
and class.
The film Inside Man did not get a good score on the misrepresentation test
which will create a lot of at home discussion!
Inside Man gets two pickles for such a low score and having only two speaking females in the whole movie!
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