SSC Film Studies

Men

 Men are represented in the film, as piggish, vulgar womanisers. Evidence is provided for this view in various scenes. For example, the very first scene the men are sitting around watching an adult film, with women present, and thinking it is perfectly acceptable to watch and make comments that are inappropriate. Another scene to compliment this scene is the scene where Carter is having phone sex with his mistress, whilst the land lady is sitting in the room. He is making comments about having sex, and not caring about the woman in the room, showing his vulgar side and representing men as such, and showing them as pigs.

Another representation of men are that they are aggressive, cold blooded and woman beaters. This is also shown in various scenes, for example where he rags Glenda out of the bath, almost drowns her and calls her a 'lying bitch'. Another scene for this is the scene on the bridge where Margaret betrays him and tells the mobsters where he is meeting her, and he slaps her across the face, and this is seen as acceptable in the time of the film in 1971.

Women

Woman in the film are given a Passive role throughout the whole film. In every scene, the narrative is continued by a male character, and the females are there to slow down the narrative, and get in the mens way. This in many ways represents society in the early 70s, as male dominated, and women are seen as weak. As men also have most of the big jobs in the film, and women are to accompany men. Another scene for this passive role is the scene where Carter tells the land lady to make some tea and tells her she isn't going to call the police, and she follows his orders and does what he says, in her own house.

Women are also very sexualised in the film. As every one of them are wearing next to no clothes, and jump into bed with anyone, even if you look like Carter.. (Sly dig) A scene that portrays this well is the car scene with Carter and Glenda. There is a POV shot looking at her legs, showing her entirely as an object for sex and when it cuts to the sex scene. Women are seen as objects and things that hold men back, in everything they do, and are often the reason most of them die, like the dead woman in the water at the party.