BB and GC HW question

Show how the key sequences convey the message and values of the film you have studied for this topic. (40)

Opening sequences

Female lib

Margaret

Glenda

Edna

Crime

Margaret, drugs

Carter killing 

Independent women

Shea 

Beverley

Cycle of violence

Leon

Curtis

Gun crime 

Godfrey

Wisdom

In Get Carter, the first main sequence shows Carter going into Newcastle. We see the area slowly becoming more and more industrial, looking grey and grim. This is similar to the opening sequence of Bullet Boy in which it starts in an idyllic countryside and the slowly starts becoming more run down and busy. In Get Carter however, this view is his own, he views the North as unattractive and unpleasant. In Bullet Boy, the view we get is that of Ricky's, suggesting that he views his hometown as trapping and dismal, which is shown in the shots of him looking out of the car window when they get back from prison. This is when the audience begin to realise that Ricky wants to get out of his environment. We are also shown that he wants to escape his environment by the use of shots, with tight close ups of Ricky and his surroundings obstructing his and our view of the sky shows that he feels like he can't reach up and achieve, that he's trapped and getting out isn't an option.

A key sequence in Get Carter shows the values of women's freedom from Female liberation as a myth. Edna for example, in her scene we see her as a independent women, the idea of what we'd expect from the liberation, running her own business without the help from a man. Yet as soon as a man (Carter) enters her life we see her immediately revert back to a traditional role in the house in which a women serves the man or men. One threat he uses against her is the fact that she wears purple underwear, and if the female liberation is true, then she shouldn't be bothered about him knowing that and people possibly finding out but due to it not working, she is afraid of people finding out that she had sex out of wedlock.  This shows that the traditional views of women still dominate and that their sexuality is stigmatised. 

Another sequence to support this is the scenes with Glenda when she's sleeping with him and is in the bath. We only ever see shots of Gleda, down her top and looking at her legs which is Jack's view only, we never view him in this way and as an audience, we are then forced to view her as a sexual object, this supports Laura Mulvey's theory, 'The Male Gaze' in which she states we see women in films from the view of a heterosexual male. She is also used as a way for Jack to get information out of her and when he believes shes lying to him he forcefully picks her up like a rag doll, using his male dominance and strength over her, showing that he represents the old fashioned view of men that involves violence still being involved.

Crime and its effects are also a key message throughout this film and this is shown firstly in a scene with Margaret. Carter gives her an overdose that kills her just so that he can use her against Kinear. This shows that crime was often used in ways to prove strength and pride so that they gain respect or revenge and is often done to women. This further supports Laura Mulvey's view of 'The Male Gaze', women are passive in films and have things done to them, mostly by men. This also shows Carters view of women, he shows no remorse or regret at threatening or killing Margaret because to him its a fine thing to do for revenge, especially since she's only a women, therefore below him.

Another sequence showing violence in this film is when Carter finds someone who knows information on his brothers death and he takes him outside to question him. Once he's given the information, Carter proceeds to stab him because he didn't tell him earlier and thats hurt Carters pride. He also did it because he feels he is above him and doesn't like him because he lives and is from the North and Jack doesn't like these people, he views them as mutants. We know he vies them as mutants because in an earlier scene,in the pub we see a man with six fingers through a close up, point of view shot from Carter.