Thesis

 thesis: hollywood films tend to glorify the theme of criminality, compared to independent films that subvert the hollywood and theme of crime in order to challenge the audience.

Savages: based in mexico, 2 small time drug dealers, ben a shon share a lover, ophelia. They reject a deal to liasie with the bahar cartel in order to boost income. This results in the kidknapping of ophelia. After offering 10 million for the girl back, ben a shon take matters into their own hands, using shons military experience, they wind up in a fued with the cartel, resulting in death, theft and a shit load of drugs.

The wolf of wall street:

A millionaire stockbroker from long island with a horrendous drug problem. Based on a true story of an aspiring money crazed entrepenuer, who went a step to far on his way to the top, encountering many examples of drug use, money laudering, investment and the gift of the gab. Jordan Belfort starts as a senior broker at L.S wrothschild, but eventually was made redundant. After being recruited for an investment centre who deal with pink sheet penny stocks, he begins to become very succesfull, and decides to go alone by starting his own brokerage firm named stratton oakmont. Being the criminal that he is, he sells dicey stocks to poor people for his pwn greed. His 40 million pound yacht, pent house and lambprgini spider present his wealth and happiness through money. But after being investgated by the FBI, launders his money to Switzerland

The film 'savages' is an independent and 'the wolf of Wall Street' is hollywood with some Hollywood conventions in both. Both films contradict eachothers perception of crime. Hollywood  films tend to glamorise the theme of criminality, and independent films tend strip back the reprocessions and the severity of crime in a realistic way. Both can be related to real life situations and scenarios that occur in the world now, being the credit a result of greedy bankers, and violent gang battles, as shown in savages.

Point one: the wolf of Wall Street present Jordan Belfort as a loveable vouge. He has been given this role as it is similar to the one in catch me if you can. In this scene, Jordan illudes to the fact that everything that they have been doing in the brokerage firm is well and truely illegal. This film has the same director as the film 'goodfellas'. So Jordan has characteristics or trates of an Italian gangster.

Micro analysis: the director has also used direct adress in the way that is has been filmed in this scene. This is to make the film look almost Documentry like, giving it a sense of realism that independent films tend to possess . in comparison, the film 'savages' present the stock characters of 'heroes' in ben and shon, but they both possess characteristics of criminals as they are drug dealers. this subverts the typical hollywood narrative in a sense that they are not directly heroes. independent films are looked at as a piece of art work, and should be made to make the audience think, this is the challenge that comes with savages.
micro analysis: ben and shon are put in mexican tribal masks when trying to rescue their girlfriend, so the masks actually represent your typical 'heroes' very well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8bPss8zGDw: 1.10.53- 1.14.16 (hour and minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpkV_eXRlKE : the wolf of wall street


point two: the wolf of wall street tries to glorify the theme of criminality, which tends to be common in Hollywood films. especially ones where there is no identifiable criminal, but the film exaggerates money laundering to make it look like a good thing that will make you a wealthy man. This tends to attract a wider audience and is called 'mass marketing to attract all audiences'. this method is used in Hollywood films as they are strictly there to make a profit.
micro analysis: the aspects of mise en scene plays a big part in the way criminality is presented. there is a mass use of bright colours, in order to keep the film in a positive light, and sets the mood.
also suits tend to be the main costume, and people commonly assosiate suits with the hero and good characters (James bond, mission impossible, men in black). This is where the wolf of wall street subverts the typical Hollywood narrative. in contrast, 'savages' has a wider sense of realism, with a true reflection on gun crime, drug crime and murder. this is where independent films are in place in order to challenge the audience, and are commonly made for specific audiences to enjoy as a peice of art with a message rather than a profit.

micro: again, the heroes are put in mask s when trying to save their lover. this is a very Hollywood way of doing things. I believe the director done this to wider the audience.





point 3: the wolf of wall street does not use the theme of violence in order to show present criminality, and it also sends a warning which a characteristic of an independent film. this message being that bankers tend to be the reason for financial deficit such as the credit crunch. the film alludes to this fact and is ment to be a warning to the audience. in contrast, savages uses alot of violence in order to present the theme of criminality, and especially torture.
(i could not find any clips for these, but will refer to them in my essay)

conclusion:
to conclude, both films possess the presentation of criminality in different ways. as the wolf of wall street is a Hollywood film, with independent conventions, it tends to exaggerate the themes as well as its message. this is to widen the audience and evidences that theory that Hollywood films are prodominatlty made to make a profit. on the other hand, 'savages' confronts criminality and presents it how it is. this is a common thing within independent films, and also evidences the theory that independent films are designed to challenge the audience, and send out messages rather than making a profit. 'savages' also has hoHollywoodonventions in terms of micro analysis, I believe this is to widen the audience. finally, both films present criminality in different ways, but both give seperate messages.

Thesis

The film 'savages' is independent and 'the wolf of Wall Street' is Hollywood. Both films contradict eachothers perception of crime. Hollywood  films tend to glamorise the theme of criminality, and independent films tend strip back the reprocessions and the severity of crime. 

synthesis

Uses dull colours, to promote a sense of depression or wrong doing. Almost a ‘trapped in a messed up country’ vibe. They both share realistic dystopian conventions as they are both set in the near future, meaning that the way its been filmed doesn’t seem different to the presentThe way it is filmed in the sense that children of men is shaky to create realism. Independent films like CoM do not tend to present unrealistic conventions
 

Popplet

Children of men is an Independent film. And presents the themes or war, hope and infertility. It is a realistic style film. The themes are presented through the characters, specifically the baby, being hope. It is left as an open ending essentially making you think. V is presented as the freedom fight vs the government, similar to the army vs the rebels. The audience are encouraged to pick a side. Children of men is saying not to pick a side 

essay

v for vendetta is a dystopian themed film set in the not too distant future, based around a totalitarian government in power and one man who seeks revenge. The film represents typical gender roles in order to communicate messages, but subverts the roles and distorts them. I will allude to the gender roles of the different characters aswell as introducing the idea of phallic and yonic objects, the oedipal complex and hyper masculinity.

phallic and yonic imagery is presented in the film in many different scenes, and is used to symbolise the power being deflated from the party members and the guards. this becomes evident in the scene of the final revolution where the streets of london are flooded by the population becoming active. in this scene alot of the colours are dark colours which sets the overall mood of the scene. Also all of the population are wearing v outfits and masks, categorised under the costume aspect of mise-en-scene. The guards or the army employed by the government try to stop the peacful revolution, with no signs of anarchy, by holding them at gun point, the erect gun being the phallic object. As the population walk towards them, their guns go down, meaning the power has subverted to the population. to extend this point, the government during the revolution go from playing the masculine active role, to the feminine passive and fearful role.

The mother and father roles are dictated by the events and the characters behaviour and they are often distorted from one gender role to another. In this case being the character 'v'. although v fills the criteria of the male active and fearless role, he actually demonstrates some very feminine behaviour and in relation to mise-en-scene, physical appearance. The director alludes to this point in the scene where v is cooking for evey, wearing an apron, his make-up covered mask and his feminine styled hair. In this scene, the gender roles of evey and v switch.

how does v for vendetta get across its message and beliefs through its themes?

v for vendetta is a dystopian styled theme that presents the idea of a fascist government is in power and is dictated by sutler. This is conflicted by a terrorists identified as 'v' who seeks vengeance in this superhero style character, but is he a hero or a villain? The 5 key themes in this film are symbolised to construct a warning to society to act fast on political power before the government begin to enforce a totalitarian country. these 5 themes consist of Anarchy, religion, revolution, terrorism and totaltarianism. Each of these themes present a different message.

Anarchy is presented in the film and is encouraged by the main character 'v'. The use of anarchy is brought to our attention in the scene of v's speech, And the idea that v can dictate and enforce anarchy through power of his voice, choice of words and identity. he uses anarchy in an  organised way and introduces it as the solution to conquer the fascist government. The message of this theme is to become an active member of society and to take action by voting before the government ruin the country. The fact that this film is presented in the not too distant future creates a sense of sci fi, but also realism at the same time

Totalitarianism is another key theme of the film, and it means the government are to control the society and peoples lives both publicly and privately. This can be dictated to by one person, in this case being sutler as the dictator. Totalitarianism is presented when sutler is presenting his speech to the other government mp's and his dictatorship towards them aswell as the opression he is enforcing on society. The purpose of the clip is again to warn he audience of the film that a totalatarian government is a poor option to be in power, and that this generates opression on society. This particular message could also be labelled as false advertising or propaganda in a sense that people are being made to believe that totalitarianism could potentially happen, when already there is signs of it in power NOW.

Vengeance is potentially the most important theme of the film, as it is one of the main questions to wether v is fighting for freedom or revenge. In the opening scenes of the film, v was tested on in the concentration camps, and is now a mutant force of nature seeking revenge from the government. This is presented when v blows up the old bailey, and also at the end when he blows up parliament. The old bailey is symbolised as justice in the sense that it is a court house, but the fact that v blows it up, shows the audience that it is not justice the seeks, but it is revenge. The fact that v does this through terrorism and extremism says to me that v may not being a noble freedom fighter, but a terrorist making him a criminal, and the message of this is that terrorism in modern day society needs to looked at as a freedom fighter aswell as a terrorist

To conclude, the film v for vendetta holds many key themes which represent a warning or a a sense that we must act fast. The fact that it is set not too far in the future gives it a sense of realism and sci fi which is not usually found in your everyday Hollywood films. And the question still looms wether v is a terrorist or a freedom fighter. or some may believe he covers up the fact that he seeks personal vengeance by promoting a collective group following the idea of anrachy to cover up his terrorism. This links back to the question in hand that the messages are sent across to the public through themes and there are presented through the characters actions and behaviour, which can either be verbal or extreme violence.