Essay Plan ....

Essay title : How has the stereotype of Black males been reinforced or changed in films such as “Get Rich Or Die Trying”?

(Keywords are : How, stereotype, Black males, reinforced or changed)

Introduction:(need more help and advice)

a) "I don't know why I was looking for my father, all I know is I was looking for my father my whole life"... quote from the film. This quote seems to be the overall message in the film and what basically, identifies the stereotype of Black males. (Note to self: research into it, even more).

b)A slight hypothesi like how this film conveys the stereotype but, also how it subverts the stereotype example, 50 cent being a father and leaving, the drug industry to look after hi son , which parrells his quest in life his looking for his father.

c) Briefly bring in the historical text 'Boyz N Hood'

Paragraph one: Introducing Get Rich Or Die Trying as my main text.

a) The narrative : The film is about a young Black boy called Marcus played by Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson who starts to sell drugs, after his mother’s fatal death. But knowing, that his father is not around he sees Majestic as the father figure in his life for guidance and help. The narrative seems to intertwine a few stereotypes that are commonly associated with Black males such as : being involved involved in drugs and looking for a male figure in another Black male.

b) 50 Cent is the narrator in the text known as homeodiegetic narrator whereas he is present in the film as the main protagonist but also, is the voice. The film is a semi biblocal story therefore, social realism is explored issues such as the deprivation of money, poverty, crime and struggle of self bettermeant too just name a few.

Note: The narrative is driven by 50 Cent thus, we see his life and possibly his perspective of life and the outcome of it. He manages to tell the viewer about the drug turf war between the Spanish and the Blacks which seems to be an economic and cultural problem, due to both races being immigrants that fled to America to achieve a stable lifestyle. Secondly, the narrative is a common convention of Blaxploitation.

Paragraph two: Blaxploitation and analysis of a scene that uses the generic conventions of this genre, also, talking about the director.

a) Define Blaxploitation the genre and briefly when it started .

b) The scene (research) Begin scene when he grows up about 17 years old he and his friends could be classified as the oligarchy the small elite group is Marcus and his friends.

c) The author is Jim Sheridon who is a white director but is tackling a black story. Aspects to consider: Are we as the audience are seeing the Black race being portrayed through a white man or is he actually representing the reality. The term collonism ( higher order)

Paragraph three: Stereotype number one Violence and drugs

a) The scene of the Black drug dealers getting together and figuring out how to make the drugs... the scene continues through to the turf war between Blacks and Spanish, looking at the social context.

b) Many people dying because the use of crack and the deaths that appear from being involved in death ... " stop crack its wack" a quote used in the film.

Paragraph four: Representation of Black people in jail.

Links to the previous paragraph, Marcus is in jail because he was framed. Can bring in Vladmir Propp the character identification where Marcus is the hero and Majestic's crew is the bad crowd... frames a disequilbrium in narrative because narrative enigmas are created by the Sheridon like whom planted the drugs in Marcus's flat?

Note: Marcus meets his cell mate called Bama and from her, we see that there is a change in Marcus's behaviour. He continues to create music, to express himself.

Paragraph five: The comparative with Boyz N Hood

a) Abit about Boyz N Hood the main synopsis and how it compares / differs from Get Rich Or Die Trying.

b) Similar aspects talks about the lack of certain things and how the surroundings makes a person act a certain way. And also, the challenge self bettermeant.

c) Ricky in Boyz N Hood has a father who teaches him responsibility and suggests to him that if, you do your responsibities than you will not go to jail whereas, if u don't do certain things jail it is or even death in some circumstances.

d) Differs from Get Rich Or Die Trying because the main quest Marcus has in life is to look for his father, which in turn will explain why he went into drugs and being a gangster. Marcus lives his life with his grand parents and he classifies his grandad as a " second class, nigger". He does this because he was so used to the material things in life but, when he didnt recieve them he started to sell drugs to get his own way in life.

e) Charlene has a step dad who is strict and sends her away from Marcus to live with her grandad whereas, this is juxtaposed against Marcus and his life.

Note: The comparison in both Ricky from Boyz N Hood and Marcus from Get Rich Or Die Trying have some sort of male advice/ guidance to get them through life, but manage to create decisions of there own. Whereas, the difference is that Ricky has a father who is there to pick him up when he falls? But, Marcus has to do it himself.

Paragraph six: Target audience. As the audience do we conform to the people that stereotype the Black people as being involved in crime and acting in an errant behaviour. posed against Marcus's lifestyle and the lack of family he has.

a) give demographics of the audience profiling.

b) Does the film represent these people? Note: 50 cent appeals to many youngsters therefore they will aspire to be like him. Effects theory what they see him do, they would probably repeat... ie. getting into music.

Paragraph seven: The change of stereotypes.Where Marcus changes from the transtition of drug dealer to rapstar. " its time to focus on my dream, on being a rapper"

This change occurs after he is shot by a mysterious man, but also, when he feels he has no time left to live and wont get to be a proper father to his son.

a)Scene: Where him and Charlene are together, he is looking terrible due to his accident and it is about time, he stopped the drugs trade and became a proper dad. Scene involves them being very initimate.

b) The sex scene allows the camera to focus on Charlene who seems to be an object of the male gaze, Marcus is in control of the whole sex scene.

Paragraph seven: Comparative between Boyz N Hood and Get Rich Or Die Trying

a)Ricky is an aspiring student alongside his friend who want to do well and go to college to do well, this represents many of the Black people that want to achieve in life. In America, there is quite a few African Americans who are very educated and are in high professional jobs such as, lawyers teachers etc. Ricky represents the people that have diverted themselves away from the gangster llife to the academic lifestyle.

b)Marcus decides to become a famous rapper who wants to provide for his family. He and his friends are in search for a recording deal and manage to gain recognition through the underground circuit.

Paragraph eight: The title itself and the stereotypes that are present, but are vague to notice.

Breaking the title down ....

Get Rich : Refers to wealth, and the desire to get money this parrallels the stereotype of Black people being very involved with money and jewellery. Towards the end we see Marcus wearing a diamond incrusted necklace. Money shows the power you have and the status you have in society. You can either get money the wrong way which is to do drugsor steal. Or the honest, way and that is by earning. Marcus gains money both ways but, whereas many of his opposing associates only get it by selling drugs.

Or Die Trying : Refers to trying until you cant try no more. Depending how lucky you are.

Conclusion:

Points to consider :

• The beginning of the film is a remake of the Blaxploitation generic conventions
• Vladmir Propp is a key theorist because of the character identification
• Marcus is a boy who manages to get through life without a father and that is reflected in possibly every scene by some sort of suggestion by a person in the film.
• Get Rich Or die Trying reflects the narrative for it either suggests money and the destruction of it or money and how you can be sensible.

(need more research and expansion on my first essay plan )

Historical Texts

"1 in 21 African American males will die of murder in thier lifetime""Most will be killed by other African American males"
Boyz N The HooD 1991 by John Singleton
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101507/ - just shows general information.

A few facts about the making of the film

• Was shot before the 1992 Los Angeles Riots
• Depits life in the "crime ridden South Central" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyz_In_The_Hood
• John Singleton was the youngest to be nominated for the best director award and was also the first African American to be nominated aswell.
• 2002, Library of Congress named it "culturally significant" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyz_In_The_Hood

Synopsis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyz_In_The_Hood#Plot_summary

The opening starts with the following two messages which probably convey the meaning of the film.: "1 in 21 African American males will die of murder in thier lifetime"
"Most will be killed by other African American males"

Tre Styles a young African American male is walking to school with his two other friends the year is 1984. Tre and his friends notice a crime scene with police tap, gunshot holes in the walls and puddles of blood on the ground. The first incident happens in school when Tre, is finding it hard, to concentrate and misbehaves. His mother is studying for her masters degree and is informed that her son is suspended from school for 3 days for getting into a fight. She decides to send him to Crenshaw- where his father lives, Jason 'Furious' Styles.

Tres' first day is hard with his father, he orders him to do household duties but the reason him being responsible is so he can grow up to be a man and not be dead or in jail, hence referring to the beginning messages. They then, later on, go on a fishing trip where Furious teaches him about sex and the precautions of unprotected sex. They return to Crenshaw where Doughboy and Ricky are being arrested and sent off to juvenile halls, for stealing.

The story jumps 7 years ahead when the boys are at school Tre and Ricky are in class and they are in the middle of a English test. Furious educates the boys that the test is culturally biased and that Maths is fair. We see that Ricky has 110 points higher in Maths then in English. Furious drives the boys to Compton and leactures not only them but citizens of Compton that

"explaining how violence and drug use divide the black community by decreasing property values, allowing real estate companies to buy the land cheaply from black residents and sell it at a profit to developers. The influx of white investment money raises property values and taxes, pushing out the remaining old residents in the process. Furious tells the crowd that the rest of the nation will not help the urban poor because they are not personally affected by the violence the blacks must themselves end the cycle of murder and violence plaguing the neighborhoods."

There is a battle now, Doughboy a drug dealer is left in the streets whereas Tre and Ricky look for a future. On the way home Tre and Ricky are in the middle of a gang riot where Ricky is shot in Tres arms and is taken to Doughboy. Both Ricky and Doughboy plus few other members go to find the opposing gang to sortout the problem of Rickys death. Tre and Ricky are in the parking lot and Tre decides to leave the car, Doughboy accepts. A big riot kicks off and the opposing gang are injured before the credits role the viewers find out that Doughboy is killed 2 weeks after Rickys death. Tre and his girlfriend go to college.

Themes

The following themes are seen in Boyz N The Hood ; Tre being the strong father figure on young black males : "Any fool with a dick can make a baby, but it takes a real man to be a father to his children." Said to Tre.

The theme of urban lifestyle and the surroundings they are in gun shoots, a deprived area, drug abuse and culturally biazed in school standerizing tests.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMbgb-CHlkk- trailer.

SummAry of VisuAL PleasUre anD NarrATIve CineMA

Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema by Laura Mulvey was published in 1975 is widely known as one of the most critical theory on contemporary film theory. The arguments that she presents are as followed:

• Scopophilia- The pleasure you recieve from looking at certain body parts and are being fetishized by the camera such as the womens breasts, legs or bum. Scopophilia is also, when you look at another person in the cinema without them knowing you are looking at them. Freud has covered this aspect aswell
• Women are also, seen as "process of objectification of female characters whcih means women bing reduced to being objects of the male gaze but also, the narcissistic pleasure you recieve from identification. The audience may feel closure because they feel they can relate to a certain character in the text..
• Mulvey has "declared that in patriarchal society 'pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female'. You as the audience are gendered as males and relate to certain characters from a male perspective.
• Women have the ability to be looked at as sexual desires and if they are near a certain object that could be tall or big they would be referring to a phallic symbol.

HoW thE theoRY cOUld be usEful for yOU in yOUr IndePENdent StUdy?

"We love ladies, all we do is get laid and get paid" Get Rich Or Die Trying is a film about a young boy and his transition from selling drugs to being a rap star. The roles that women play in this film is split between two roles and that is firstly of being the sexual desire and the other role would be the active, independent women who has the tendency to be conveyed as a sexual desire. The character Charlene would come underneath the second role of women but also, being the only important female in this film places a lot of questions on typical stereotypes of Black females in society and either if her character conforms to it or subverts it.

Women have characteristics to be looked at and are seen as sexual objects. While Marcus, is throwing a house warming party the Black females are dressed in a very provocative way, the camera zooms into certain body parts such as the breasts, legs and also their bums. This allows the audience to fetishized with certain female components and experience a certain sexual arousal from viewing the women. Young female Black females are stereotyped to be promiscuous, during the house party the women are dancing in a very seductive way. The audience are feeling a sense of pleasure and being voyeuristic towards the way the women behave.

Mulvey has also mentioned scopophilla within her theory- which is when an audience is receiving pleasure from looking at certain body parts. This could be associated with the previous point of the females body but also, during one scene the audience are engaged towards the intimacy between Charlene and Marcus. The medium shot of Marcus and Charlene having sex, gives certain pleasures towards the audience, hence the audience being engaged in the act of intimacy. The women is naked and again the camera focuses on her breasts and her legs which is again fethiszed by the audience. Charlene, is seen as a sexual object and desire towards the audience for she is naked in this scene and has the capability of looked at ness.

However, during the film Charlene does not conform to many of the stereotypes that are labelled along side women she is also plays a big part in the film, because she gives strength to Marcus to do well and leave the drug scene. Charlene's character also, breaks many of the stereotypes associated with Black females such as being baby machines and incapable of being in love. As a young female character she is still dominated by her husband Marcus and is part of the patriarchy society but she is independent in her own way. This is shown when Marcus goes to jail and she is left with a young baby and looks after it.

In conclusion the character of Charlene is seen to be a sexual but also, independent character. Mulvey has stated that in films women have the quality to be looked at and the audience are the spectators. However, the other women that are present in the film are allowing the audience to gain voyeuristic pleasures from looking at them but also, the camera highlights certain body parts which is part of the concept of scopophilia, which reinforces the beginning quote "we love ladies, all we do is get laid and get paid".