Section C - Fish Tank (Arnold, 2009) Flashcards

1
Q

Chav

Fish Tank

A

Insult for young person whose clothes, language and behaviour shows their low social class

Mia = chav

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2
Q

Demonisation

Fish Tank

A

Representing something as evil

Many demonise lower class; council estates, etc.

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3
Q

Social class

Fish Tank

A

Division of society based on social/economic status

Class divide heavily emphasised:

Mia’s family = underclass (unemployed)
Connor = lower middle class

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4
Q

Dependency Culture

Fish Tank

A

Lifestyle characterised by dependency on state benefits

Mia’s family = unemployed

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5
Q

Society

Fish Tank

A

People living together in relatively ordered community

2 societies within main society - council estate/housing estate

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6
Q

Binary Oppositions

Fish Tank

A

Pair of related terms that are opposites

Natural vs Industrial: Mia trapped in council estate. Connor takes her to river, nature.

Grey area - horse tethered on industrial estate

Feminine vs Tomboy: Mia challenges stereotypes (androgynous costume, swears, drinks) Keeley/Joanne = feminine, clashes with her

Grey area - what is feminine? Mia puts on her mum’s makeup, told to take her hair down

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7
Q

Verisimilitude

Fish Tank

A

How close media text comes to reality

Fish Tank = lots of verisimilitude, meant to mirror reality

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8
Q

Open ended narrative

Fish Tank

A

Narrative without resolution

Fish Tank = open-ended narrative - leave in car

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9
Q

Feminism

Fish Tank

A

Advocacy of women’s right for equality of the sexes

Fish Tank = feminist film - young woman trying to find her place in the world

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10
Q

Feminine

Fish Tank

A

Having qualities typical of women - delicacy, kindness, etc.

Mia is not very feminine, her mother, Joanne, is

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11
Q

Tomboy

Fish Tank

A

Girl who enjoys ‘rough’ activities associated with boys

Mia = tomboy; rough around the edges, yet likes dancing (feminine)

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12
Q

Stereotypical

Fish Tank

A

Relating to widely held oversimplified idea of a type of thing

Joanne = stereotypically feminine (makeup, etc.)

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13
Q

Counter Typical

Fish Tank

A

Acting against stereotype

Mia acts counter typically of teenage girl - violent/swearing

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14
Q

Broken Britain

Fish Tank

A

Term used by Conservative party and press to describe social decay in the U.K

Mia’s actions/home environment = example of Broken Britain

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15
Q

The Male Gaze

Fish Tank

A

Way media texts objectify women through camera taking perspective of straight man whilst viewing them

Female characters in film subjected to male gaze at some point

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16
Q

Awards won

Fish Tank

A

BAFTA - Best British Film

BIFA - Best Director

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17
Q

CONTEXTS
New Labour

Main policies

A

Government 1997-2010 (Tony Blair, Gordon Brown)
Optimistic after Thatcher -> more caring society

Tried appealing to middle/upper class
Attempted to join socialism & capitalism - emphasis on social justice
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18
Q

CONTEXTS

Why people lost trust in New Labour?

A

During New Labour: Iraq war, financial crisis, 9/11, 7/7, 2007 floods

Blair called puppet of American government

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19
Q
CONTEXTS 
Name 5 (supposedly interlinked) issues 'Broken Britain' describes
A
Failing social services -> child neglect (Baby P, Shannon Matthews)
Binge/underage drinking
Teenage pregnancy 
VIP paedophilia scandals
Poor education system
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20
Q

CONTEXTS

What did David Cameron blame 2011 England riots on?

A

“Moral collapse”

Irresponsibility
Selfishness
Behaving like actions have no consequences
Fatherless children
Schools without discipline
Reward without effort
Unpunished crimes
Rights without responsibilities
21
Q

CONTEXTS
Baby P case

Broken Britain

A

1 year old Peter Connelly died North London, 2007. Opportunities save him from child abuse not taken

Social responsibility: doctors & social services

22
Q

CONTEXTS
Shannon Matthews

Broken Britain

A

9 year old Shannon Matthews kidnapped by mother, kept drugged under bed in mother’s boyfriend’s uncle’s house - meant -> ‘found’ by uncle, cash in on reward money

Large family dependent on benefits: desperate for money, social services failed them

23
Q

CONTEXTS
Expenses scandal

Broken Britain

A

Expenses = own money you needed to spend for your job

Expenses claims = get that money back

MPs put in ridiculous claims - taxpayer money spent on prostitutes and duck houses

Government can’t be trusted

24
Q

CONTEXTS
2011 UK riots

Broken Britain

A

6th-11th August - innocent man shot dead by police

Riots against government -> police vs people

Spread across country - people vs government (though many just wanted to loot)

Working class against government

25
Q

CONTEXTS
Name 2 pieces of evidence that support Broken Britain

Fish Tank

A

Sworn at, has to stay in room whilst mum parties, “what do you think this is, a cafe?” - neglectful mother, no father (Broken family)

Connor uses Mia for sex, Mia abuses Kiera - no repercussions for actions

26
Q

CONTEXTS
Production contexts

Fish Tank

A

Premiered Cannes Film Festival

Funded by Limelight Fund, BBC Films and UK Film Council’s New Cinema Fund

Shot on location, chronological order: gave Katie Jarvis (Mia) day’s worth of script at time -> make sense to her

27
Q

IDEOLOGY

How Mia moves up/down Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs?

A

Start: Mia = bottom of hierarchy - food, clothes, bed, not much else

Spends film trying to reach second level: tries getting job, building relationships with others

28
Q

NARRATIVE
Syd Field’s 3 Act Model

Fish Tank

A

Act 1: Beginning of film -> Connor uses Mia

Act 2: Mia and Connor have ‘sex’

Act 3: Mia runs away to Wales

29
Q

NARRATIVE
Vogler’s Hero Model

Fish Tank

A

Ordinary World: Mia trying -> dancer, escape her underclass beginnings

Meets someone/given something: Meets Billy (gives her support) & Connor (support, camera for audition)

New world: After sex scene, v.annoyed, goes after his daughter

Greatest ordeal: Audition - strip club, leaves, makes own path

Returns enlightened: Leaves with Billy, open-ended

30
Q

NARRATIVE
Todorov’s Equilibrium Model

Fish Tank

A

Equilibrium: Mia living with neglectful/abusive mother & little sister

Disruption: Connor (as a whole)

New Equilibrium: Mia takes charge & runs away

31
Q

NARRATIVE
Type of narrative - why?

Fish Tank

A

Linear

Realistic; multiple storylines, worlds or flashbacks distract from narrative

32
Q

NARRATIVE
Enigma Codes

Fish Tank

A

Mia’s flat: where are Mia/Tyler’s dad/dads?
Never resolved - does Mia know who he is? (Broken Britain)

Connor introduced: what is he hiding?
Hiding a girlfriend & daughter - absent father (Broken Britain)

33
Q

NARRATIVE
Action Codes

Fish Tank

A

Dance audition: Mia walks away from the strip club
First good action of the film - she changes her life for the better

Keira’s kidnapping: Pushes Keira into water, yet saves her.
Mia never goes back to Connor - first step to closure
Mia’s first step to becoming more responsible - SAVES her

34
Q

CINEMATOGRAPHY
How back shot of Mia foreshadows?

Opening sequence - Fish Tank

A

Mia looking at city through window - foreshadows her leaving, getting to take on the world

Glass = trapped there, like fish in fish tank

35
Q

MISE-EN-SCENE
Significance of Mia’s costume

Fish Tank

A

Hoody - chav-like, violent gangster associations

Androgynous - not particularly masculine or feminine, like Mia

Grey - no colour, blends in, bland, depressing: like her situation

36
Q

MISE-EN-SCENE
How set design of Mia’s flat reflects Mia’s life?

Fish Tank

A

Flat & council estate - dodgy area, little money

Hammer (weapon) kept in kitchen drawer, easily accessible - violent area, need protecting

Tyler watching hours tour on TV - custom-made heart-shape bedhead. Opposite of their lifestyle

37
Q

EDITING
How editing pace reflects Mia’s emotions when freeing the horse?

Fish Tank

A

Fast pacing - urgency to free the horse

Dog barks, boys arrive -> faster, urgency to run

38
Q

CINEMATOGRAPHY

How extreme close ups reflect Mia’s situation?

A

ECUs of flat - how small it is, lack of space

Fish struggling to breathe on land - Mia struggling in her life

39
Q

SOUND
How diegetic sound creates meaning?

Freeing the horse - Fish Tank

A

Heightens tension

Doesn’t distract from moment

Only natural sound - no city background

40
Q

REPRESENTATIONS
How Mia represented as stereotypical chav?

Fish Tank

A

Violent to others - start of film: head butts another girl. Sound effects & bleeding emphasise this

Swearing throughout film - “call me back later bitch” on phone

Costume - black tank top, grey tracksuit

41
Q

REPRESENTATIONS
How Mia represented as counter type to stereotypical chav?

Fish Tank

A

Kind (to extent), caring for horse - tries freeing it twice, smashing chains - goes back after being chased away

Ambitious beyond her place in society - keeps trying to become a dancer, even when faced with challenges

Saves Keira, even after pushing her - binary oppositions within Mia, more than stereotype

42
Q

REPRESENTATION
How feminism is explored through Joanne?

Fish Tank

A

Stereotypical ‘woman’:
Wears makeup
Long blonde hair
Dresses seductively

Very irresponsible - unemployed, depended on Connor

43
Q

REPRESENTATION
How feminism is explored through Tyler & Keira?

Fish Tank

A

Both young, small children
Kids clothes, messy hair

Keira = lower-middle class background, innocent, dressed like princess

Tyler = underclass background, not innocent, drinks & smokes

44
Q

REPRESENTATION
How feminism is explored through Mia?

Fish Tank

A

Mia = teenage tomboy

Counter type to femininity

45
Q

Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory

A

Camera perspective of heterosexual man - sexually objectifies women: focuses on body using slow-mo, deliberate camera movement & cutaways

46
Q

Traditional gender roles in film

A

Male = active role, pushing narrative

Female = passive, exist for visual pleasure, slow narrative: act as temptation or inspiration

47
Q

REPRESENTATIONS
How Mia is subjected to male gaze?

Fish Tank

A

Dancing in pyjamas in kitchen (first meet Connor) - low angle, medium shot. Focuses on her butt

Connor puts her to bed - P.O.V shot from Mia, see him taking her joggers off

48
Q

REPRESENTATION
How Mia = agent of male gaze?

Fish Tank

A

Filming Connor: medium long shot of his shirtless. See through camera what she sees - zooms in

Stares at girl at stripper audition: P.O.V shot from Mia - stripper in middle of shot, centre object