Wednesday 16 November 2011
Wednesday 2 November 2011
Borders and belonging in My Beautiful Launderette
My Beautiful Launderette (Stephen Frears, 1985) is set in 1980’s London The conflict between the two groups is immediately displayed in this first scene, where the Pakistanis violently throw the unemployed punks out of the house. However, Johnny is also suggested to be different from the other punks, as he agrees to leave without ruse or violent behaviour. This foreshadows his and Omar’s relationship, as he does not hold the same violently racist views as the other punks.
The scene cuts to show Omar doing the washing, which immediately suggests that there may be some lack of female presence, as he is fulfilling a stereotypically female role. A close up of a photograph of his mother is used; the camera lingers here momentarily before Omar steps into the frame and cover the photo. This indicates how he has taken over his mothers role in the household, he is shown doing the housework and caring for his father. There is much alluding to the possibility he is showing a false identity, not only through shouldering his dead mothers responsibility, but also through hiding his homosexuality. His father’s strong sense of belonging to Pakistani culture is displayed to the audience when his father suggests him to marry his cousin Tania, inter-family arranged marriages being very common in Pakistani culture. This displays his conflict with his surroundings, very British 1980’s London, where such an arrangement would not be typical of the culture. By agreeing to marry her, Omar further enforces his sense of belonging and responsibility to the family, and his fears of becoming an outcast.
The train is a dominant theme of the film, representing his mother who committed suicide and the loss of the family she left behind. It is a constant reminder for the family, and represents that massive impact it had on their lives and their inability to move on. It frequently goes past the house, and its proximity reveals how they feel unable to avoid the lack of a female presence, though it is not often mentioned in the film.
The views of society are also displayed through the differences between Omar and Johnny’s and Nasser and Rachel relationship. Though Nasser is having an affair with a white woman, he is open about it to other, even his wife knows, and though she is angry there is little shock or discrimination against them. This openness drastically contrasts with the secrecy in Omar and Johnny’s relationship, as if they were to reveal they were gay there would be much prejudice, outrage and even violence towards the couple.
Tania as a character also displays someone who is unsure of where she belongs, to such an extent that she decides to run away. She feels loyal to her Pakistani roots, as is displayed by her relationship with Omar. However, she also is attracted to the exciting, rebellious lives of the 80’s punks, and feels torn between the two. She is shown standing at the train station, and looks at her father through her uncles window when the train passes by with much speed. When the trains has passed she has disappeared, and the audience is left unknowing of what happened to her. This echoes the fate of Omar’s mother, and can imply that she too did not know where she belonged so took her own life.
The scene cuts to show Omar doing the washing, which immediately suggests that there may be some lack of female presence, as he is fulfilling a stereotypically female role. A close up of a photograph of his mother is used; the camera lingers here momentarily before Omar steps into the frame and cover the photo. This indicates how he has taken over his mothers role in the household, he is shown doing the housework and caring for his father. There is much alluding to the possibility he is showing a false identity, not only through shouldering his dead mothers responsibility, but also through hiding his homosexuality. His father’s strong sense of belonging to Pakistani culture is displayed to the audience when his father suggests him to marry his cousin Tania, inter-family arranged marriages being very common in Pakistani culture. This displays his conflict with his surroundings, very British 1980’s London, where such an arrangement would not be typical of the culture. By agreeing to marry her, Omar further enforces his sense of belonging and responsibility to the family, and his fears of becoming an outcast.
The train is a dominant theme of the film, representing his mother who committed suicide and the loss of the family she left behind. It is a constant reminder for the family, and represents that massive impact it had on their lives and their inability to move on. It frequently goes past the house, and its proximity reveals how they feel unable to avoid the lack of a female presence, though it is not often mentioned in the film.
The views of society are also displayed through the differences between Omar and Johnny’s and Nasser and Rachel relationship. Though Nasser is having an affair with a white woman, he is open about it to other, even his wife knows, and though she is angry there is little shock or discrimination against them. This openness drastically contrasts with the secrecy in Omar and Johnny’s relationship, as if they were to reveal they were gay there would be much prejudice, outrage and even violence towards the couple.
Tania as a character also displays someone who is unsure of where she belongs, to such an extent that she decides to run away. She feels loyal to her Pakistani roots, as is displayed by her relationship with Omar. However, she also is attracted to the exciting, rebellious lives of the 80’s punks, and feels torn between the two. She is shown standing at the train station, and looks at her father through her uncles window when the train passes by with much speed. When the trains has passed she has disappeared, and the audience is left unknowing of what happened to her. This echoes the fate of Omar’s mother, and can imply that she too did not know where she belonged so took her own life.
Tuesday 1 November 2011
Institution
'Micro-budget film is back with Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing'
Shot in just 12 days, on a break from filming 'The Avengers'
He has not revealed how much it took to make, but it has been said there were 'miniscule' pay cheques
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/oct/28/joss-whedon-much-ado-about-nothing
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