Representation of ideologies in films

Turner (1993, p.131) states that “The film-maker uses representational conventions and repertoires available within the culture in order to make something fresh, but familiar, new but generic, individual but representative.” Therefore, film can be seen to a certain degree as a `reflection` of reality and, furthermore, a `reflection` of the dominant believes and values of the culture in which it exists, its ideology.

Hess (1978, p.14) describes ideology as “a relatively systematic body of ideas, attitudes, values, and perceptions, as well as, actual modes of thinking (usually unconscious) typical of a given class or group of people in a specific time and place.” However, Turner (1993, p.133) suggests that there is no clear definition of the word ideology, “The term `ideology` is itself continually being redefined, contested, and explored within all areas of cultural theory.”

The first movie that will be analyzed with regard to the ideologies expressed explicitly and implicitly is Bee Movie (2007). By analyzing its narrative structure, and the discourses employed it will be demonstrated that Bee Movie (2007) reinforces the system of beliefs of America. 

"BARRY: SO YOU`LL JUST WORK US TO DEATH?

TRUDY: WE`LL SURE TRY!"

The movie starts by presenting the main character, a bee-Barry B. Benson, in his day of graduation. The powerful image of the working class as victims is being constructed throughout the movie. The first important scene is when at the graduation ceremony, the `dean bee` says: “That concludes our graduation ceremony and begins your career at Honex industries.” In addition, the bee in charge of presenting the job options available, Trudy, states “You have worked all your whole life to get to the point where you can work your whole life.” This shows that hegemonic systems are inevitable, controlling and determining. Adam Flayman: “It’s a lot of choices but you only get one!”

The main character is the representative of any individual that has the desire to act against the system in which the population is trapped. Berry B. Benson: “Yellow-black, yellow-black, yellow-black, yellow-black... Oh, black and yellow. Yeah, let's shake it up a little.” Ryan and Kellner (1990, p.109) describes that the “desire to overcome the limited life possibilities which capitalism bestows on its bottom rung is generally limited to individualist forms, which tend to reinforce the founding values and the legitimating ideology of the class system.”

The movie presents a rigidly hierarchized physical environment in which the population lives. Furthermore, the intensely industrialized honey factory can signify the fact that workers are being sacrificed to the machines.

In addition, the power of masses is shown in the process of suing the human race, accused of stealing the honey from the bees. With regard to that, the human race is portrayed as greedy, abusing the nature, having as an excuse the fact that human are entitled to do that. Layton T. Montgomery (the human lawyer): “it's our divine right to benefit from the bounty of nature that God has provided us. (…)” Furthermore, the power of the masses is represented as a real threat for the entire world.

Other values and beliefs present in the movie are the typical family, loyalty to the community members, the forbidden love between individuals from different races, the class classification, the American Dream, the feeling of shame to “speak out”, the commodification of society-Barry. B. Benson: “This sweater is Ralph Lauren”, the disposable of working class individuals, sexuality comments-Barry B. Benson: “This is your queen? That's a guy in women's clothes! That's a drag queen!”, religious comments etc. 

The second movie to be analyzed is The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980).

The movie is constructed on the difference between the wild world and the civilized world, with both criticizing and celebrating the civilized world ideology. The wild man is presented as black, primitive, a bushman, but living in the world where there is, as the narrator says, “No crime, no punishment, no violence, no laws, no police, judges, rulers or bosses.” On the other side, civilized man is described to have “refused to adapt himself to his environment; instead, he adapted his environment to suit him.”

The hegemonic system of the civilized man is ironically introduced by the narrator saying that “Monday and 7:30 comes up, you have to dis-adapt from your domestic surroundings and re-adapt yourself to an entirely different environment.”

Furthermore, the commodification of the civilized world is presented when a bottle of Coke “falls from the sky” in the wild life. If for the civilized man this is part of the every day choices, for the wild man is something strange, the narrator describing it as “the most beautiful thing that they have ever seen.” 

In addition, the bottle of coke, which is so much appreciated by the people living in the wild, is a classic symbol of America. However, this symbol brings with it the sense of property, and plenty of emotions like anger, violence and jealousy. Because of this, Xi, the leader of the group living in the wild decides to go on the mission to throw it of the edge of the world, in which he encounters Western civilization for the first time in his life.

Some of the most important signs in the film are the white ideology, when Xi things that white people are Gods, the racial politics, the concept of “Other”, the power of control of the government, the fact that people are being trapped between walls etc.

Reference List

• Hess, J. (1978). Film and ideology. Jump cut: A review of contemporary media. 17, p.14-16. 
• Ryan and Kellner (1990). Camera politica. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. p.109. 
• Turner (1993). Film as social practice. 2nd ed. London: Routledge.  p.131-133 
• IMDb, 2007. Bee Movie. [online]. IMDb. Available from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389790/. [Accessed 9 April 2012].
• IMDb, 1980. The gods must be crazy. [online]. IMDb. Available from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080801/. [Accessed 11 April 2012].