Phillip Root
Midterm
Film 301/319
3/25/09
Looking in a Mirror Made of Film
Prompt 1.
Within, “Blade Runner”, (Ridley Scott, June 25, 1982, United States), and “A Clockwork Orange” (Stanley Kubrick, February 13, 1972, United Kingdom), both challenge humanities’ perceptions of humanity by explaining the hypocrisy of the label. Gender is one such hypocrisy seen within each film by determining the view of what our society perceives the specific topic. Such instances of sexual differences are shown throughout these films, thus examining how human and non-human are constituted as human through sexual means, and by doing so, mirroring our world’s perspective of what humanity is in those means.
In, Blade Runner, gender is touched upon by the use of Androids known as Replicants, who serve human beings in conquering off-world colonies. Both women Replicants who escaped his duty were used in combat, yet what is brought up in the film is how the female replicants are used to men’s needs specifically. The character of Pris is constituted as being a sexual object for the crew of the off world expeditions, and this creates a reflection of how society views women as objects, rather than competent human beings with opinions and thoughts. How this is supported is through the other female replicant Zhora, whose specialty consisted of combat, yet as soon as she returns to earth in hiding, her only occupation is being an erotic dancer. Logic puts together that even though she has no information or identify in human terms, her gender is enough to still be perceived as a sexual object.
Society’s viewpoint of how women are objects are also realized in, A Clockwork Orange, which also follows this characterization of gender. Multiple instances in the film display how women are objects, starting in the beginning sequence of the Milk Bar. Alex and his clan of criminal Droogs, sit in a bar served with drug-induced milk, and are surrounded by statues of women exposed and used as furniture. Alex is known as the non-human entity of the film by his sheer madness and sexual exploits, which correlate with his surrounding, consisting of degrading women in the bar.
Mirroring our desires, Alex shows the extreme nature of male superiority supported by what he calls, “ultra- violence”. In these acts, Alex takes advantage of women through rape without consent, and taking away the rights of the female. An example occurs when Alex and his Droogs invade the home of the Alexander’s and brutally rape Mrs. Alexander in front of Frank Alexander. Taking away all rights and power of the women, we witness the revolting representation of how women rights are taken advantage due to their physical aspects.
Historical context gives significance to these ideals of gender, by looking at the past of the social perception of women’s roles in society. Being that the fifties and sixties established the women’s roles as housekeepers and sheppards of children, a false and narrow perception of what a women was able to achieve was made. Superiority of the male was seen as being commanding to the household as the provider to the family, and through this image, gave an unfair inferiority of women. Both films showed how women are still degraded and through the reflection of the replicants and women of fantasy by Alex.
This concept of societies perception of women is thus challenged by each of these films’ character’s by also giving power to women in different regards. For, Blade Runner, Pris plays innocence of a child, establishing her femininity, but that does not encompass her. She is intriguing and smart, which reflects the rising feminist moment in the seventies, which preceded the making of the film in 1982. Her power of understanding the situations of escape and survival without a male counterpart shows the individual strength of independent women. Though she has her relationship with a male replicant named Roy Batty, she does not depend on him, but rather helps Roy Batty achieve his goals of reaching his maker, Tyrell, through her intelligence.
When Alex decides to continue his violent tirade against a health farm director, he finds the challenge to gender role by the embodiment of the, “cat lady”, who runs the farm. Instead of being taken advantage, she confronts Alex’s desires and shows dominance, which correlates with the empowerment of a woman. This action brings justice to Alex by putting him into prison and gives punishment to his ludicrous actions. This display of power gave a voice for the female majority by visually exhibiting the strength of a woman in times of gender repression and degradation.
Each picture paints a different shade of what women have been characterized as, and with each film commenting on gender, the divide becomes evident. The harsh reality of gender classification is shown in horrible lights, yet is shown through main characters that have either have no soul, or a tortured one. These examples give the public an understanding of our bias towards gender and let us reflect upon the injustices we face everyday, and with this information give a route to take to pursue a brighter future.
Prompt 2.
In, Blade Runner, and A Clockwork Orange, ethnicity and racial difference are touched upon and delve deeper into humanity. From Roy Batty’s Aryan supremacy to that of the British government’s attempts to reform Alex, the films look beneath the outer shell to discover startling truths. The concept of what life should be and how to accomplish the goal of normality gives the viewer an understanding of our structures that have been built in our society and the motives used to maintain the status quo, even when they in fact destroy what humanity is.
The character of Alex in, A Clockwork Orange, is young man obsessed with violence, sex, and Beethoven, and for these excessive traits is looked as inhuman. Ethnicity plays a major part in the film, by trying to reform Alex to fit into society yet raping him of his human identity. This is done by a process called the, Ludovico Technique, which exposes the patient to violent images, supplied with a serum to invoke feelings of displeasure. Alex’s nature is changed, but by the standards of keeping the ethnicity of a near future Britain composed. Even though it was successful, the technique took away the essential piece of life, that being choice in his actions and morality.
Race becomes an issue as well in the film, “Blade Runner”, by examining the Aryan philosophy of perfection. Roy Batty symbolizes this example by being physically demanding and excelled beyond his counterparts, yet is ingrained with the imperfections of humanity. Imperfections that are the expiration of his life in three years, thus correlating with his quest for an extension of life, and by pursuing this goal shows the high expectations of a higher being. This superiority complex fits the Aryan label, by determining that the actions of Roy Batty are beyond the label of a replicant. Furthermore through the creation of Batty, the underlying message of humanity grasping for Godlike qualities in reproduction are exposed. As Judith Kerman put it in, “Retrofitting Blade Runner”.
“If human culture creates artificial life, does such life deserve to be embedded in the same ethical discourse which we apply to naturally-evolved life, and especially human life?” (4)
This quote brings up ethnicity and race which correspond with the nature in which each of the characters in the films represent a non-human entity created by their societies. With Alex, the world is unstructured and violent, and thus creates the entity he is. From his reformation society discovers that though his desires are evil by their morality, they are essential to humanity. As I.Q. Hunter put it in, “British Science Fiction Cinema”, “…science and humanity are incompatible.” (3)
With Roy Batty, his fate given to him by his maker, Tyrell, is found to fit society’s mold of life and death. Reason being that life is short and to understand the beauty it contains, one must come to terms with its brevity. Human and non-human resolution in these films give the viewer a greater appreciation of what life entails, by bringing up topics such as sex, life, morals, and anger. These subjects let the public look towards what in our society needs to change; yet also allows for the public to understand our humanity, and through this examination brings enlightenment.
Works Cited
1. Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Harrison Ford. Warner Brothers, 1982.
2. A Clockwork Orange. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Malcolm Mcdowell. Warner Brothers, 1971.
3. Hunter, I.Q. British science fiction cinema. Routledge, 1999.
4. Kerman, Judith B. Retrofitting Blade Runner Issues in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? New York: Popular P 3, 1997.
