Learner Response

Learner Response 

Significance- 3
Structure-4
Simplicity-4
Rehearsal-3 

Total=14

WWW:

• Narrative structure
• Representation of social class, Alienation 
• Gave examples
• Binary opposition 
• Race/class 
• Elite theory 
• Reference to other text, Hunger Games
• Excellent quote

EBI:

• Improve pace
• Improve timing 
• Avoid US
• Marxist theory 
• Link to contemporary society
• Link to genre  

Self assessment

What I learnt most about my presentation are the numerous ways that Elysium tied creating a sense of social realism. From my presentation, I've got that I need to gain knowledge on what 'contemporary society' really is as well relating it back to the genre of science fiction. I found the research from the websites especially helpful because of how all the different ways Elysium commented on society such as, class warfare and the elite theory.  

My presentation

Project Questions

Media Representations 

·                     Who is being represented? In what way? By whom?

The representation of women is interesting in this film because there are two women that are represented in two very different ways. The character named ‘Fray’ is represented as a traditional woman (dominant representation). This is done through her occupation as a nurse in the film and through her following the role as a carer because she nurses her daughter suffering leukaemia and the protagonist Max when he is wounded. The other woman secretary Delacourt, is the head of defence in Elysium. This is unconventional as women are generally linked to war and battle. Also, her character is ruthless and relentless as she shoots down 2 ships carrying citizens from Earth causing 46 casualties. Furthermore, she is the character that organises a revolution. Her character defies the expectation of women because she is so desensitised to death that she will murder at any cost for power. The protagonist Max, is represented as a man who was raised in the streets. This is seen through his appearance. He has a shaved head and tattoos all over his body. However, in the film he turns out to be a sacrifice because through his death, there is equality between the citizens of earth and the citizens of Elysium.       

·        Why is the subject being represented in this way?

Max is represented a man that has turned away from the life of crime but can’t fully escape from crime. By Max saving Earth shows how everyone is able to redeem themselves and that everyone is capable of changing the world. The character of Fray is represented as a traditional woman and she survives to live happily. This shows that woman that conform to the norm will survive to live happily. On the other hand, Secretary Delacourt dies in the film which gives the message that women who are defiant will be punished.   

·                     Is the representation fair and accurate?

This representation of Max being a man immersed in crime is fair because it shows that everyone is capable of redemption.

Media Languages and Forms 

·                     What are the denotative and connotative levels of meaning?

The space station being directly above earth, it connotes that the citizens on the station ‘Elysium’ have taken a God-like stature as by being above the Earth, it connotes how they are judging them. By the space station being named Elysium meaning a conception of the afterlife and a place where the Greek Gods dwell, it reinforces the connotation that the wealthy people living there have been elevated to being God-like.

·                     What is the significance of the text’s connotations?

The significance of this connotation is that it acts as a comment on how social class is viewed today. That there is only a small minority of people living in luxury and the majority are left fighting for survival.

·                     What are the non-verbal structures of meaning in the text (e.g. gesture, facial expression, positional communication, clothing, props etc)?

Positional communication is used to show how the people on Earth can never attain the life of luxury that the rich experience. The life of luxury is physically unattainable because it’s in the Earth’s atmosphere which shows a hopelessness for the people on who aren’t wealthy and are in the working class. Clothing is used to show the extreme poverty on Earth. Everyone on Earth is dressed in rags that are dirty which shows how they are lacking the commodity of clean clothes. This is in direct contrast to those living in Elysium. The people in Elysium are wearing pastel colours which connote life and luxury.  

·                     What is the significance of mise-en-scene/sets/settings?

The setting of Earth is shows how it’s decaying. The streets are filled with rubble and the houses are very primitive. Also, the colours brown and grey really demonstrate how Earth has turned into a desert of bleakness. Also, the setting of Earth is clearly shown to be overpopulated which would explain the extreme poverty and the lack of natural resources. However, the setting of Elysium is contrasting. The use of green, blue and yellow show how there is life and that things are growing. These colours connote the season of spring which is significant as it shows things are evolving and growing. Furthermore, there is a prominant use of the colour of white. This gives a sense of purity and perfection which further presents Elysium as ‘heaven’.

·                     What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text?

The contrast between how Elysium is presented and how Earth is presented is relevant to showing the reality of social class. Those who are wealthy have too much and are only getting richer. Also, it shows how the wealthy are living in their own bubble and have left the others just to survive. On the other hand Earth shows how there aren’t enough resources in order to survive. Also, as the inhabitants are kept in order by droids, it shows how they have no freedom, that they have been put into chains by the wealthy. Furthering this, as kids are getting ill it shows the suffering that is happening on Earth as it shows that parents can’t provide basic needs for their children.  

Narrative 

·                     How is the narrative organised and structured?

The narrative follows a linear structure being, introduction, rising action, climax then resolution. However, the film begins with a flash back to when Max, the protagonist, and Frey were children. 

·                     How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?

The audience is positioned as omniscient, watching both the hero and the villain. This allows the audience to know exactly what is going on. Also, it makes it clear what the hero and the villain are fighting for and makes it clear what the conflict is.

·                     How are characters delineated? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains created?

Secretary Delacourt is presented as a false hero. Her occupation in the narrative is head of defense. This shows how shes seen as good doing a honourable job but then she organises a coup as she wants to be the president of Elysium and is prepared to murder for that power. Max is the hero as he has the power to bring equality and does so defeating the villains who want the information so they can rule. There is also a dispatcher who is seen in the film because that Latino character sends him to steal the information to have the power to override the system. 

·                     What is the role of such features as sound, music, iconography, genre, mise-en-scene, editing etc within the narrative?

Towards the end where the hero and assassin are looking for each other, there is a use of diegetic sound of a siren growing increasingly louder to build the suspense of what’s going on. Furthermore, when the hero is sacrificing himself, the use of music being opera music it makes the scene more emotional and it really bring an aura of mourning. The iconography of the exo-suits, plasma guns and droids make it clear that this film is a science fiction and is based in the future. The genre of science fiction, gives realism to the film as its showing what the future would be like. Also the new age technology that is seen in the science fiction genre allows for there to the futuristic space station for the rich.   

·                     What are the major themes of the narrative? What values/ideologies does it embody?

In the narrative it comments of social class of modern day society. The narrative shows how the higher class is exalted and seen as higher beings than everyone else. Also how the working class are imprisoned by the rich. Also, that the rich live in this bubble of luxury and the rest are stuck fighting desperately for survival.

Genre 

·                     To which genre does the text belong?

This text belongs to the science fiction genre.

·                     What are the major generic conventions within the text?

The major conventions include the space shuttle and space crafts. The weapons such as the plasma guns and the exo-suits are generic conventions of the genre of sci-fi. Furthermore, the droids and the med bays really portray the future.

There is the theme of social class, this is seen through the separation between the rich and the rest with the Elysium space station. Also, there is also the theme of the representation of women. This is done through the character of Secretary Delacourt as she is represented differently to what is generally seen.

·                     To what extent are the characters generically determined?

·                     To what extent are the audience’s generic expectations of the text fulfilled or cheated by the text? Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically?

To an extent the audience’s expectation is fulfilled because the text does conform to the science fiction genre. This is done through the iconography for example the droids and the space shuttles. Furthermore, the film’s plot revolves around the space shuttle Elysium which shows how this text relies on being in the science fiction genre. 

Media Institutions 

·                     What is the institutional source of the text?

Media Rights Capital distributed this film and Sony Pictures bought the film who gave a $115 million as a production budget.

·                     In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?

Director, Neill Blomkamp stated that the film is a statement on the human condition. He added ‘This isn’t science fiction. This is today. This is now.’

·                     Is the source a public service or commercial institution? What difference does this make to the text?

This is a commercial institution. The difference it makes ultimately, the producers would want to produce a film that is impressive regarding special effects and has an interesting plot. This means that their personal ideology wouldn’t be a priority but producing a film that is profitable would be.

·                     Who owns and controls the institution concerned and does this matter?

·                     How has the text been distributed?

Sony originally intended to release the film at the end of 2012. Sony announced that the film would be reformatted for imax theatres so the films release date was pushed back to August 9 2013. The film was available on DVD and Blu Ray on December 17 2013.

Media Values and Ideology 

·                     What are the major values, ideologies and assumptions underpinning the text or naturalised within it?

A main value that is seen is how the lower class is exploited by the middle and upper classes. Also, the theory of alienation is seen in this film because those living in poverty in earth don't actually have an identity. Only those living in Elysium are given an identity so that they can access the new technology. Also, there is ideologies that are on lines of the "superior race". This is seen because those that are living in paradise in Elysium are all Caucasian and are from Western Europe. Those that live on Earth are the immigrants that survive on blue collar jobs.   

·                     What criteria have been used for selecting the content presented?

Media Audiences 

·                     To whom is the text addressed? What is the target audience? (Demographics, Psychographics)

The film isn’t gender specific as there is an even amount of characters between both genders. However, the genre that this film belongs to would make the audience more likely male. This is because the sci-fi genre is more appealing to the male audience. This film would appeal to mainstreamers because the director of the film is the director of a previously successful film District 9. Also this film would appeal to explorers as they would want to see someone’s vison for the future which this film provides.

·                     What assumptions about the audience’s characteristics are implicit within the text?

As the film is based in the future, an assumption that could be made is that, the audience would want to see how the Earth would be in the 22 century. It could be assumed that the audience would be visionary.

·                     What assumptions about the audience are implicit in the text’s scheduling or positioning?

Originally, the film was scheduled to be released at the end of 2012. This could possibly mean that it would be a film that are for working people. This is because at the end of the year, people would be off work because it would be Christmas. Another assumption that could be made is that it could be a film for teenagers as at the end of the year, they’d be on holiday off school.

·                     What do you know or can you assume about the likely size and constituency of the audience?

On the day of the release, it was number 1 grossing over $11 million. Also on the weekend it was number 1 grossing over $29 million. This shows how there was a large audience for the film.

·                     What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text?

A possible reading for this text is that women who don’t follow general expectation and are defiant will be punished. This is seen in the character of Secretary Delaware as she organises a coup and in the film she ends up being murdered by her own hitman.  Another possible reading is that, the wealthy are exploiting the working class. This seen as the workers in the film aren’t getting enough money to provide in order to fulfil their basic commodities. Furthermore, they are treated very poorly in the work place as the droids that are supervising them treat them inhumanly.   

·                     What are the audience pleasures, uses or gratifications?  (Refer to theory).

The main pleasure that this text provides is escapism. This is done through the plot being something that is relatable to majority of people. Being set in the 22^nd century it allows people to immerse themselves to how the standard of living would be like in the future. Also, with the audience being positioned as omniscient, it would make them form an identification with the hero as they would want there to be a resolution.  

Research

This clip consults how the film is trying to portray the third world trying to get into the first..

Theory

Karl Marx on class theory 

Social Class.

Social class (or simply "class"), as in a class society, is a set of concepts in the social sciences and political theory centered on models of social stratification in which people are grouped into a set of hierarchical social categories, the most common being the upper, middle, and lower classes. According to philosopher Karl Marx, "class" is determined entirely by one's relationship to the means of production, the classes in modern capitalist society being the "proletarians": those who work but do not own the means of production, the "bourgeoisie": those who invest and live off of the surplus generated by the former, and the aristocracy that has land as a means of production. Class consciousness is not simply an awareness of one's own class interest but is also a set of shared views regarding how society should be organized legally, culturally, socially and politically. These class relations are reproduced through time.

Consequence of Class position

A person's socioeconomic class has wide-ranging effects. It may determine the schools they are able to attend, the jobs open to them, who they may marry, and their treatment by police and the courts. A person's social class has a significant impact on their educational opportunities. Not only are upper-class parents able to send their children to exclusive schools that are perceived to be better, but in many places state-supported schools for children of the upper class are of a much higher quality than those the state provides for children of the lower classes. This lack of good schools is one factor that perpetuates the class divide across generations. A person's social class has a significant impact on their physical health, their ability to receive adequate medical care and nutrition, and their life expectancy. Lower-class people experience a wide array of health problems as a result of their economic status. They are unable to use health care as often, and when they do it is of lower quality, even though they generally tend to experience a much higher rate of health issues. Lower-class families have higher rates of infant mortality, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and disabling physical injuries. Additionally, poor people tend to work in much more hazardous conditions, yet generally have much less (if any) health insurance provided for them, as compared to middle and upper class workers. The conditions at a person's job vary greatly depending on class. Those in the upper-middle class and middle class enjoy greater freedoms in their occupations. They are usually more respected, enjoy more diversity, and are able to exhibit some authority. Those in lower classes tend to feel more alienated and have lower work satisfaction overall. Blue-collar workers are more apt to suffer alienating, often routine, work with obvious physical health hazards, injury, and even death.

Class conflict

Class conflict, frequently referred to as "class warfare" or "class struggle," is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests and desires between people of different classes. For Marx, the history of class society was a history of class conflict. He pointed to the successful rise of the bourgeoisie, and the necessity of revolutionary violence—a heightened form of class conflict—in securing the bourgeoisie rights that supported the capitalist economy. Marx believed that the exploitation and poverty inherent in capitalism were a pre-existing form of class conflict. Marx believed that wage labourers would need to revolt to bring about a more equitable distribution of wealth and political power.

Relationship between race and class

 Particular races or ethnic groups in some societies are legally or customarily restricted to occupying particular class positions. Which ethnicities are considered as belonging to high or low classes varies from society to society. In modern societies strict legal links between ethnicity and class have been drawn, such as in apartheid, the caste system in Africa.

Elite Theory

The theory posits that a small minority, consisting of members of the economic elite and policy-planning networks, holds the most power and that this power is independent of a state's democratic elections process.

 The aristocratic version of this theory is the classical elite theory which is based on two ideas:

1.     Power lies in position of authority in key economic and political institutions.

2.     The psychological difference that sets elites apart is that they have personal resources, for instance intelligence and skills, and a vested interest in the government; while the rest are incompetent and do not have the capabilities of governing themselves, the elite are resourceful and will strive to make the government work. For in reality, the elite have the most to lose in a failed government.

Mosca emphasized the sociological and personal characteristics of elites. He said elites are an organized minority and that the masses are an unorganized majority. The ruling class is composed of the ruling elite and the sub-elites. He divides the world into two groups:

1.     Ruling class

2.     Class that is ruled

Mosca asserts that elites have intellectual, moral, and material superiority that is highly esteemed and influential.

Theory of Alienation

The theoretic basis of alienation, within the capitalist mode of production, is that the worker invariably loses the ability to determine his or her life and destiny, when deprived of the right to think (conceive) of himself as the director of his actions; to determine the character of said actions; to define relationships with other people; and to own the things and use the value of the goods and services, produced with his or her labour. Although the worker is an autonomous, self-realised human being, as an economic entity, he or she is directed to goals and diverted to activities that are dictated by the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production, in order to extract from the worker the maximum amount of surplus value, in the course of business competition among industrialists.

Film Reviews

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/22/elysium-review  - 'frustratingly, there's little or nothing about Elysium itself, and the emphasis is more on Max's gruesome battle with Kruger (Sharlto Copley), a sinister operative employed by Delacourt.' 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10258064/Elysium-review.html - 'Not only has mankind built a heaven in hell’s despair; they’ve privatised it.'
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/film-review-elysium--not-quite-the-best-of-both-worlds-8780994.html - ' this plot is at the same time too busy and too simple; there are too many characters but too little characterisation'
Articles
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10244979/Neill-Blomkamp-interview-Elysium-isnt-science-fiction.-Its-now.html - This article expresses how director Neil Blomkamp feels that the entire film is an allegory. He feels that the issues seen throughout the film for example issues regarding health care, immigration, economic disparities and environmental decay are issues that are present to this day.  
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/17/elysium-neill-bloomkamp-interview - This interview talks about how Neil Blomkamp feels as though that the only way to change a persons thinking and prejudices, we'd have to develop a technology that will do it for us. He further says 'We are literally genetically coded to preserve life, procreate and get food – and that's not gonna change. The question is whether you can somehow overpower certain parts of that mammalian DNA and try to give some of your money out, try to take your wealth and pour it out for the rest of the planet.'
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/17301 - This film is said to be an allegory for class warfare. 'The pay gap between American CEOs and workers has grown by 1,000% in the last 63 years (data from Bloomberg, April 2013).' This article also expresses that capitalism should be replaced by socialism to equality and real change. 

Online Comments

https://solidarity-us.org/node/3962- 'Elysium is an excellent modern day fantasy epic. It represents what is likely the best political standpoint possible in a $90 million dollar Hollywood blockbuster.' This comment informs the reader Elysium is linked to social conflict and also talks about issues that are regarding the working class. Writer 'Jase Short' says that this science fiction is a working class fantasy. 

http://thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2013/08/24/film-review-elysium-dystopia-and-class-conflict/ - This comment talks about Elysium tackling class conflict. Also this comment has subtitles 'Dystopia of Neglect vs Dystopia of Control' 'Revolution vs Reform' and also talks about advances of technology. "In many dystopian narratives, technology itself becomes the antagonist."

http://www.etonline.com/movies/136994_Elysium_Los_Angeles_Premiere_Cast_on_Film_s_Social_Issues/ - 
This article says that although the film is set 141 years into the future, writer, producer, and director Neill Blomkamp says the events and themes of the film are not futuristic by any means; they are now. " the film doesn't impose any issues upon the viewer, but rather it's critics who are choosing to focus on the social issues."

Books

Social Class, How does it work? - Annette Lareau, 2008