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.