Sexuality in Films - Assignment Example

Course: Tutor: Name: Date: Sexuality in films Section A : Dog’s Day Afternoon and The Children’s Hour Q 5. The relationship between gender, age, class and sexuality in the two films In the ‘The Children’s Hour’ there is a vivid illustration of age, gender and class being brought together with sexuality by the main characters. Mary Tilford, a student in one of the schools run by two elderly women named Karen and Martha brings about havoc into their lives. The fact that Mary is a student shows that she is younger than Karen and Martha. Similarly, Mary’s grandmother helped the two proprietors of the school to establish it hence the two must be older than Mary (Billington, 2). Consequently, these four characters including Mary’s grandmother are female and at some point their gender is used as a weapon to get what they want. Mary uses gender to incriminate her two teachers by spreading gossip to all that Martha and Karen have been involved in a homosexual relationship. This is not replicated in heterosexual relationships as Karen and her fiancé Joe break up when news of the relationship between Martha and Karen becomes public. Martha sums up her love for Karen as follows, “It's there. I don't know how, I don't know why. But I did love you. I do love you. I resented your marriage; maybe because I wanted you” (Ernest and Bertram, 5). The attribute of class in the play is demonstrated by the gap between the rich and the poor especially when justice is being sought by the two women entrepreneurs. For instance, Mary’s friends who come from affluent backgrounds are easily convinced to make false stories against Martha and Karen. Consequently, those who are in need, for instance Rosalie who spends time with Mary and her grandmother when she is withdrawn from school fall into a class of their own where their vulnerability makes them easy target for malicious actions. Mary blackmails Rosalie when it becomes apparent that Rosalie has to spend some few days with Mary and her family. This vulnerability is made worse by the fact that Rosalie is a woman who is known to follow rules (Billington, 4). The main characters in ‘Dog’s Day Afternoon’ are all men except for Sonny’s legal wife Angie. From the play, it is apparent that Sonny has another ‘wife’, who is not really a woman but a man is sufficient evidence to call Sonny a homosexual. The age of these characters is portrayed as men in their late thirties and early forties and the economic class of these robbers Sonny, Sal and the accomplice are all first time criminals hence indicating that this trio had been through tough economic times (Blair,1). Therefore, bank robbery proved to be the last resort where they could get money to meet their needs. For instance, Sonny’s ‘wife’ Leon wanted to undergo a sex change operation but Sonny could not afford it. Consequently, these young men belonging to the low class social group as Leon says, “I couldn’t explain why I did the things I did. So I went to this psychiatrist who explained to me I was a woman in a mans body. So Sonny right away wanted to get me money for a sex change operation: but where was he to get that? 2500 dollars! My God, he is in hock up to his ears already (Pierson, 10”). However, unlike ‘The Children Hour’ where school children dominate a greater part of the initial stages of the play, ‘Dog’s Day Afternoon’ has most of its characters being adults throughout the play hence the sexual issues being defined in each play differ based on the characters (Blair,1). For instance, in ‘The Children’s Hour’ there is no mention of complete families with children hence the normal family made of a father, mother and children is excluded from the play. However, in ‘Dog’s Day Afternoon’ Sonny is depicted as being in possession of a family that is a wife and children though there is more to the family than what meets the eye (Blair,3). Sexuality has been shown to be related to age, gender and class in the two plays as illustrated by the characters in the plays. Consequently, couples who are engaged in homosexual relationships have been noted to try to break away from such unions though the result is tragic in both plays. Hence it would be outright to note that characters who find themselves in homosexual relations are embarrassed of their sexual orientation thus the urge to cut ties with their partner. Section B Q2. Topography of sexuality as shot in the film ‘A Single Man; The first instance when the viewer encounters sexuality in the play ‘A Single Man’, the main character George Falconer relives memories of a homosexual relationship he enjoyed with his partner Jim who was killed by a car accident. George sees Jim’s body in his dream one night after eight months since the car accident. This is a heterotopic setting where one develops images of an individual they were sexually attracted to in private. Consequently, shortly after this dream, George undertakes his daily activities as a college professor full of vivid memories of his gay relationship with Jim. These thoughts are private hence the topography of the sexuality is hidden from the public (Rabin pp 5). In the dream, George is all alone when he approaches the wrecked car after which he lies side by side with Jim. This memory reminds him of a time when the two lovers were picnicking on a mountain top and they enjoyed each other’s company. The secluded atmosphere makes it easier for George and Jim to exchange romantic thoughts without having to worry about their sexuality being discovered (Mojo pp 1). Charley, a close friend to George makes a phone call to George which leads to the two meeting for dinner in the evening. Usually telephone calls are discreet and even though George receives the call while at work, he only gets to meet Charley after working hours. This postpones the setting of sexuality from the workplace to a more secret place far from the students who would provide a public audience for such a meeting. The evening is not fully utilized at the dancing floor at a restaurant, because at some point George and Charley move to George’s house for more drinks (Rabin pp 7). The other topography that is used to shoot sexuality in the film is the emotional detachment portrayed by George when he is spending time with Charley. This is because George is not attracted to Charley in any way but he keeps on sliding back to memories of Jim hence paying no attention to Charley’s romantic moves. Similarly, George decides to keep his sexuality a secret such that he never at any times indulges Charley into the gender he would prefer to fall in love with (Mojo pp 9). Prior to meeting Charley for drinks when they decided to go out, George had been approached by a male student whose interests were not limited to academic queries. Based on the nature of looks the student passes on to George in addition to the posture adopted by the student, it is apparent that his motives were not academic but sexual. This student, Kenny secretly follows George and Charley to dinner before making his way to George’s home where he spends the night. This topography is primarily institutional as the first contact between George and Kenny is at college before changing the sexuality setting to private when they get home late into the night (Rabin pp 7). The city is a common setting for sexuality in the play ‘A Single Man’ as the events that unfold in George’s life is localized in the urban regions. The encounter with the male prostitute occurs in the city as rarely do you find male prostitutes in rural areas. However, George does not reveal his sexual orientation to anyone not even close friends but they somehow get to unravel this well guarded secret and he gets more attention than before from individuals of the same sex. For instance, Kenny is able to read the professor’s intent to commit suicide hence he uses it as an opportunity to make sexual passes to the professor (Mojo pp 9). Towards the end of the film, George finds himself surrounded by more men than women so that his secret is finally out and it is apparent that he is gay. This could have been as a result of realizing that he would never find another man with the same sexual orientation who would love him as Jim did hence he never saw any reason as to why he should be alive (Rabin pp 8). However, this is different when he spots a male sex worker, “Carlos: No one has ever picked me up and not wanted something. George: I think you picked me up. This is kind of a serious day for me. Carlos: Come on. What could be so serious for a guy like you? George: I'm just trying to get over an old love I guess” (Ford, 12). Carlos: My mother says that lovers are like buses. You just have to wait a little while and another one comes along. In conclusion, the play ‘A Single Man’ has its sexuality being shot in private places far from the public. Consequently, in most instances, the illustrations of sexuality are engraved in the main character’s mind hence they remain his secrets throughout the play. Works Cited Billington Michael. The Children’s Hour-Review. The Guardian February 10, 2011 Blair, Cynthia. Dog Day Afternoon" Filmed in Brooklyn". Newsday. September 30, 2007 Mojo. A single man’s review. Retrieved on 27th October 2011 from http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=singleman.htm Rabin Nathan. A single man. Retrieved on 27th October 2011 from http://www.avclub.com/articles/a-single-man,36227/. Read More