Power

 Understanding who holds the power and who is powerless helps to reveal the cultural context in texts.

In my comparative course I studied the movie ‘Pride’ directed by Matthew Warchus. 

To an extent, I agree with the statement that understanding who holds power and who is powerless helps to reveal the cultural context in texts. All the problems the main characters faced throughout the entirety of the film was ultimately due to power, and we can evidently see how power impacts the society the world of the text creates. But we soon begin to understand that everyone has the power to change the world we live in. 

 The film takes place throughout the years of 1984 and 1985, where Margaret Thatcher is in power. Society in the text’s world discriminates against anyone who involves themselves in the LGBT community. This causes the community to believe that power is being away from them as they understand that they seemingly don’t have the right to express themselves. We see this clearly at the beginning the of the text when Joe, the main character, goes to his first ever Pride March. He looks reluctant to take part as he is afraid of what people will think of him. A group of men standing at the side of the march throw a can in Joe’s direction, causing him to fall straight into the crowd. Soon after, a woman and her child walked past Joe as he stood on the sidewalk and muttered the word “disgusting”. Joe replied in agreement, yet deep down knowing that this is not how he really feels. This presents the readers with a clear image of someone who feels as if they hold all the power, and someone who feels as if they are completely powerless. The group of men and the woman believe that they are the ones who hold all the power within this scenario, just because they are agreeing with and following what Thatcher believes. This helps the audience to reveal the text’s cultural context. 

Once again we understand who, in the text, holds the power and who is powerless in the key moment where Joe finally leaves his family and his home. Before this intense confrontation occurred, Joe was on the journey of a lifetime. Whilst being in Wales helping the mining community, he encountered many wise people and he learned a lot about himself as an individual. He realised that he should never feel as if he must hide his true identity. If the people he surrounds himself with truly loved him, they will acccept himself for who he really is. The LGSM of course do and always will accept him, and because of this Joe becomes a strong and powerful young man. He knows that he can no longer live with his family as they do not accept his lifestyle. Society is manipulated to believe that LGBT+ behaviour was to be shunned upon. These views all came down to the person who obtains the power, which is Margaret Thatcher. Like thousands of others, Joe’s parents publicly agree with Thatcher’s views, so that they can ‘fit in’ to society. But by doing this, they are neglecting their only son and tearing their family apart. This key moment clearly gives the readers a strong insight into the cultural context of the text as we see how people who believe they obtain obtain power can influence society’s beliefs. 

 Before befriending and cofounding LGSM, Joe felt that there was nothing he could do in order to change the way of society. He felt powerless. But his view soon changed when he met Mark and all of the others who were involved in LGSM, as it is because of them that he could finally express himself for who he truly is. Here the audience is represented with a group of strong human beings who are fighting against the people who are in power. They have a voice in the world, which, during the time of the world of the text ,many people tended not to use, but instead hide it away. By using their voice and expressing their views, they are causing a great impact on society. When a group of people join forces and fight for what they believe in, they receive the power to make a change in the world we live in. This statement is evident towards the end of the text, where the LGSM is taking part in the Pride March of 1985. They were going to be marching at the very back of the large crowd, until thousands of minors arrived in support of the LGSM, and the LGBT+ community in general. The minors and the gay community joined together and soured through the streets of London with pride and strength. The LGBT+’s constant battle of fighting for their rights gave them the power to eventually change society’s view of them as people. In our world today, society is much more acceptive of the gay community, and people are comfortable with expressing their true identity.  

These topics most certainly help to reveal the text’s cultural context. This is because we understand not only who society believes holds the power, but we also understand that with a lot of hard work, people have the power to change the way society is perceived. 

Theme of Relationships in the film Pride

Question Two
"In many texts, a theme or issue may not be resolved to the complete satisfaction of the reader"
In the film 'Pride' by Matthew Warchus, the theme of relationships is prevalent throughout. However, this theme takes on different forms in each of the central character's lives. One of the types of relationships is friendships. We are given an example of this in Mark and Mike's friendship. They are both the founding members of LGSM and have grown close due to their continued campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights. Although this friendship suffers on the night of the 'Pits and Perverts' Concert, following a strange run-in with his previous partner Tim on the stairway out of a bar. Mark is told by Tim that he is on a ‘farewell tour’ and that he should take care of himself before kissing him and returning to his friends. Mark is left feeling weary and overwhelmed after this brief meeting with Tim and the viewers are shown a close up of an AIDS poster on the wall. Mark pushes the thought out of his mind and leaves for Wales to make the council meeting in time. However, this meeting has been pushed forward to 12 pm unknown to the LGSM. They do not make the meeting in time and are left to make the journey from Wales back to London alone. Still upset about missing the meeting Mark storms out of the bookshop. Mike chases after Mark asking 'what should we do now' and Mark sharply remarks 'do you think for once you could stop following me around like a spaniel'. Mike is left standing on the sidewalk, speechless and staring after Mark. This is a catalyst for the decline of their friendship. Mark abandons the group temporarily after the LGSM are disassociated from the mining community and severs all communication with any of the members. When Joe sees Mark for the first time in weeks after leaving the house we are shown the extent of the toil this has taken on Mark as he is distant and cruel to Joe and tells him to 'have some pride because life is short' this is hinting to readers that Mark is infected with the virus. Mark goes so far as to pin a badge onto Joe's sweater that states 'I am discretely gay. Mark is dressed in dark clothing somewhat representative of Mark’s mental state at this time. Succeeding this conversation, Joe is pushed to leave his family in order to assume his true identity.  The theme of relationships is resolved when nearing the end of the text, Mark returns to the group leaving his previous worries and anger behind and pleads to be forgiven by the group, in particular by Mike. Although their friendship suffers, Mike easily forgives Mark and the problem is resolved between the two. This theme of relationships is resolved in this aspect and they are able to move past this. Returning to the Gay Pride March which a year prior had kickstarted the founding of the group LGSM.
In the text, there are different types of relationships. The next type is romantic relationships. We're shown glimpses of romantic relationships through the characters Mark and Jonathan and Gethin. The text begins and we're transported into a messy apartment, we see Mark in a flat after a casual one night stand from the previous night. A nameless stranger appears behind Joe saying he 'I left my number just in case' It appears this relationship is mainly physical rather than emotional. Mark prefers a non-committal relationship. However, in contrast to this Jonathan and Gethin are partners. This relationship is emotional as well as physical as we see they care for each other. We're shown this near the end of the text when Gethin is approached and beaten by thugs, trying to collect money for the LGSM. Gethin is transported to the hospital for treatment for the injuries he sustained. We see this emotional side to Gethin when he asks Sian to look after Jonathan revealing to the readers that Jonathan is HIV positive. Telling Sian to 'make sure he eats his fruit and vegetables'. 
Lastly, the final relationship is family relationships. We are shown two types of romance in the text. The first relationship we will look at is Gethin and his mum. In the text, we're shown how Gethin's coming out to his family and the negative reaction from his mother, in particular, has prevented him from returning to Wales these past years. However, this conflict between Gethin and his mother has been resolved, as we see Gethin who returns to Wales after 16 years, face his own fears and drives back to his home to see his mother once again. From this it clear that his mother has finally accepted him for sexuality. We see his mother later when she comes to visit Gethin after he has been beaten by thugs and is in hospital. It's clear from those two scenes that the aspect of familial love is apparent. The relationship between Gethin and his mum is a foil to Joe and his mother’s relationship. We see another type of relationship between Joe and his mum. This relationship is strained however and it's based on lies. When his mother discovers Joe is gay she persuades him that life is not worth living as a gay man and that it's not legal for Joe to be gay. She even lies to Joe when Steph visits. This relationship falls apart when Joe returns in the vibrant LGSM van to the look of wonder and disapproval from the neighbors as he revealed his secret to the neighborhood. Joe's mother is infuriated and demands Sian to remove the van from the property. Joe takes the decision into his own hands after being prompted by Mark and leaves his family hoping one day they will accept him for who he is rather than pretending to be something he is not. Although the theme of relationships is resolved for Gethin and his mother, this does not appear to be the case between Joe and his mother. In conclusion, the theme of relationships is resolved to the satisfaction to the reader except for the relationship between Joe and his mother. The movie ends and the readers are left speculating as to what happened after the Gay Pride March 1985. We can only hope that Joe takes notes from Gethin's book and return to his family when they are more accepting. It was clear that it was a tough choice for Joe to make to leave them but, it was the right choice in order to live his life, free from societal pressures and opinions.

Skillful use of literary technique in a text.

QUESTION: "Studying a selection of texts helps to highlight how some authors can make more skilful use of the same literary technique than others."

                     Choose one literary technique, common to one text on your comparative course, and compare how skilful the different authors are in using this literary technique in these texts.  Support your answer by reference to the texts.

                          Most great movies or texts have one thing in common- they use great literary techniques throughout.  Pride uses techniques like motifs, great camera shots and angles and symbolism but uses none more skilfully than music, which is optimised throughout to highlight key moments of importance in the film.  Music can influence the soul and stir our unconscious in a way different to how any visual can and Pride takes full advantage of this. 

               The movie starts with the song "Solidarity Forever", which along with shots of the protests gives the audience immediate context for when the movies set.  While music is used more for atmospheric purposes in later scenes of the movie this is used purely for its lyrics, the song says "Solidarity forever... for the union makes us strong!".  From the start, the theme of unity and friendship that's highlighted through the movie is skilfully woven into the very first thing we hear.  The song "Solidarity Forever" also reoccurs a few times at various different points in the text and using it from the start is a small but skilful use of foreshadowing. 

                When the LGSM support group visit Onllwyn in Wales for the first time, they are met with a mixture of caution and sometimes hostility.  However, the directors skilful use of music in the very next scene, highlights it in the context of the whole movie.  The scene starts with Jonathan, dancing among the ladies of the town to the song "Karma Chameleon", which instantly fits in with the theme of being yourself and not just trying to fit in and camouflage to your surroundings (like a chameleon).  After hearing that the men of the village do not dance, he decides to give them a lesson. He goes to the band and tells them to play the song "Shame, Shame, Shame"- the name itself (which is included in most of the songs lyrics) instantly contrasts to the very name of the movie-"Pride"- and is skilfully woven into the theme of being proud of being yourself and is the exact opposite of what Jonathan is doing- expressing himself for exactly who he is.  The way the director uses music to not only give a great atmosphere to a scene but tie in the lyrics to very important themes in the text highlights his skilful use of literary technique. Moreover, after Jonathan was dancing for a while, the score is added to the background of the the otherwise repetitive song that is “shame, shame, shame”, giving it more shape and allowing the song to build and build into the glorious finale of “brass glory” (in  director Matthew Warchuss’ words) behind the close up image of Jonathan dancing in slow motion. The score invokes emotion and a sense of momentous importance and is the magical, brilliant side to what’s achieved in the scene. 

                The next time LGSM go to Onllwyn, the mining town looks bleaker than ever, funds are slipping and hope looks all but lost. However after a brief speech by Mark to the people of the town in the working men’s club, the directors skilful use of music again raises spirits and adds substance to the text. A lone voice rings out in the hall, one of a young woman singing the song "Bread and Roses".  This song has its roots deep in history, originating from early twentieth century America where the phrase "The worker must have bread, but she must have roses too," was used as political slogan, "Bread" being the physical needs for life and "Roses" being the spiritual.  The songs opening lyrics in the text, sang acapella, are "As we go marching, marching, in the beauty of the day, a million darkened kitchens a thousand mill lofts gray,"- this refers to women leaving the kitchens and mill lofts, traditional places women would work, to strike and protest.  Again, the director is skilful in his use of music he picked, to always keep it relevant to major topics found in the film, like the 

Moments of Crisis

In the movie 'Pride' directed by Matthew Warchus, many different techniques are used to heighten the impact of crisis during the film. There are a few moments of note that involve a sense of impactful crisis during the film. In this piece I will go over the techniques used by the director to heighten the impact of these crisis.

A moment of crisis for one of our main characters Joe occurs when his family find out that he has been away working with the L.G.S.M and has been lying about going to college. The moment of crisis begins with Joe walking home at dawn. The use of pathetic fallacy in this scene sets up the mood for what is about to occur. Crisis is about to ensue and with it the 'dawn' of a new chapter in Joe's life. The pathetic fallacy used by the director heightens the tension that has been building surrounding Joe's new and controversial life with the L.G.S.M. And as if the floodgates have opened upon Joe, his mother and father let loose on him with rage and anger. A truly masterful technique used in this crisis scene. This crisis is shot with a panning shot that is blurred to the viewer. The cameras movement excellently paints the scene to the viewer the catastrophe that Joe is undergoing. The blur is in effect blocking out the obscenities being shouted at Joe and the wrath of his parents. The camerawork is an excellent technique which gives the viewer an increased sense of the crisis that is going on in the text.
Another moment of crisis occurs for the characters in the text when the council meeting is rescheduled for an earlier time. The L.G.S.M and the ladies of the town were scheduled be back in Dulais for the 2 o clock meeting and fight for the continued support of funding for the miners. However, as the meeting was moved to an earlier time they were not present to aid in the fight for continued support for the L.G.S.M. The remaining men in the village such as Cliff crumble the pressure and responsibility of defending the L.G.S.M and their work. They become the laughing stock of the meeting. The day itself is a dark, dreary and miserable day. This is seen in the weather and in the mood of the characters alike. The director once again using pathetic fallacy here to heighten our understanding. The support of the L.G.S.M has crashed and burned in this crisis that has occurred. The similarity between the weather conditions and the mood of the characters is clear. An excellent technique used once again that heightened our understanding of the crisis being felt.
A moment of crisis felt by Mark during the film occurs after the 'Pits and Perverts' concert when he encounters one of his ex-lovers Tim. The lighting used here is very dark and you can feel that something more serious is in the air. Tim tells mark he is a beautiful human and kisses him. There is a tone of love and regret in his voice. We find out that he is on his 'farewell tour' or in other words he is dying and won't be around for much longer. We can assume that this is because of HIV that he has contracted. The connection between Mark and Tim is strong and we empathise with both characters as they share a sad moment between each other. The lighting here is dark and less colourful than in the previous scene. The darkness here is a sudden change from the atmosphere that we had seen in the concert just before. As a result, as a viewer we can understand that this scene has more serious meaning, and within it lies a crisis for Mark. In effect, the change of the lighting in this scene heightened our understanding of the crisis that Mark would suffer in the scene.

Matthew Warchus created a text with many moments of crisis. It is the techniques such as the lighting, use of pathetic fallacy and the movement of the camera shots that heightened our overall understanding of the crisis that was being felt. ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆▪▪▪▪▪☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Happy and Successful

“Aspects of cultural context affect the extent to which a character can be happy or successful within the world of a text” 

Identify a central character in each in each of three texts on your comparative course. Compare the aspect of the cultural context in each of these texts that, in your opinion, most affects the extent to which your chosen characters are happy or successful. You may refer to the same or different aspects of cultural context in each of your chosen texts. Support your answer with reference to the texts 

The film that I have studied is ‘Pride’ by Matthew Warchus. Joe is a central character in which I believe that the aspects of cultural context affect the extent to which he can be happy or successful within the world of 'Pride'. Joe is a closeted gay male living with his middle-class parents in suburban England. The high rank of his parents with the ''perfect family'' image that they must obtain effects the extent in which Joe can be truly happy and successful. This film is set in 1980s Th
atcher rule England, in this world being gay is not yet completely accepted by all. We see at the start of the text when Joe goes to the Pride march that he wants to be able to be happy and successful in the gay community but is afraid of being seen and judged. His body language is shy and jittery, his eyes are constantly darting around in fear of being  seen as Mike hands him a bucket within the heart of the crowd. Joe travels a long way to see the Pride March but can't be happy and because if the paranoia he has of being spotted. The embarrassment and fear that Joe has of being caught at a gay pride march is a prime example of how the cultural context of the world within this piece prevents him from fully being happy and successful.

It is clear when Joe becomes apart of LGSM (in a world where is he fully accepted for all he is) he beings to be happy and immensely successful! Here, Joe is fully happy and gains such impeccable confidence that we see develop throughout the course of the film. The world of LGSM waters the seeds of Joe until he blooms into a happy and successful flower. 

Before he joined LGSM, Joe was in a baking course in college to become a Chef. He was unhappy and obviously doing it for the happiness and pride of his parents and not because he had a passion for it. However, when he was true to himself with LGSM we discover that he is an amazing photographer/publicist. Here, he is doing something that makes him happy and he is incredibly successful at doing it. During the 'Pits and Perverts' charity event Joe took charge and was secure in who he was. An incredible development in character is noticeable here as Joe becomes an outspoken leader instead of a quiet follower. He goes from timid Joe who was taking orders to confident Joe who was giving orders. We see a sparkle in his eyes and happiness radiating from his face as he was in his element. This is the perfect example that nothing makes you happier or more successful than when you are able to express yourself for who you really are. The cultural context of this film didn't allow Joe to accept that he was gay in the fear that his family would find out. However, he was lucky enough to locate a group of people who could not care less about what other people thought. Joe was truly fortunate to find a group of gay and lesbian people who were happy and successful because they had some pride and didn't surcome to the limits of the narrow-minded cultural context of 1980s Thatcher rule England!

The cultural context of the text 'Pride' that I have studied, didnt allow my favourite  central character, Joe to even accept himself for who he was. As a result of this he was unhappy and miserable. However, LGSM allowed him to be himself and have pride in the fact that he was a 20 year old gay boy! As a beautiful result of this Joe becomes a very happy and successful person with a new wave of confidence. 
When Joe finally left home openly at his sisters baby christening, almost a year after he joined the LGSM, it is nostalgic to think of the wild and strengthening journey that he had been on. He was even confident enough to explain to his snobby sister that her permed hairstyle was horrendous and never suited her and husband was a "dick"! Joe comes alive here. He is happy. He had nothing to hide and nobody to fear in contrast to the beginning of the film when he was paranoid to be seen at the march. The idiotic cultural context of his world didn't stop him from being happy nor successful because he took Mark's advice and stopped running. He stood tall and had some pride! This made him develop, grow and bloom into a successful and happy gay boy as he was accepted in all his colours!

Idealistic/Realistic Impressions of a theme

Some texts leave readers with a largely idealistic impression of a theme or issue,while others leave readers with a more realistic or believable impression of the same theme or issue. With reference to the above statement,compare the impressions of the same theme or issue you formed when studying "Pride" on your comparative course. Support your answer by reference to the text.

Relationships are a key theme in the text "Pride". "Pride" deals with both idealistic impressions of relationships as well as more believable ones .There is a very obvious contrast between the relationships Joe discovers in LGSM and the relationships he has with his parents at home.

LGSM is the most obvious example of an idealistic relationship in the text especially joes 


So you have only just started this answer and it's important that you continue to develop your ideas and to use colours as you write....

... these comments were recorded via speech to text technology so may not use correct punctuation or spelling.