Browsing by Author "Gagiano, Vicki"

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    An analysis of narratology in mainstream film through the application of gender equity critical assessment
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Gagiano, Vicki; Oppelt, Riaan; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of English.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gender inequity in the Hollywood film industry highlights the importance of continued feminist filmdiscourse development and analysis. Female representation in film is also assessed through popular media tests in cyberfeminism such as the Bechdel Test as a measurable method of revealing gender inequity. The power dynamics between male and female protagonists result in hierarchical power plays which affect the agency of a female character’s arc. The development of the Revised Mako Mori Test as an alternative popular media test shows the power distribution of the character arc of female characters in film. The analysis of three science fiction female characters namely Mako Mori (Pacific Rim 2013), Imperator Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road 2015), and Ellen Ripley (Aliens 1983), illustrated the impact of a strong narrative arc. The Revised Mako Mori Test indicated that, through the close proximity of a female character’s arc to the narrative arc of the film, her agency is advanced. A strong female protagonist acts as a driving force of a film’s narrative arc if her character arc is continuously developed with consideration of the film’s plot. The Revised Mako Mori Test shows the relevance of assessing the character arc of a female protagonist and how it impacts on female representation in film.