Xmas Task #3

HISTORICAL TEXT ANALYSIS & RESEARCH

- Mind Your Language - 1977
British comedy Tv series about multicultural students in Britain.

- Goodness gracious me -Peter sellars (Song/ Radio)

- Goodness gracious me - tv series (Showing Stereotypical ideologies of Indians)

- Bend it Like Beckham 2002
Film on about an indian girl, who is in love with football, and David Beckham, aspiring to be like him, although her religion and gender plays a wildcard as it doesnt make it easy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsmbObwStSQ - Film Trailer





Textual Analysis
The trailer is constructed very well, as it shows clearly how different ''Jess Bhamra'' (Parminder Nagra) really is compared to typical indian girls, ''who can cook aloo gobi''.
As the trailer begins by showing her family at her sisters wedding, showing the traditional side to Indians celebrating a wedding, Along with commentary explaining what INDIANS WANT, he then goes to say ''jess bhamra wants something more'' as the trailer moves onto her playing football in the park with boys and skilling them up, along with a flash to a scene of david beckham with the ball, trying to connote a similarity in playing styles. Jess is fouled, and then the screen immidiatly changes to her mum walking into her room and jess turining off the tv, which could show that she was just dreaming. Then in a conversation with her father, he says 'you must start behaving like a proper woman'' - Indicating that football is not for women More precisly Indian women, which is a bold statement to make. follwed by a scene showing her sister meeting her friends in a shop, and they over exaterate how women should act, and you can see how jess looks like the odd one out.
The next scene after shows her mum cooking/teaching her how to cook aloo gobi, and jess in the background trying to do keepy upies with the gobi. with her mum speaking, saying that she was married by her age, bringing in the historical view of indian girls should marry young.
There is then a montage of footballing clips followed by an immediate change to a club scene, in where jess actually looks like a girl, as she is dressed up and dancing.
There is another montage of short clips after, before there is text on the screen along with the commentary about ''fitting in''. which is what the film is about in some respects. Another onscreen text ''standing out''. with a final text which cleverly uses the footballing term ''Bending''
with the words ''all the rules''
The final clip somes up the films values and what its showing as its a clip of Mrs Bhamra (jess's mum) in a football studio with pundits who say ''You must be very proud of you daughter'' and her response in anger is negative as she replys by stating she is not happy her Indian daughter is running around kicking a ball, showing her legs, and that they shouldnt encourage her.

• How society has changed over the years and how these changes are reflected in different media texts?

- Society hasnt seemed to have changed much, even with the breakthrough of Slumdog Millionaire.
- There is still the steretypical representation of South Asians in Hollywood, as they are in predictable roles.

• how popular culture reflects the 'spirit of the age' or zeitgeist?

- How is it similar/different to your text?
Bend it like Beckham is similar to my text as its Main Character is South Asian. Both Are about the main characters struggle to break through and find happiness.

- How does this show how the genre/society has changed?
The argument is that society hasn't changed enough, if it has, and it needs to be more acceptance of South Asian Actors.