Representation is the term given to describe the final image, which has been recorded and then processed to depict a real or fictional subject in a media form. Women have changed over the years to catch up with modern audiences by changing their appearance the way they dress the way they behave their personality how they act in the actual film for example in Snow White she is always shown doing the house work cooking cleaning that’s about it really. In Mulan although her parents want her to get married and settle down she doesn’t want to she is kind of girl who is up for an adventure this would never be allowed in Snow Whites time.
The word stereotype is meant by characters that are fixed and customary ideas that we grow to accept as being normal. Snow White (1937) The two scenes that we discussed in Snow White were the’ Good verse evil’ and the ending where the ‘prince saves her’, but first I am going to briefly explain on want Snow White is about. Disney’s first full-length animated masterpiece features all the elements of a classic fairy tale a beautiful young, pretty, virginal heroine, an evil queen, Prince Charming and a septet of whistling dwarfs.
In hiding from her jealous and wicked stepmother who wants to kill her because she is the most fairest of them all and not her, the fair Snow White takes refuge with a band of kind-hearted, hard-working dwarves: Bashful, Sneezy, Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Dopey and Doc. Eventually the vain queen finds Snow White she discises her self as and old women who is selling apples and tricks her into eating a poisoned apple. Luckily, a wandering prince comes to her rescue with one kiss the spell is broken and Snow White lives happily ever after.
In the first scene that I am going to discuss Snow White is shown singing love and romantic songs and baking a pie, the weather is nice and sunny with birds singing Snow Whites expectations are that one day her prince will come and marry her and they would live happily ever after this is a typical ending of a Disney film. When the witch is shown (Another typical Disney character she is always destroyed) there is all of a sudden a shadow that casts over Snow Whites face through the window and makes her jump and from romantic songs the music turns to dramatic and fast music to suite the witch and you can hear the withes evil laugh.
The witch is wearing a along black hooded cloak, wrinkly skin, evil laugh, hunched back, long fingers with spots growing on them, long finger nails this description suites a stereotype character especially the evil character Snow White is dressed in a long dress with rouge lip stick and red cheeks with pale skin she is tall and very attractive as in all Disney films this is important for the female character to look perfect.
The witch tells Snow White that they are wishing apples so Snow White takes the apple and wishes that one day her prince will come and take her away by now the animals have gone to call the dwarfs. As soon as Snow White is about to take a bite the camera closes up near the mouth and the music starts to get louder and louder as soon as she clasps the witch runs out of the cottage the dwarfs get there and chase her with help from the animals deer’s birds squirrels etc it is raining heavily with thundering and lightening and as the dwarfs chase her she falls off a rock a dies and the animals that represent her are vultures evil like her, were as Snow White has animals that are friendly.
In the second scene that I am going to discuss is when Snow White is in her coffin with flowers surrounding her she looks really sweet and innocent in her coffin all the dwarfs are all around her with there hats off showing their respect to her as she was like a mother to them. The music in this scene is very emotional and classical and romantic. The scene is very romantic as well when the prince comes on his lovely white horse and starts singing classical songs in a high-pitched voice he comes near her and takes of his hat sits besides her and lifts the glass lid up and kisses her red lips as soon as he dose this she wakes up all the dwarfs look up and begin to smile the prince lifts her up and carries her to the horse now the music changes to lively joyful happy music totally the opposite than before now the dwarfs and animals are dancing in happiness in this scene Snow Whites wish finally come true her prince comes and safes her and they live happily ever after in real life we all know this is hardly ever the case so Snow White stays in the house and dose the house work because she is sure that one day a handsome prince will come marry her.
Mulan (1998) The second film that I am going to discuss is Mulan and the two scenes are the ‘Visit to the matchmaker’ and when she’ Disguises her self into a man’, but first I am going to tell you a little bit about the film well basically Mulans and family want he to get married and settle down that’s why they send her to the matchmaker so she can judge if she can do the basic things that her in laws will expect her to do and to impress the matchmaker but Mulan failed to do this. In ancient China the empire is in danger! The ruthless Huns threaten to take over the beloved country. One man from each family is ordered to join the army and fight. Young Mulan can’t bear to see her aging father go to war. She disguises herself as a man and bravely takes her father’s place in the imperial army. There she meets Shang u.
But a sword alone doesn’t make a warrior. And sometimes, even having a well-meaning dragon for a friend isn’t enough! Only by staying true to her heart will Mulan blossom into a skilled soldier and bring victory to her nation and honour to her family she falls in love with Shang u and lives happily ever after. In the first scene that I am going to discuss Mulan has to get ready to visit the matchmaker but is late, when she does arrive she has to have a bath choose a dress put her make up on and her family want her to bring honour to them to impress the matchmaker this is showing that in the Chinese culture is important for a women to look perfect all the time this is what there husbands would expect from them. At the matchmakers Mulan is tested on how to pour the tea this also important that a women can cook clean and look after the house, but Mulans visit is unsuccessful.
Before the visit Mulan has to look her best she is wearing a long dress white powder on her face red lipstick jewellery and she is given a cricket for good look. In the second scene Mulan can’t bear her father to go war in such a condition so she decides to go instead in the middle of the night Mulan first of all she goes to the ancestors to ask for guidance the music at this point is really affective its really loud and its got a lot of beat to it and its really fast. At this point Mulan puts on fathers armour on and uses the sword to chop off her hair to about shoulder length the camera angles are very close up an the music makes the scene stand out I really like this scene this scene is probably the best one. Mulan disguises her self as a man by cutting her hair, learning how to walk like a man, changing her voice, learning how to talk like man.
In Snow Whites time women were never aloud to get away with what Mulan does in Mulans time it wasn’t acceptable either but she was let off differences between Mulan and Snow White are that Snow White enjoys doing housework and cooking were as Mulan doesn’t, also the way they dress are different in Snow Whites time women wouldn’t have worn trousers only dresses Mulan wears both trousers and dresses Mulan looks different she only wears make-up when she visits the matchmaker wear as Snow White has it on all the time. There cultures are also very different Mulan comes from a Chinese background and Snow White probably comes from a Christian background. Mulan is a clumsy and a forgetful character that acts like a kid she is more active and out going, Snow White is more mature and is more of and indoor person who enjoys housework.
The similarities are that they both have to get their men and there is a typical ending they live happily ever after. Conclusion Disney are showing in all there films that it is important for a women to get a man and live happily ever after but of course this is not true. I think the changes Disney films have made over time to women roles has reflected on how society has changed by the way women behave and dress differently Disney has kept up to date with that.
