Before taking this course i didn't know what media theories were. While I knew about a lot of them, I did not realize these concepts had names and extensive research behind them. One that comes to mind off Binary Opposition theory. Strauss argues that we experience life through this lens very often. This is opposites taking place, like good vs evil or birth vs death. Many including my past self, do not think deeply enough to understand these are common trends among many films. In fact, these are not just limited to multimedia, they are commonly seen in literature as well.
The reason why i wish to integrate this theory is because this is what mystery is all about. There is always a good vs bad because the plot is all about resolving an issue. Integrating this theory within the first 2 minutes will be a big part of our discussion. These types of plot are what make films exciting. They create a conflict and keep the audience engaged. I don't know about you, but movies with a un-sloved challenge are what keep me entertained.
When researching this topic, I learned a lot about the psychology of this theory. The peer reviewed scholarly article sustaining high validity, written by Iskakbekovna and Rezhepovich, says opposite concepts are used to give meaning and to reality and its properties in everyday areas of human life. This is very true. It gives meaning and allows us to compare and contrast. Oftentimes, when you think of one, you think of another. For example, when you think of rich, you think of poor. When you think of good, you think about bad. It gives a comparison.
However, no theory is a theory without critizism post-structualist argue that although they may seem harmless and just a concept to improve media work, this goes far deeper than that. As previously mentioned in my last blog, the way the media portrays these concepts is vital to shaping the ideology of our society. Misrepresentation often leads to negative sterotypes often leading to one term governing the other. Another criticism is that this can be far too deterministic and unrepresentative. Oftentimes these concepts can be exagerated and there is no middle ground. They can be on 2 oppsoites which leads to inaccurate representations.
There are many suubtopics and productions that go along with this theory. Below are some binary opposites and movies that match this theory. My team and I will study these movies and take away some key details to maximize the potential of this film.
Man vs Man- The Dark Knight — Batman vs. the Joker
Man vs Nature- Jaws — humans vs. a great white shark
Man vs Self- A Beautiful Mind — battling mental illness
Man vs Society- The Hunger Games — Katniss vs. the Capitol
Man vs Supernatural- Ghostbusters — humans vs. ghosts
Man vs Time- Logan — hero getting old running out of time
For this film opening, I plan on incorperating man vs man to my film opening. This is also a good vs evil theme, which is commonly seen amongst successful mystery films. This also minimizes misrepresentation and minimizes the criticism since good and bad have a set meaning, and there is no arguing what good and bad is.
References:
Iskakbekovna, S. G., & Rezhepovich, B. S. (2023). Binary oppositions as a method of conceptualization: A case of Codex Cumanicus. International Journal of Society, Culture & Language, 11(3), 1–15. https://www.ijscl.com/article_707457_5e8285dcbe4aae2f3aa860770a390a16.pdf
Media Studies. (n.d.). Binary opposition. https://media-studies.com/binary-opposition/
Miss Archer. (2013, May 29). Narrative – Levi‑Strauss and binary opposites. https://missarcher.weebly.com/narrative---levi-strauss/narrative-levi-strauss-and-binary-opposites
Saibel. (2009, April 12). Good vs Evil. https://www.deviantart.com/saibel/art/Good-vs-Evil-119019506
No comments:
Post a Comment