Post Colonialism
Paul Gilroy
Post Colonialism is how history affected media and its representation of specific groups of people. Because of the end of colonialism by World war 2, British or European people in general started to lose their influence. As a result they try to portray themselves in the best light possible within the media but at the same time, portraying 'other' groups as inferior, mysterious and uncivilized. This effects what audience thinks, making them feel as if the Europeans are more powerful and better.
Example
Conform:
The final? and latest addition for the Iconic spy and secret agent for the British Intelligence Service or M16, James Bond. Following up with the Post Colonialism theory, This movie is the perfect definition or representation of what a British man should be.
Proper, Highly intelligent and skilled , independent as well as a notorious womanizer. A perfect Masculine Icon. The Entire James Bond trilogy had always shared this these traits as a whole and there is a specific reason for that. As mentioned before, James Bond in the Movies has British Nationality and serves a British Intelligence agency. On top of that, all the plots of the film has something to do with Britain.
Of course, the British would show Bond is the best light so an audience watching would portray Him as a good guy, This why all of His actions are deemed as noble and just, even when it means killing hundreds of people as result. The problems Bond has to deal with is also very dangerous, most even world ending ones, which emphases his skilled problem solving abilities very much. Because of Bond, Audiences after finishing the films, might feel like the British are such good guys, always so noble in the cause, so skilled in fighting and Preventing world disasters. When in reality that isn't very true.
Subvert:
Set up during the American War of Independence , The Patriot talks about Mel Gibson, A farmer from South Carolina who had took up arms to fight against the British, as a result of them killing His son.
The British for the entirety of the film is portrayed as war criminals and blood thirsty sadists who runs an evil empire that needed to be defeated and destroyed. In many scenes, the British is straight up shown to do despicable acts, such as putting innocent women and children into a Church and burning them alive, Historically such action has never been done by the British, yet it didn't matter as the whole point of the film was to put Britain to blame for the suffering that the American people had to endure for the entire war.
Mel Gibson and His men on the other hand are depicted as heroes, fighting bravely against the British with a noble and just cause , doing what they could to survive and of course at the end of the day winning against them. British Red coats which are historically very organized, trained and disciplined are comparatively shown in equal footing as Star Wars Stormtrooper, clumsy, can't aim and out smarted in every way.
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