4: Implicit and Explicit Ideologies in Film

Ideology is defined as "The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture". To pertain this definition to film suggests that the body of ideas is the piece of cinema that can influence an audience's perception of reality:"ideological considerations allow us to begin to understand the relationship between film texts and their cultural contexts" (Turner, 1998 p.171). Implicit ideologies is defined as "implied though not plainly expressed". Implicit ideologies, therefore, are underlying ideas that require the audience to be active viewers to interpret them fully. Explicit is defined "stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt". Explicit ideologies are more transparent ideas through imagery or character attire for example. Implicit and explicit ideologies in film are identifiable in many aspects of a textual analysis of a film including narrative, characters, setting.

Duncan Jones' film "Moon" (2009) is a Sci-fi Thriller that showcases implicit and explicit ideologies. The title is a enigma to the viewer in which the subject matter of the film cannot be guessed so easily. Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is a lonely Lunar Industries employee stationed on the Moon with his helpful robot Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey). His time as an employee is coming to its end after three years of transporting fuel to Earth whilst maintaining his space station. He desperately wants to see his wife and child who send him constant images and video trying to communicate with Sam. This develops Sam's longing for community and social interaction. He applies himself to a miniature model of his community back on Earth and waters/talks to plants which implicitly denotes his desperation for interaction of a human kind. 

This film deals with rebirth as Sam meets a clone of himself during his time on the Moon. Every three years his body suddenly becomes ill and worn out to the point that he dies. This occurrence is on a never ending cycle as the viewer finds out. It connotes the idea of his employers playing God in determining when a human being should die and then wake up or be reborn as a clone. Moreover, it is technology that has taken over as God by manufacturing clones situated under the station. The director plays with the ideology of life as a man-made process instead of Biological Science. Sam finally leaves the Moon by working together with his cloned self and Gerty to hide in a delivery capsule heading for Earth. In this  final scene the suggestion of the cycle breaking connotes that the human has fought against the oppression of the corporation and that Sam has challenged God by changing his own fate. It could implicitly state the ideology of religion's dying grasp on society.        

      
 American History X (1998) directed by Tony Kaye contains explicit ideologies through character representation and narrative. Derek Vinyard (Norton) and Daniel "Danny" Vinyard (Furlong) are the main characters. The "movie starts with a scene beach setting, forecasting a recurrent theme in the movie. The water is a metaphor for the cleansing of hate" (terribleone, 2008). They both go through changes in lifestyle and personality throughout the film where hate is the underlying emotion. Derek gets put into prison and befriends an African American inmate. His outlook on life changes thereafter to such a state that he ostracizes himself from the Nazi movement. Brutal images of Derek being raped by Nazi members represents that one's race can turn against their own kind without a second thought. Furthermore, it conveys Derek as the outcast from his own race. He is viewed by the audience in a compassionate manner and eventually becomes an unlikely hero when setting a good example for Danny. Danny is a typical young and innovative thinker that is exposed to a bigoted society of America. Subsequently, he is influenced into joining the movement to the dismay of his brother Derek. 

Education and the justice system has helped both characters become socially acceptable beings. Teacher's condemning Danny's school essay 'Adolf Hitler - a great civil rights leader' helped change his outlook on society. Both aspects are pivotal in eradicating ignorance and controlling a dangerous individual. Social aspirations to achieve substantial learning as a stepping stone to better understanding of other cultures and what is right and wrong.         

Both characters are always clashing in ideologies of what is right and wrong. Right being the equality of all cultures and wrong coinciding with hateful or oppressive attitudes towards minorities in America. Constant flashbacks such as the dinner scene involve Derek and Danny's father being the voice of reason. The father contrives a sense of lack of equality between white and black people. A social need and aspiration is to be equal with all members of society irrespective of cultural background. His police badge connotes a overpowering handle of the law that he could oppress any individual into submission.       
  

White characters in this film are represented as the villains of society. Binary oppositions of white and black are always in conflict throughout the movie. The race fueled attacks on African and Asian-American shop workers by Nazi members portrays themselves as barbaric and evil. Minorities are described as the victims of the piece. These oppositions reflect reality unfortunately as there are racist organizations still active in the present day. Kaye tries to exploit the crimes of the skin-head gangs by condemning them and this is what the audience perceive to be the desire reading of the film. Even though the character Danny changed into a better person there are always going to be hatred to his past as he gets murdered in the final scene. Trying to escape from your past is challenged by the director in this final scene.

 

        


Links to all video clips mentioned above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQTJUfqNJts (Moon, 2009)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXaZENPQrsw (American History X, 1998)

References

TURNER,G., 1998. Film as Social Practice [online] London: Routledge. 

Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AxvhnqFtA0EC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false [Accessed 10 April 2013]

STUDY MODE - INSPIRING BETTER GRADES, 1997. Online Education Database. [online] America: Study Mode - Inspiring Better Grades. Available from: http://www.studymode.com/essays/American-History-x-Analysis-134905.html [Accessed 10 April 2013]