Critical Investigation Task #4

Essay Plan- Critical Investigation

Q: To what extent are on-screen Hollywood villains, such as ‘The Dark Knight’s 'Joker', having an impact on the audience?

Introduction:

• A brief description of my text- The Dark Knight Trilogy as one of the most successful film series of all time. Money references (box office), comic book institution (DC), and the influence of the Joker. 
• why I am arguing this question- the controversy that the film has developed over the years, reference the James Bulger case and show the 'possible' link between the two texts
• hypothesis for the end of the essay- what I want the end of the essay to show, the outcome (possible)

Section 1 (P1): Back story of the actor and his encounters with psychopathic behaviour. Introduces the other actors who have played the same role and their effects

• DC's influence to create the Joker (the man who laughed)
• the rise of the controversy (mainly about Heath Ledger)
• police evidence (notebook, hotel lockings)
• other actors who played the role and their effects of playing the character (Jared Leto)

Section 2 (P2): *Hypodermic Needle Model reference

• The impact that the film had on audience members/critics.
• appraisal as one of the best performances ever
• Give an example of the 'James Bulger' case and the media reaction to it
• The sense of moral panics towards such content and films

Section 3 (P3): MIGRAIN Analysis (reference the textual analysis of the two Joker scenes).

Media Language (Posters, clothing, props, make-up)-

The above image was the first teaser at the Joker's visual side of the new Dark Knight movie. As you can see from first glance, it doesn't look like it is anywhere in relation to a Batman movie, rather a new horror movie. This poster gives off the impression of a horror film, everything from the anonymous blurry effect to the make-up of a clown gives off the impression of all things horror. If this poster didn't come with a Dark Knight title, audience members (such as myself) would have led to believe that this was a teaser for an upcoming horror movie just strictly based off of its visual style and effects. 

Institutions (Censorship, Box office record)-

• Box office success with each film (in the trilogy)
• draw links between the films (which was the most successful? why?)
• off screen violence

Genre (Argue the representation of the superhero genre, moral panics for the future of child films)-

• Parents misinterpretation of the genre to be 'kidy' and associated with children
• the dark theme makes the mainstream think otherwise
• people re-think the future of superhero movies (dark, gritty?)
• moral panics due to the rise of dark themed superhero movies (children influence)

Representation (representation of women in Dark Knight Rises, and criminals)-

• women's passive[ness] is reinforced
• women seen as 'objects'a man's toy
• damsel in distress is reinforced (batman saving Rachel)
• woman to be the only one to have affairs with men (using men)
• the poor portrayal of criminals- societies real view of them
• the reality of how they are treated (by the public)

Audiences (Audience theories)-

• Audience impact when watching the film
• critic reviews
• the James Bulger case
• hypodermic needle model theory and the media's negative portrayal of cinema
• creation of moral panics

Ideologies (Audience opinion and perception towards the content/film)-

• the positive reviews that people (including fans) gave the film
• the tension that the character builds through-out the film

Narrative (How has the selected scene tried to convey and narrative and what form of narrative it trying to be shown)

• narrative through the characters voice (Jokers scar stories)
• linear narrative
• chaos

Section 4 (P4): Introduce the historical text (1960's Batman). Show the change in the time periods (Zeitgist) etc as well as the differences in the texts overall. Form a focus on the Joker and how he is portrayed. Reference other texts (small section), preferably Black Mass (2015).

• how the historical text version of batman has changed over the years
• fit for the current audience and pleasures at the time (camp, comedic, slap-stick)
• the different portrayal of the Joker and the differences between the 1960's and the current version
• Other films such as Black Mass, and how they convey a similar dark/psychopathic portrayal to the audience

Section 5 (P5): Overall conclusion whether or not, is there a form of link towards content viewed on screen and to the consumers who take in this information. *Can be for or against the question.

• Although it may not prove 100% that audience members are effected by what they see, there is an extent to where they feel influenced, or even emotionally connected to what they have viewed and is something they will not forget.