Finding Ourselves On Screen - page 14 - Our Countries in Cinema - page 16 - In Search of Onscreen Representation

In Search of Onscreen Representation

On-screen representation within film and TV has a very distinctive meaning to me.

My housemates in my second year of university loved to put on the TV show Friends as background noise, whenever we had lazy days around the house. In their immediate reactions whenever we discussed which character was who, I was already labelled as Phoebe Buffay. To me, Phoebe is such an endearing character and has the ability to express herself in any way, and that is quite accepting particularly to us as an audience because that is who she is as a person. Throughout the seasons, you gain a sense of familiarity with her.

She has iconic one liners from “Oh no” to lines that make no sense, such as “They don’t know that we know they know we know”. She embraces herself as being weird, and grabs it with all her strength. I see myself in her, as being a one-of-a-kind, happy-golucky person who doesn’t take life too seriously. I also struggled for most of my life, to try and fit myself into a category- as I feel like I am not a typical ‘girly girl’. I like to get stuck in and be clumsy in the meantime, but I enjoy being completely ‘Meg’- which is the same for Phoebe’s character.

You never know what will come out of her mouth, and that is what makes the TV series so addictive and exciting to watch as a viewer.

I feel like Lady Bird resonates with me too, alongside the two main protagonists in Booksmart. They have such eccentric styles, which again, is used to show them as ‘different’. Saoirse Ronan plays the character of the eccentric Christine, a.k.a ‘Lady Bird’, who explores relationships in a very heartfelt way.

The female leads in Booksmart are Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as Molly and Amy respectively, following them as they are about to graduate high school. The extremely relatable feelings and expectations surrounding what it is like to be a teenager about to experience adulthood, is manifested through funny, yet realistic attempts to party and shows intimate depth during this period of time that is so pivotal to one’s growth. This warm nostalgia through the friendships that are being presented on-screen, to the joys and harsh realities of rejection, and having to figure things out on your own- that is what onscreen representation feels like to me; performances of characters that haven’t got it all figured out, and are still learning and growing through their mistakes.

It is also great for women to take on these big roles as female leads as there have been far fewer opportunities for women and minority groups, such as the BAME community, to play different characters and exert their unique identities into roles onscreen. The woman has often been the girlfriend or the wife of the lead character, and this devalues the female performance, as they are more likely to fade into the background.

An article from Forbes showed that having diverse roles is super important for your identity and health, as well as your well-being. This includes exposure to different archetypes within film and TV, particularly to characters that exhibit much more normal behaviour, and not all that perfect glamour we are so used to seeing be portrayed. These are the types of women that seem to have the ‘perfect’ job, boyfriend/friends and lifestyle.

Watching TV and film when you grow up has an effect on your outlook on life. I feel it is so important to feel like you are represented onscreen as the main character who has to tackle obstacles but is also fully authentic - I believe that it creates a nurturing experience.

Words by: Megan Evans Design by: Isabel Brewster

“WHAT’S IN THE NAME?”:

THE FICTIONAL STARS OF THE MUSIC WORLD

Romeo is Bleeding by Tom Waits

Words by: Paulina Wisniewska

Tom Waits’ ‘Romeo is Bleeding’ is a gripping portrait of a 1950s LA gang member - bleeding to death after avenging his brother’s murder, but refusing to ask for help. Its jazz swing orchestration combined with Waits’ raspy boom and a subtle bass groove instantly throws the listener into the seedy midnight back streets of Waits’ imagination, where we meet our sordid hero. Romeo is painted as a classic West Side Story style bad boy, leaning against the hood of his car smoking a cigarette and throwing bottles at passing trucks. Waits displays his masterful storytelling in this track. His guttural rasp is electric as the voice of Romeo. Additionally, he cleverly uses the song’s background characters to elevate the hero’s image - for instance, with the comical description of each gang member reaching for their pack of cigarettes when Romeo asks for one.

His conclusion of the story leaves the listener unable to feel anything but sympathy and respect for Romeo, who dies ‘without a whimper; Like every heroes dream; Like an angel with a bullet; And Cagney on the screen’. A powerful saxophone improvisation drives the song towards its end as Waits seems to express concern for his own character, repeating ‘Romeo is bleeding, hey man’. The song spans less than 5 minutes in total and yet the character of Romeo is one that is entirely refined, imaginative, and unforgettable.

Suzanne by Leonard Cohen

Words by: Leona Grace Franke

Originally published as a poem in 1966 and recorded in 1967, Leonard Cohen’s ‘Suzanne’ has become a beloved classic in his catalogue. The Canadian tells us of the mysterious Suzanne, who takes us to her ‘place near the river’, conjuring an instant image even in the first line in the song, painting a scene of an idyllic summer’s day spent drinking tea, and eating oranges that have come ‘all the way from China.’ Cohen details that Suzanne ‘lets the river answer’ – conjuring the image of a woman who is at one with nature and has the ability to communicate beyond words.

However, I feel that the most powerful line in the song is in the final verse, as Suzanne ‘shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers.’ As always in his songs, Cohen shows us through the darkness in the world to find beauty, and Suzanne guides us to do this as well. Suzanne is an eternal muse, cast in a poetic light and upon listening, we fall in love with her, knowing that we can ‘travel with her’ whilst Cohen constructs her ethereal, comforting presence. In some way, we have all met a Suzanne, and Cohen captures her perfectly.

Jackie and Wilson By Hozier Words by: Niladri Singh Rajput

Most of Hozier’s songs make me feel like I want to quit the world and live in a tree-house somewhere deep in the jungle, drink water from the running stream and sleep in the meadows. I would suggest that people listen to any music that has got his name on it. In ‘Jackie and Wilson’ he talks of a girl, a saviour to relinquish him from the pain, the addictions, and distresses of the earth. The song isn’t about Jackie and Wilson as people or as characters but more so about the two as representations of this ideal life he so desperately desires. A life filled with love and stories,with someone that ‘soothes’ him daily and ‘runs her hands through’ his hair, someone that ‘steals a Lexus’ just to drive around town, someone that ‘saves’ him. It is with this someone he wants to ‘raise’ Jackie and Wilson but the moment he looks up ‘from a cigarette, she’s already left,’ and in this vicious circle of love and desire, he goes round and round waiting for ‘whatever poor soul is coming next’.

I think it’s only fair that a person so desperately seeking solace would deem Jackie and Wilson the ideal life. I think it is the ideal for two people in love. I believe love is the ideal - maybe that is the point. Hozier has also always been very vocal about his love for Jackie Wilson, so using his name as a signifier of the desired life could also be suggestive, not just of his love for Jackie Wilson but of him as the ultimate and ideal singer, a rendition of the ‘rhythm and blues’.

Betty by Taylor Swift Words by: Alexa Price

‘Betty’ sees itself as a part of Taylor Swift’s unprecedented return to her country roots in 2020 with her critically acclaimed album ‘folklore’. The song is involved in what Taylor Swift called a ‘teenage love triangle’, which listeners are also able to perceive in the songs ‘August’ and ‘Cardigan’. Through these songs, Swift successfully constructs realistic characters who are in the midst of an unfortunate affair. I think one of the reasons why these songs were so successful is because of how relatable and unfortunately common the described situations are. Through these songs, Swift successfully constructs realistic characters who are in the midst of an unfortunate affair. I think one of the reasons why these songs were so successful is because of how relatable and unfortunately common the described situations are.

The song is one told from the narrative of James, a character who addresses his affair and the guilt that burdens him as a result of it. I would argue that this song says more about James’ character than Betty herself, but I think that by using her name as the title, the song feels more like a direct address as well as an ode to their relationship. Many fans have interpreted the song as an apology, but I’ve never seen it this way. In lyrics such as ‘the worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you’,and ‘slept next to her, but I dreamt of you all summer long’, all that’s being done is reminding listeners of his guilt, before pleading with Betty for forgiveness. The complexity and relatability of these characters are definitely captured in Swift’s vivid storytelling which is why fans, including myself, just keep coming back!

Layla by Derek and the Dominos

Words by: George Gourlay

From its instantly recognisable opening riff, ‘Layla’ by Derek and the Dominos (written by Eric Clapton) tells a story of forbidden love, as a wistful Clapton sings to Layla in an attempt to win her admiration. However, the truth behind the rock classic, including the identity of its muse, delves into a tale of betrayal, infatuation, and a rivalry between two of the world’s biggest rock legends.

Penned by Clapton, the name of the song is based on the story of Layla and Majnun by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi which narrates a forbidden love between an Arabian Princess, Layla, and her lover Qays, a poet. Layla’s fatherdenied their marriage and arranged for his daughter to marry a nobleman, leaving Qays in despair.

Clapton’s Layla, therefore, symbolises a forbidden romance. His retelling though paints a more complicated story as he wrote the song to win the affection of Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend George Harrison of The Beatles.

From the opening lyric ‘what will you do when things get lonely?”, Clapton makes clear his intention is to woo Boyd away from Harrison. His Layla is one who faces a choice between the circumstance of marriage and the excitement of forbidden love, a deviation from the original tale. Unfortunately for Clapton, Boyd chose her husband following an uncomfortable exchange between the two rock stars and the woman they loved at a party in which Harrison asked his wife who she wanted to go home with. Layla remains a symbol of the pain felt when love is forbidden due to circumstances. By: Rubie Barker Design by: Rahima Bhatti