Working Some Thoughts Out

A student asked me the other day how I think about racial representation in film. She was asking about Sandra Oh's character in Sideways, citing it as a problematic example of Asian female stereotypes.

I've been thinking more about this question this weekend...and came up with a thought. There are several ways to view films / texts and maybe it's important to know why you are watching a film, so you can figure out how to think about the film.

1) As a critic. A critic is playing a game of lowering or raising the status of a film by their analysis. This is the field of critical studies. If you teach students to look out for how Asian women are portrayed in films, you might object to Sideways and try to lower the status of the film. Now, I will add I don't personally share this view, but nevertheless, I do sometimes watch films with a critical eye.

2) As a fan. Pure personal enjoyment, like the way you would hang out with a friend. Are all friends perfect? Do some say goofy, offensive, annoying, or otherwise stupid things? Of course. But you let it go, because, well, their your friend. In short, you can view films/texts with a generosity of spirit. You root for the film.

3) As a student. You can study film / texts and study how the filmmakers made choices and what they did well and perhaps...what they did not so well. And I think this is different than a critic, because you are not engaged in a status game. You are looking at craft. Through this lens, I would argue you learn more by examining "what works," versus "what doesn't work." Or perhaps, the question isn't so much what didn't work, but rather, how could it have worked better?

And buyer beware.... The question of "how could it have worked better?" is a whole lot more difficult than you think.

Are there others?