First draft of textual analysis

I have had to copy and paste this as I cannot print-screen from home. Hope this is not a problem. Beckie.

Compare and contrast the representation of women in P.S. I love you and One Day.

Within this essay, I will be talking about the representation of women within P.S. I Love You and One Day, I will mostly be using the sound within these two films to back up what I am going to say. The representation within these two films is quite a contrast to one another, in P.S. I Love You Holly is shown having a change in behaviour throughout the film and in One Day, Emma is shown being quite a powerful and independent woman throughout.

At the beginning of P.S. I Love You, we see the idea of women being represented as a predictable stereotype of a woman with having an argument without explaining the reason and also having a lot of shoes. Scene one introduces the characters, Holly and Gerry are arguing but Gerry doesn’t know what he has done to make her annoyed with him. She is shown as being argumentative through the sound, because even though they are walking down the street there is little background noise and sounds. This has been done to increase the tension of their argument and the only sounds we hear is Gerry’s dialogue. This also directs the audience to listen to what Gerry has to say and the audience realise that Gerry’s dialogue is important. Holly is being shown as quite a powerful character during this scene, she is shown having power of the situation and over Gerry, during their argument Gerry leaves their apartment and then asks to return a few minutes later. Because of the long take once Gerry has left, we see that Holly didn’t really want him to leave and that she is feeling sad.

A comparison with this is in One Day in the second scene when again we have an introduction to the characters. However, in this scene Emma and Dexter have just properly met after their graduation, they then go back to her apartment. Differently from P.S. I love you, Emma is portrayed as quite a timid character who doesn’t want to get anything wrong. She wants to have a good experience with Dexter and even when she leaves the room is get ready, she puts some music on. This has been done because without Emma and Dexter together, there is little other sound so this music sets the mood whilst she is gone. When Emma is lying in bed with Dexter, we now have soft music playing which creates a mood of intense and friendship, this lets the audience understand that Emma and Dexter are going to have a good and strong friendship.

Once Gerry has passed away in P.S. I love you, we really start to see how Holly is now being represented as a weak female without the guidance of a male around. This is scene five and we see that she is really missing him here and is depressed without her soul mate Gerry, she is staying in on her own and is rejecting any help from her friends and family. The sound is really important in showing Holly’s downfall in this scene, there is a lot more sound than in the previous scenes here. There is music which is creating an atmosphere to how Holly is feeling without Gerry, this represents women as weak as it is showing Holly’s struggle without him around. We hear the telephone voicemails as a voice over here, which lets the audience know that people are trying to help Holly through this difficult time but that she is rejecting this help which is representing women as trying to be independent but actually appearing quite weak. We also hear the TV in the background, this is to create an atmosphere of a busy environment and Holly not being able to focus on one thing. We also hear memories of Holly and Gerry’s conversation, which gives the audience the impression that Holly cannot let go of her memories of Gerry and is mourning over him badly. She still sees him around and talks to him although there is no way that he could be there. Gerry plays the guitar softly at one point, which relaxes and comforts Holly and this sound is used to relax the atmosphere. All of this sound, portrays females as weak and incompetent without males.

This scene can be linked to scene eight in One Day. In this scene we again have a lot more sound and background noise than the first two scenes that I explored. Emma has gone out with another male in this scene and Dexter keeps ringing her and is shown as really needing and relying on her although she cannot help him. Females are being represented as independent females here, who don’t need males around to survive. This is opposite to P.S. I love you, as now Dexter is needing Emma and is being shown as being incompetent without her to talk to. This shows a major role reversal as Emma is the character in power here and males are being represented as the weaker sex.

In scene twenty-seven in P.S. I love you, the audience again see the change in Holly’s behaviour as she is now being shown as an independent female again, doing things on her own. She is shown moving on with her life and going back to Ireland taking her Mother there for one final visit. The audience hear a voice-over of Holly’s final message to Gerry throughout the clips. Females are being represented more positively and having more power and independence at this stage.

This can be linked to scene 19 in one day, as this is too a closing scene to the film. At this stage in the film, Emma has passed away. Dexter is talking to his daughter at the same place that he and Emma visited a few years back, he misses Emma a lot but is trying to stay strong and the powerful man he should be. His daughter is being shown as a young female who has strong views so this too makes women still seem powerful at the end of the film.

These two films condone women in a variety of ways, from powerful to weak. One Day more represents women as powerful throughout the whole film as Emma is always shown having power even when she is timid. P.S. I love you shows a journey within a woman, she changes from weak and depressed to powerful and moving on with her life.