Masculinity In The Film 'School Ties'

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Perhaps the most common representation of masculinity in the media is the alpha male, someone who asserts his social dominance and often takes risks. The director of ‘School Ties’ (1992), Robert Mandel presents a modern view of what it is to be a man. The director positions the viewer to address the aspects of the main character, David Greene (Brendon Fraser). He is the alpha male starting at a new college confronted by Charlie Dillon (Matt Damion) and his group of friends. Throughout the film the movie will focus on three aspects of masculinity, physical ability, confidence and honesty. The director uses film techniques such as narrative, symbolic and technical elements to portray David Greene as the alpha male. David’s character contains aspect of a typical version of masculinity and serves to ask viewers to question prejudices and the origins of it.…show more content…
The director uses symbolic techniques such as costuming to position the viewer. David is wearing jersey, shoulder pads, leg guards and helmet, showing his physical ability on the gridiron field, throwing a gridiron ball to win the game. The film also uses technical element such as camera angles of David in his position as quarterback for St Matthew’s. He is shot with an upwards camera angle to show his dominance over the players. The camera highlights when David uses Charlie as a shield to defend himself from the opponents avoiding getting tackled and scores a touchdown, showing his alpha male or dominance. By using slow motion to see Charlie getting hit and falling on the ground while David has scored the winning touchdown. The director, with the camera focused on everyone’s excitement which is contrasted against Charlie’s bitterness towards David, as that was meant to be Charlie’s touchdown, while he is alone on the ground angry about what David has done, leaving the viewer questioning David’s

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