![]() ![]() It is also worth noting in this connection that white female action heroines are commonly presented as slick, emotionless and "professional." As Deneka MacDonald points out in relation to the white action heroine of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy is "not allowed to get angry" (MacDonald, 2004: 116). Visible minorities, she argues, are "always already violent" owing to their supposedly "savage" ancestry, while white women need to be provoked into violent action. Drawing on the work of Kimberley Springer, Charlene Tung (2000: 110) notes that in action genres, white and black bodies may not be read identically. The characterization of Rain as a violent woman with "attitude’– and of Alice as only belatedly vengeful – also conforms to a racist stereotype. Symptomatically, Resident Evil’s only black character is killed by the Hive’s defences early in the film, while the other visible minority (Latina) character, Rain, is cast in a supporting role in relation to the white heroine, Alice. Yet action cinema even – or perhaps especially – when it represents women as capable and active subjects often treats racial minority characters invidiously. For example, in addition to its progressivistic and rather undiscriminating celebration of the media’s handling of gender issues, David Gauntlett’s Media, Gender, and Identity (2002) barely mentions racial issues - or, for that matter, considerations of social class. Some recent liberal accounts of the media representations of women maintain a Panglossian optimism in part by neglecting other categories of difference. ![]() Although this injunction has become something of a cliché in media, film and cultural studies, it remains an important point to reinforce in general and in relation to the action film in particular. In considering patterns of racial representation in the Resident Evil films, these racial issues must not be considered independently from considerations of gender. This reflects the less progressive imagining of "otherness" in the Resident Evil films. as opposed to Romero’s "individualized" zombies. Resident Evil's zombies are a relatively undifferentiated mass. …especially in this low-angle shot of the city streets as the bomb hits… The bombing of Racoon City at the end of Apocalypse also recalls familiar images of September 11… resonates with television images of the World Trade Center attack. The verité style of Resident Evil’s gruesome opening scenes. Homage to Romero - a direct visual quotation from Day of the Dead (1985) L.J.'s service role reinforces his proletarian status. …but he is the designated driver again at the end of the film. is revealed to be the "chauffeur" of Umbrella’s getaway helicopter, ensuring the heroes’ escape… …distracted by the sight of two zombie prostitutes.įinally, however, the joke's on Umbrella Corp - or is it? L.J. is presented as naturally aggressive, here administering additional kicks to a downed Umbrella Corp security guard… …who combines extraordinary physical agility with cool objectivity, a distinctly "white" combination in television and film representations.ĭoomed by narrative convention: Like many visible minority characters in action cinema, Officer Peyton dies first in Apocalypse. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alice is a slick, emotionless, "professional"… Alice is associated with the iconography of white European Christianity ![]() While the original might not be the most beloved entry in the series, anything could happen now Capcom has revealed its multiplayer mode will feature a character called Martin Sandwich.Deus ex machina: Alice’s motorbike crashes through the stained glass window of the church in Apocalypse. As such, it'll be interesting to see how the Resident Evil 3 remake fares in comparison when it comes to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 3rd April next year. In contrast to the 4.96 million sales success of the original Resident Evil 2, its follow-up, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, only managed a comparatively modest 3.5m units on PlayStation since its release in 1999. The number one spot, if you're curious, goes to Monster Hunter: World, which has so far managed to sell 14.1m units. The publisher's most recent figures (correct as of September 2019), reveal that 2017's excellent Resident Evil 7 has sold 6.8 million units, while Resident Evil 6 scored even higher with sales of 7.4m units on original release, not including newer versions.Ģ009's Resident Evil 5, meanwhile, sold 7.5+ million units, making it the best-selling entry in the series so far - and Capcom's second best-selling title ever. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |