Is gender idenitiy imposed on Ludo?

Ludo knew he was different from other boys and girls at school very early on in his childhood. He made is apparent to his friends and neighborhood that his insides didnt match his outsides. Ludo was always comfortable in his skin, but his parents were not happy with his behavior. I think it was his parents that imposed the "male idenity" on Ludo since they wanted to have a "normal" son, just like every other parent's son. It was clear that Ludo's parents didn't take his lifestyle seriously since everytime Ludo would dress in girls clothes they would tell him that hes to old to "play dress up." Because of his unsupportive parents, Ludo felt it necessary to act on dangerous behavior, such as putting himself in the freezer. Gender idenitiy is imposed since both of his parents try to change him through out the movie.

Fluidity in Indentity in FFH

What was the significance of the Mulvey reading when applied to the film FFH?

Mulvey's piece focuses mainly on the indentified and the objectified. It promotes the idea of man vs. man roles. To Mulvey these roles were very strict with no grey areas. However in this case with the film it became man vs. wife roles.

What was the significance of the Stacey reading when applied to the film FFH?

Stacey's piece disscuses the idea of women holding male oriented roles but not losing their feminine qualities while doing so. You see Kathy slowing picking up more authority as the movie progresses, and not once does she lose her feminine qualities. She is always looking her best whether she is at home or out in public. Even when she is disrespected she stays polite and soft spoken. Those qualities were seen as the "ideal woman" of that period.

How was the male protagonist viewed in FFH?

Personally, I found myself rooting for Kathy throughout the movie. She was practically forced to play dual roles in the household since her husband was constantly falling apart due to his homosexual desires which strayed him from the normal male role. In the begining of the movie Frank had most of the authoritative rule, but he became passive and had Kathy deal with the more male orriented situations. The best example of Frank becoming weak is when he gave his power over in the first place because you have to have power in order to give it away. Due to the exchange of power Kathy began taking on more authoritative role in the house such as disciplining the children and ordering around the servants. One could also think that she took on the emotions of a man because even in hard situations she did not cry or have any outburts. She kept her emotions concieled for the most part, which alot of people associate with male behavior. The best example of this is when she asks Frank if he wants a divorce and not once does she show any emotion about such a serious topic.

Selma's Musical Escape

What is the significance of the musical sequences?

In the movie Dancer in the Dark, Selma deals with a condition that causes her to slowly lose her vision. Selma's blindness is what I concentrated on the most when it came to alot of the situations and events in the movie. I found it to be very interesting that someone who is blind would enjoy muscials so much, since half the fun is watching the charachters move about the stage. But as I watched the movie further I realized the muscials were Selma's way of detaching herself from the hardships of her reality. Her muscials became her way of escape and it almost seemed as if she had her vision back 100% during the dance numbers. Selma later states in the movie that she loves musicals "because nothing dreadful every happens." I found it to be very interesting that everytime a muscial would start it would be during or at the beginging of a very uncomfortable event. The best examples of this happening is when she is alone in her cell, walking to her execution and even right before her execution. Even if she didnt hear music or a beat, she would make her own by stamping her feet or tapping her tooth brush against the jail sink. I also find her choice of lyrics to be interesting. She sings the song "My Favorite Things" in her jail cell which almost could relate to whats going on in her life, since she is in a tiny jail cell recalling on the things that made her happy. These muscials were her own personal comfort.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALB-QEJGkbQ <-- best example of her musical escape is her her jail cell.

What is the significance of Selma's realtionship with her son?

Selma was very dedicated to her son, Gene. Like most mothers, she put him before herself even when she was in jail and in desperate need of expensive legal advice. The thought of using the money for herself brought upon violent crying fits. She worked very hard to save the money for his future operation. I think Selma was so set on making sure that the $2.056. 10 went towards Gene's health, because she wanted him to be able to live a life without having to constantly escape himself and his thoughts.