EXTENDED ESSAY (34/34) ON FILM STUDIES FOR THE IB DIPLOMA: PORTRAYAL OF MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIPS IN CONTEMPORARY CINEMA
96 views 1 purchase
Course
IB Diploma
Institution
IB Diploma
Book
Extended Essay for the IB Diploma
This extended essay in film studies got full marks (34/34) on the 2022 IB examination and is therefore a very good example to follow when writing your own. It revolves around the question: "what role does social and economic status play in the depiction of relationships
between young women and th...
Portrayal of mother-daughter relationships in contemporary cinema
What role does social and economic status play in the depiction of relationships
between young women and their mothers in Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Lady
Bird (2017)?
A shared circumstance ........................................................................................................... 3
Individuality of the characters ................................................................................................ 7
POST-EPIPHANY ................................................................................................................. 11
A mother’s shoes .................................................................................................................. 11
Women as complex human beings ....................................................................................... 15
CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 18
The depiction of relationships between mothers and daughters in film is a subject
that was left understudied for a long time.1 It wasn’t until “the rise of the women’s
movement […] in the early 1970’s”2 that the topic, which after all encloses an
experience exclusive to the female gender, started to be seriously discussed by scholars.
The immense richness and consequent potential of it was also soon understood by
different filmmakers, such as Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, who believed that the
bond was “the most mysterious, complicated and charged with emotion [of all human
relationships].” 3
Consequently, it should come as no surprise that the theme continues to be vastly
explored to this day and that it has been subject to many different interpretations. In that
sense, there are two modern works that come as especially relevant to me: namely, Pride
and Prejudice (Wright, 2005) and Lady Bird (Gerwig, 2017). Both films avoid a
“simplistic” depiction of the relationship, understanding by this that they don’t regard
the mother figure either as a plainly “good” or “bad” object, 4 but as a complete human
being. By following the story of two young women’s (Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bennet, and
Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson) shift in perception towards their female progenitors,
they offer the viewers an opportunity to re-discover the bond along with them.
1
Lucy Rose Fisher, Cinematernity: Film, Motherhood, Genre (Princeton: Princeton University Press,
1996), 10, https://archive.org/details/cinematernityfil00fisc.
2
Fisher, Cinematernity, 10.
3
Frederic Brussat and Mary Ann Brussat, “The Joy Luck Club. Directed by Wayne Wang,”
Spirituality Practice, accessed September 23, 2021,
https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/reviews/view/4428/the-joy-luck-club.
4
E. Ann Kaplan, Women & Film: Both Sides of the Camera (New York: Methuen, 1983), page
number, https://archive.org/details/womenfilmbothsid0000kapl/page/n3/mode/2up.
1
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller aar2. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R247,68. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
