WIDER CONTEXT

SOCIAL-
Most women have the idea in their heads that if they aren’t physically attractive, they won’t be accepted in society especially in western culture. This is down to the media showing attractive females being the ones who are successful in life. All the movies I have looked at so far promote this idea, for example in Death race the less attractive female dies and the more attractive female live. More over in the movie industry females have to keep up their physical appearance to be casted, I mean have you ever seen the female being unattractive in an action movie, no, now ask yourself if you’ve seen an unattractive male casted as lead in an Action movie, yes. I can name several, for example Nicholas Cage in Gone in 60 seconds, Slyvester Stallone in Rambo, Bruce Willis in Die Hard, ect….

HISTORICAL-
In the past female lead roles in action movies were pretty much non-existence, females were seen as the weaker sex therefore impossible for them to be looked at as empowered role models. It wasn’t until films like Alien when female began to lay lead role and being represented as stronger. It’s been argued that the zeitgeist Alien came out in effected and influenced the text, as during the 1970’s women were starting to become more equal and won the Wright to vote, therefore the text reflects what was going on in society at that time as there is a female protagonist, showing the strength of females beginning to rise, and the independency.


ECONOMICAL-
A contemporary debate is; are female actors getting the same amount as money as male actors. In the past male actors would paid a lot more then female actors, however now days get paid the same. The top female actors make around £16-17 million.