Representation

In my project or in any project of the sorts, representation is a big deal. Making sure everyone is portrayed correctly on screen is essential for all media. In particular to my project, I would like to focus on the representation of criminals. When we see criminals in the media, they are often associated with fear, treated as misfits, and disliked in general. It is not often where you get a deeper look into their mind and personality.

One example of media that represents criminals is the famous, The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan. In this film, it is the Joker, played by Heath Ledger, who faces off against Batman, played by Bruce Wayne. Being the villain, the Joker takes role as the one who everyone hates, the outcast who wants to tear apart society. Everything surrounding the character relates to negativity and no emotion, just pure evil. I feel like these representation characteristics are unfair. Surely, some criminals can be extremely evil and contribute negatively to the world, but many have a personality of their own, with thoughts and ideas that are not all evil. In terms of the Joker, criminals are represented in more of a dehumanizing fashion.

Another example of media that represents criminals is the film, Guardians of the Galaxy. In contrast to The Dark Knight, this movie represents criminals in a completely different way. The protagonists are actually all criminals, and this movie captures the emotional side of them, something not usually portrayed in regards to that group in the media. By still tying in their radical thoughts and beliefs to more human ones with actual feelings, I feel like this movie represents criminals fairly. The movie showed that even criminals can change as the characters leave behind their past to save the world.

Overall, my movie opening will retain and challenge representation characteristics from both The Dark Knight and Guardians of the Galaxy. I would like to focus more on the mind and personality of a criminal, not just their actions. I want to humanize them, and not just treat them as a nuisance to society. Also, I would like to incorporate justice, as with all crime comes consequences. I want to still show the evil related to that of a criminal similar to The Dark Knight, but also show the lighter side of things like Guardians of the Galaxy. Most importantly, I want criminals to be represented fairly and accurately.