Death Becomes Her
In my essay I shall be talking about Key concepts that involve in this media piece. 'Death Becomes Her' is a film about two women competing to look the best when they have learnt the works of Immortality. Once they found out they had both drank the 'youth potion' they realised they have become 'damaged'. Andrew William Elvish wrote an article in Concordia University talking about how 'Death Becomes Her' relates to fashion that naturalizes the image of women who risks themselves to become skinny, that death gets closer every time they want to "look good". In the first clip "Eternal Youth" it shows the main protagonist- Madeline, buying the 'youth' potion for an huge amount of money, just to look young again.
Clip: Eternal youth
Clip: Medical Mystery
Power:
Both characters, Helen and Madeline come from different backgrounds. Where Helen comes from a working class family with a low paid job and Madeline is a 'Famous Actress'. Power is involved not just by looks but because of money and fame, Madeline is a plutocrat because of her so say "successful" acting career, living in a mansion and with great wealth., showing that she is better than Helen in everything. But over the many years of rivalry they become dissatisfied with how they look, Helen changes her physical appearance to look more attractive than Madeline so she can steal back the man she once had. By changing her physical appearance and becoming her ideal self she gives everything she owns for a mysterious potion that gives eternal youth. When Madeline sees Helen after so many years, she gets Jealous and wonders how she looks so attractive when they are the same age.
Representation:
This film represents women in the fashion industry. The models who starve themselves to get the figure they want or what the high fashion businesses want. They follow the "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy" also known as The Pygmalion Effect meaning to change their lifestyle and behaviour to fulfil the expectations of others. It has been no secret for decades now that photographers, designers and fashion events’ organizers have a preference for thin models. By doing so In the second clip of the 'Medical Mystery', Ernest ( acted by Bruce Willis) quotes; "You're a violation of every Natural Law I know". By becoming Immortal, risking their bodies and by trying to look good in the extent of getting close to death - Models are becoming like it everyday. This desensitises teenagers with anorexia to carry on starving themselves, linking to the Cultivation Theory by sending a media message to change individuals. This is saying you don't have to risk coming close to death to look your best.
Value:
The film shows that women value their looks, wanting role models to look up to. This is known as the "Modelling Theory" - the idea that Robert Merton developed which he saw as groups of people whom an individual aspires to. It is the belief that individuals value what is most important to them or something you care about. Because of society, everyone judges a woman about how she looks. For example the clothes to wear to work; A skirt,makeup,tight clothing that outlines her figure. The conventions of the perfect woman about being beautiful. This is the ideology that most believe to be true, valuing happiness, by becoming 'beautiful' and risking your body in danger of ruining yourself in the long run.
