Firefly

Genre

    First, it can be classified as a Western movie. Hero in Western movie is brave and be righteous. For example, Malcolm, the main character in this clip, returns emergency remedy to people even if he was asked to steal it with a lot of money. Because he knows many people need medicine so stealing emergency remedy for one person is incorrect.  He fights people from employer to keep it and gives them his money back. And he says "We are not thieves". Also in the western movie, they use guns to fight and train come out. So these can be reasons of Western. Second is Science Fiction. S/F movie usually describe developed future by science. Characters live in spaceship without spacesuit and they move from planet to another planet. (Zero gravity is not a big deal to them) And Firefly is a Action drama. There are many action scenes and dichotomy between good and evil. And this drama uses shaky camera to create natural scene, not artificial.



Discourse of Globalization

   

   This edited clip shows Chinese become a global language in the future, not English. Malcolm (main character) uses Chinese when he pays for drink or swears word, even insignificant thing. It means using Chinese is natural. In other words, it has economical and cultural force. Well, It is not just a groundless story. China rapidly rose as a global economic power, and product what we use is almost made in China. China's phenomenal growth and one-point-three-billion population, all economist say, China can be expected to play a much larger role in the global economy in the future.



Representation

   Firefly has unique characters. Brave captain, side kick woman who got married., hot-blooded pilot, Priest, Prostitution mechanic, doctor and his sister with severe panic disorder. It is pretty different from original S/F drama. Especially, Prostitution is respected. It is completely not acceptable in this society. But prostitution in this movie, She has high status called "Companion" and also has power to get them out of trouble much easier. And when she appears, every one looks at her with admiration. It is kind of push the boundary what is acceptable in the States.



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Arrested Development (2003)

Genre

   First of all, genre of this clip is Drama. Drama focuses on story. It is emotional, realistic and unfolds like a family love, daily life, love story etc. Episodes of "Arrested Development" contain these, so it can be a drama. Second is Family. Because many family member appears in this clip. Michael, His parents, Sisters, brothers and son. And also their story makes each episode. So I can say it is family drama. And, Many scenes make us funny so it can be classified as a comedy. For example, Linsay (Michael's sister) joined anti-circumcision movement (H.O.O.P) and circumcision movement (J.D.A-Jewish defense league) both. And michael's mother tells to Michael that she loves all her children equally, but earlier that day she said "I don't cafe for Gob (The youngest brother)". Also Tobias, Lindsay's husband, believes the boat party to be pirate-themed so he searches through his wife's luggage for an outfit. Then, he mistakes a group of garishly dressed men for pirates and he boards a boat with homosexuals. So he is going to join them to protest the loyal yacht club. And Lindsay says to her mom  "Oh my god! I have exact same blouse!" I think it is the funniest scene in this episode. And I edited myself some scenes which I enjoyed.

Semiotics

    There are many Semiotics in this movie. They live in a big house and it explains they are rich. All of ornaments in their house are expensive and they decorate their house with luxuries. And they open a retirement party on the boat. It shows how luxury they are. Fox-fur muffler from his mom is same meaning. Also, Bluth family has 2 houses which are fancy and fake. Actually, the fake house where michale lives in is made for family business (housing tract).  It means rich people usually built or make something for their benefit. And everything such as food, TV which is in this house is not real. It is a sarcastic about upper class that they are not honesty.

Narratives

    First, this drama is about one guy who try to support their family. Actually, Michael has worked for his father's company for 10 years. He doesn't care live in attic with his son because he thinks his father will make him partner. It is kind of proof for his dedication. But at his father's retire party, Michale's father nominates his mother for successor. (Of course he's disappointed) However, His father is arrested for false accounting and police put a halt on the company's expense account. So they lose their money and finally, Michael decides to work for his extravagant family. Also, this drama has a narrator who explains every situation like <Desperate housewives>. Narrator is a third party and makes an objective observation. And  audience can easy to understand the story through the narrator.

   (This is a mixed clip of Arrested Development and Desperate Housewives that narrator participated. It keeps the ball rolling.)

   Of course, there are many Codes. Representative code is Engima code. Engima code of this movie is luxury extravagant family. Family members in this drama are vanity except Michael. They use company's expense freely like Aztec Tomb from G.O.B, Luxurious room charge from Lindsay. That's a reason his father is arrested to the police. And it changes everything! Michael gets a job after his father's imprisonment but he refuses it and decides to stay for his family. Eventually, he becomes a family breadwinner.

Discourses & Representations

    In <Arrested Development>, group of gay protesters come out and demonstrate during Bluth's boat party. "We want to get married on the ocean!" They yell to Bluth's family. They against heterosexual and want to be treated like them. Most culture don't except homosexual and this scene is about resistance of discriminatory treatment. (So some homosexuals hide their sexuality for normal life like Tobias.)

    And as you see in this pictures, they wear colorful clothes. It represents homosexuals love to wear colorful and exaggerated costume. So these things can be a discourse and representation.

   Another representation of this movie is their characters. This family is different from any other family. They are selfish,  persnickety and greedy. And this clip shows their selfishness.

     Michael conveys police's message that his father has to be in prison until police search everything. But Bluth's don't focus on and don't care of that. However they are impelled by strong emotion when they hear about confiscation of money, company's expense account. So Michael is sick and tired of them and said "Interesting, I would have expected that after the keeping dad in jail".  As you see, definitely Bluth's is disfunctional family.  However they live together eventually, don't choose to be separated. There are not only selfishness, stealing, lying but also family love and carrying. In other words, best and worst thing exist. So I think this can be one part of representation.