Gender and Sexuality in “Me Vie en Rose” and “Bliss”

Berliner (1997) film “Me Vie En Rose” follows a seven year old child, Ludovic, who is seen by the family and neighbors as a boy who connects as a girl. The film portrays ludovics family struggling to accept this wrongly gender expression and ludovic also encounters negative situations that affect him emotionally for accepting what others do not accept. In the film “Bliss” directed by Oguz (2007) a 17 year old girl named Maryem has been found insensible, violated, and raped.

The village that raised her has an old traditional code that prohibits raped victims and she has been sentence to death in order to reestablish the morality and dignity to her family and village.

An undeveloped veteran named Han has been ordered to take Maryem to the city Istanbul and kill her but unsurprisingly does not kill her because he has a change of heart and both run away together.

Butler’s article

In her article, Butler (1988) points out some of the structures of gender identity.

Berliner (1997) film “Me Vie en Rose” displays some of the significant components that broadly spoken on this article. Butler (1988:519) article reads, “one is not born, but, rather, becomes a women; gender is no way a stable identity, rather, it is an identity constituted in time”. Berliner (1997) demonstrates this in the film by Ludovic. For example, in the beginning of the film ludovic dressed up as a girl and displays feminine characteristics, such as wanting to marry a boy and explaining he is a girl not a boy.

Get quality help now

WriterBelle

Verified

Proficient in: Gender Discrimination

4.7 (657)

“ Really polite, and a great writer! Task done as described and better, responded to all my questions promptly too! ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Additionally, family members are having a tough time understanding ludovic and simply tell him that he cannot be a girl. Butler (1988:531) states that “gender is not scripted”, meaning gender is not determined by any type of symbolic rule or determination by society, simply it is a word that is being utilize due to male and female characteristics that society determine not a person. In the film there is multiple parts where the parents thought ludovic will overcome what he believes he is but ultimately become concerned and confuse for ludovic. Butler (1988:528) mention that gender cannot be understood, and the film clearly showed evidence of the parents unwilling to understand and comprehend what ludovic is and claims to be.

Williams’ article

Williams (2002) article demonstrates significant factors that affect gender and society. Oguz (2007) film “Bliss” supports many of the factors that the article contributes. Williams (2002:30) article references “difficulties associated with adolescence are now more often attached to social factors such as poverty, family stresses”. The film “Bliss” expressed similar difficulties that the article stated such as, Maryem being found unconscious, violated, raped, and had difficulties getting support from her relatives. Maryems family condemned her to death. This clearly shows evident of dishonor, according to old tradition. The film also establishes the cultural differences between old tradition and modern tradition that greatly affect gender society. This was greatly expressed in the film “Bliss” when the veteran had the gun pointed at Maryem but was unwilling to shoot her and he was declared an outcast to his village, this was an opportunity for him to feel freedom. William (2002:34) article states that “adolescents often want more freedom (just like the film bliss) to experiment”. The article also expresses gender relationships are not simply a data but rather constitute a social structure.