Description
The scholarly analysis focuses on the representation of the oppositional stance in the 2021 Candyman film. The research indicates that there is a lack of representation from the minority view point in the horror genre but newer movies such as the 2021 Candyman are paving the way for change. The filmmakers encode this underrepresented viewpoint in a way that serves to empower minorities in the film, especially African Americans. The encoding of minorities in major roles, the victimization of mainly privileged white people as Candyman's targets, the flipping of preconceived societal norms, and the framing of the monster all work to bring light to low income, black communities' real life struggles while empowering them through these methods and embracing an opposition ideology throughout the film. Using ideological analysis, the scholarly analysis illustrates the encoding of this viewpoint by the filmmakers as compared to the decoding done by the audience, using online reviews as a reflection of audience and critic perceptions. Comments and reviews have shown that many audience members and critics alike are struggling to adjust to this oppositional stance encompassing direct references to social issues and sometimes even more representation of minority groups in major roles, while maintaining a sufficient level of scariness for it to still be considered a horror film. Others have resonated with the film's encoded perspective and may even feel empowered as a result.
Encoding the Oppositional Stance in Candyman (2021): an Ideological Analysis
The scholarly analysis focuses on the representation of the oppositional stance in the 2021 Candyman film. The research indicates that there is a lack of representation from the minority view point in the horror genre but newer movies such as the 2021 Candyman are paving the way for change. The filmmakers encode this underrepresented viewpoint in a way that serves to empower minorities in the film, especially African Americans. The encoding of minorities in major roles, the victimization of mainly privileged white people as Candyman's targets, the flipping of preconceived societal norms, and the framing of the monster all work to bring light to low income, black communities' real life struggles while empowering them through these methods and embracing an opposition ideology throughout the film. Using ideological analysis, the scholarly analysis illustrates the encoding of this viewpoint by the filmmakers as compared to the decoding done by the audience, using online reviews as a reflection of audience and critic perceptions. Comments and reviews have shown that many audience members and critics alike are struggling to adjust to this oppositional stance encompassing direct references to social issues and sometimes even more representation of minority groups in major roles, while maintaining a sufficient level of scariness for it to still be considered a horror film. Others have resonated with the film's encoded perspective and may even feel empowered as a result.