Propp

 Character traits

most important characters in secrets and lies

• Cynthia 
• Hortense
• Maurice 
• Monica 
• Roxanne

Cynthia, Maurice, Hortense, Monica, Roxanne 

Vladimir Propp's character tropes

recognised easy categories (binary opposition)  
1928 said that all stories follow a clear narrative structure which repeats across fairy tales 
identified characters which are apparent in most narratives 

villain; struggles against the hero 

the dispatcher; the character who sends the hero on their mission 

the helper; helps the hero in their quest 

the princess; the hero seems the most deserving of her and the villain tries to prevent this, the journey often ends with the hero marrying the princess 

the donor; prepares the hero for their 'quest' giving the hero a magical object 

the hero; seeks something throughout the story, reacting to the donor

false hero; disrupts the hero's progress by taking credit for the hero's actions or trying to marry the princess 

1. when character tropes are subverted it disrupts the initial alignment of characters from an audiences perspective which creates wider questioning from this. change of structure, non-linear
2. the effect of the audiences expectations and responses are that they are shocked and surprised and which makes them more motivated to explore what happens further within the film in order to understand the reasons behind these motives in addition to how this has started and what it has been introduced by. challenges the audience 
3. the effect of our understanding on society and the film is that it creates a domino effect of reevaluating the meaning of life and how not everything is how it seems - not to look at life as black and white

FILM THEORISTS:

Laura Mulvey - 1970's

• Concides with second wave feminism 
• Visual narrative pleasure and the male gaze
• Visual filmic pleasure - expense of making women objects for the viewing of men
• Directors (male) present women in this way (pov) 

CRITICAL THEORY

- A critical theory has a distinctive aim: to unmask the ideology falsely justifying some form of social or economic oppression - to reveal its ideology - and in doing so, to contribute to the task of ending that oppression. 

- A critical theory aims to provide a kind of enlightenment about social and economic life that is itself emancipatory: persons come to recognise the oppression they are suffering as oppression and thereby partly freed from it. 

MARXIST CRITICAL THEORY

- As participants in a capitalist market economy, we fall into thinking of capitalist economic relations as justified, as how things should be.

- Marx argues that this way of thinking is nothing but ideology: it obscures, even from those persons who suffer them, the persuasive and destructive forms of alienation, powerlessness and exploitation that, in Marx'x view, define capitalist economic relations. 

- For Marxists, the masses must be empowered to overcome their subjugation from the "bourgeoisie". 

Can film be marxist?

• Produced for the masses - can incite large scale revolution
• Important way children learn their position in society
• British social realist film try to reject these capitalist constraints through independent, low budget films with unknown actresses and real life experiences
• Try to highlight the oppression in our society

• Mass produced money making schemes
• Exists within capitalist system
• British social realist film is now niche - enjoyed mainly by middle-class men with socialist political inclinations
• Kitchen sink dramas such as Coronation Street are seen as low brow
• Film can never truly represent reality, only reflect it

Cynthia is a prime example of persons in society that have accepted their oppression regarding class and do not bother to argue capitalist economic relations, thinking of them as justified; highlighting her subjugation. However, nearing the end of the film, Monica and Cynthia reconcile, through their internal secrets being brought to light. By both roles representing different classes and recognising each other's hardships, there alienation between each others status breaks down, allowing them to be emancipated from their expectations and oppression from society. Though a film can never truly embody a critical theory, Secrets and Lies could certainly reflect an ideology that through a Marxist approach, oppression can be based on class, and in this case this internalised oppression can be freed from feminist empowerment, such as Cynthia's and Monica. 

On the other hand, Maurice as a middle-class man representing the benefits of financial stability could be considered anti-marxist. As a man that is in a class that benefits from a capitalist society, Maurice could definitely ignore social conflict regarding class as he didn't bring his sister with him to live a middle-class life. However, Maurice does recognise the oppression faced by his sister and her family, in hand catalysing an oppression within him too, a guilt, thus internalised until his breakthrough at the end of the film, "we are all in pain". 

I believe a Feminist critical approach may suit the film better than a Marxist approach, as the entirety of the film contains a repeated motif of women being the main focus and the little to zero use of the male gaze theory. 

FROM A MARXIST CRITICAL APPROACH TO FEMINIST 

The feminine mystique - 1960's - second wave - in USA Betty Friedan's book marks the moment. 

Tackles the illusion that women should be fulfilled by marrying, having children, not working and looking after the home. 

1970 - Influence of French female artists and writers - focus on capitalism and patriarchy - fuels radical approaches for social and economic changes. 

1990 - third wave focus on equality across cultures and race.

2010 - Fourth wave remains focused on empowerment (also in terms of technology) and also incorporates intersectionality. 

Bell Hooks: Intersectionality