#59 Research: Representation in The Front Room

    Hi everybody! Today I will be talking about applying Stuart Hall’s Representation theory to my film trailers. Since my case study is based on A24, I decided to look at The Front Room (2024), which is a psychological thriller that really caught my attention. It’s a great example of how representation can be used to challenge stereotypes, especially around gender and power.

    My focus is that I’m analyzing how The Front Room represents women using Stuart Hall’s theory, which is all about how meaning is created through language, imagery, and how audiences interpret what they see.

    In this film, Brandy Norwood plays a pregnant woman who’s forced to live with her controlling mother-in-law. What stood out to me is how the film doesn’t just show her as a helpless victim instead, she’s portrayed as strong, emotionally complex, and quietly powerful. This challenges the usual stereotype of women in horror or thriller films being passive or weak.

    My evidence, here’s what I noticed in the trailer and poster that shows this representation:

Trailer: The trailer uses dim lighting, slow camera movements, and close-ups of Brandy’s face to show her emotional state. She’s often framed alone, which creates a feeling of isolation, but also makes her the clear focus. Her expressions shift between fear, strength, and suspicion showing that she’s not just reacting, she’s thinking and surviving. This supports Hall’s idea that meaning is created through performance and how the audience reads it.

Poster: The poster shows Brandy’s character sitting in a dark room, lit from behind. The shadows around her create a mysterious and tense atmosphere. She’s dressed simply, but her posture and expression suggest she’s not someone to underestimate. The use of red and black in the background adds to the feeling of danger and psychological pressure. This visual language tells us she’s in a threatening situation but also hints that she might not be powerless.

Reflection:

Looking at The Front Room helped me think about how I want to represent characters in my own film project (Static) that I want to do with my teammates. 

I don’t want to rely on basic stereotypes like the “damsel in distress” or the “evil villain.” Instead, I want to create characters who feel real and have real people's day to day emotions. If I include a female lead, I want her to have agency and complexity, just like Brandy’s character, which I think Madison Velasquez should play which Ethan and I have discussed with Madison to give her that lead role. I also want to use mise-en-scène like lighting, costume, and framing to show hidden emotions or power dynamics just to show off some of the things I've learned from my AS and A level classes of Media Studies.

Stuart Hall’s theory reminded me that audiences don’t just accept what they see they interpret it. So, I need to think about how different people might read the characters, and make sure I’m being thoughtful and purposeful with how my team and I represent them.