FISH TANK + KEVIN - ESSAY

How has an ideological critical approach given you a deeper understanding of binary opposites in the narrative of your chosen films?

The ideological approach in understanding binary oppositions is presented in both We need to talk about Kevin and Fish Tank as the woman is punished for any actions that a man has done. The binary oppositions that are presented in the films are: good vs evil, man vs woman, parent vs child. These binary oppositions help the spectator to understand the struggles of women  that have to conform to the society they live in.

In the scene where Eva tries to bond with Kevin as a toddler by playing with a ball, the Binary opposition of mother vs child is presented. Kevin's facial expressions mirrors that of Eva as though he is taunting her. He sits in the same way as Eva and copies her actions but does not roll the ball back in order to spite her. We can see this opposition as there is a great amount of tension between the two characters and they are in great proximity towards each other. Due to the quick cuts that occur after a medium close up of Eva, the spectator can infer that she is only there as society has deemed that to be her role. This links to the ideological approach of Feminism as the woman is conformed to care for the child  and that is the sole purpose of the existence. However due to neglecting Kevin as she wants to deviate from societies norms, she also enforces the binary opposition of maternal vs freedom; she wants to be free from the struggles of raising Kevin. As the spectator, we are encouraged to support Eva as she recalls this story from her POV to make herself seem like the protagonist, however this means that this recount of this event is unreliable. Therefore making her an unreliable narrator. On the other hand, an active spectator could read into this and see that the fault lies with Eva. 

Throughout the scene when Conor chases after Mia, which is considered to be the crisis before the Act Two climax, Conor slaps Mia and the spectator sees how the male is th emost dominat figure in the scene. Conor is considered to be a metaphor for the present society as Mia, the woman, is punished due to the actions of a male. Therefore presenting the binary oppositions of Man vs Woman. Mia submits to the patriarchy of Conor as she falls to the floor and accepts her punishment, otherwise she would be punished more if she tries to subvert. The camera tilts down so that the spectator can see Mia fall on the floor in a child-like fashion, showing how she yielded to the 'male' punishments. The binary oppositions between Man and Woman is presented via the dark palette as this uncomfortable atmostphere of the scene mirrors the uncomfortable feelings between Mia and Conor. Mia feels jealous by the other women in Conors as she receives a lack of attention from her 'father' which forces her to act irrationally. She accepts her punshement as that is the role of the woman in society; to take the blame for the problems of man. On the male POV,, Conor shows feelings of anger towards Mia as she is trying to 'disobey' him and he wants to punish her for it. Both Eva and Mia are punished by society as the both diverge from what society forces them to be. 

At the end of Everyone's talking about Kevin, there is a reconciliation between Eva and Kevin in which they both hug and settle their disputes. Kevin longs for his mothers affection and filling that void will help this reconciliation. This helps resolve all binary oppositions between them, but does not resolve all between Eva and society. She finally takes the role of the mother and embraces Kevin as he now starts to feel complete. In oedipal terms, Kevin kills his father, Franklin, in order to get closer to his mother. In doing so, he manages to receive his mothers love, and therefore succeeding his goal of maternal love. The contrapuntal sound in the background complements the dark atmosphere in the room as this mirrors Eva's feelings towards Kevin; she loves him but despises him for what he has done. This is mainly expressed through her mixed facial expressions. The proximity between them is filled at the end via Kevin's need for affection; he moves slightly closer to Eva in order for her to give him a hug. Ramsay wants to show the spectator how the reconciliation between Eva and Kevin is mainly due to how Kevin kills anything that blocks him from mother's affection. Throughout the film, Eva resents Kevin and does not get close to him as she is forced into motherhood. She then finally conforms to society norms as she now takes the role of the 'mother' and cares for her son. 

At the end of fish tank there is a reconciliation between Mia and her mother in which they both dance without communication and maintain strict eye contact in order to resolve the binary opposition of mother vs child. Both Mia and her mother have been punished by Conor as they put aside their differences and reconcile as they have both been affected by the will of man. The long cuts between shots shows the heartfelt emotions that both characters feel towards each other as more meaning is shown in these shots. In oedipal terms, Mia has successfully gain a paternal love from her father however, that is taken away from her obedience and she is forced to reunite with her mother. Although they are in a moment of reconciliation, they both still are in great proximity to one another as they still have disagreements that haven't been resolved. This is the opposite to Kevin as he thrives for this reconciliation whether Mia believes this is a necessity. This makes the spectator see the different perspectives of the two sides to the oedipal trajectory and how both genders are affected by this theory which forces binary oppositions as the woman feels most affected by this.