Comparing Amelie And The Purge: Election Year

People can usually determine the genre of films they watch by analyzing the unique background music and setting tones incorporated into these films. During the opening establishing long shot of Amelie, the accordion and piano instrumentals along with the golden manipulated scenery convey the setting as peaceful and surreal. Amelie, a romantic comedy by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is about a socially awkward, imaginative, and innocent waitress living in Paris. She gets pleasure out of helping the people around her, but also has a low self-esteem. The Purge: Election Year, written and directed by James Demonaco, is a science-fiction horror movie about a futuristic version of United States government that benefits off an annual holiday that encourages
After watching Amelie, the audience should instantly notice that there were times when the plot would deviate and did not directly follow the classical Hollywood narrative format. For example, after Amelie found the lost photo album of her eventual lover Nino Quincampoix, the viewer would then be drawn to solving the mystery of why a certain random character continued to appear in the photo album instead of focusing on her passion for helping those around her. Amelie believes the mystery character is dead and is trying to spread his pictures around town so he is not forgotten. The film The Purge on the other hand, more closely follows the classical Hollywood narrative with the use of causality and climaxing action. For instance, because the Deli owner Joe Dixon denied the shoplifting school girls a chance to run off with the stolen candy from his store, this event caused the girls to seek revenge on Joe and his store on the Purge holiday night. They returned with automatic guns and chainsaws in an attempt to kill Joe and regain their lost pride, but Joe stood his ground with the help of his
In The Purge, Senator Charlie was portrayed as very helpless throughout the whole movie. She was the one who always needed saving. Because she needed so many body guards, the viewers gets the idea that women also need protection from strong, masculine males. Furthermore, the shoplifting school girls who attacked Joe Dixon’s shop were presented as visual and erotic objects for the contemplation of the male audience with their revealing, short, and tight costumes (Stephen Prince). Additionally, in the film Amelie, women were also portrayed as needy people who craved the male’s affection. For instance, when Amelie was in the midst playing match maker with Georgette and Dominique Pinon, Georgette pounced on Dominique and had sex with him the minute she corned him in the bathroom without hesitation. There were also a scene at Nino’s porno shop, where his fellow co-worker danced in the breakroom half-naked just for fun. Additionally, at Amelie’s workplace, an older gentlemen told Madame Suzanne, “All women want to sleep on a man’s shoulder.” All these scenes illustrated a gender role that women need men in their lives to be