Most of the similarities lie in gender roles. The men in most cases tend to be hyper-masculine, hyper-phallic, and in some cases violent.
Women tend to be sexual objects, or given so much agency that they are able to put the male characters in submissive positions throughout films.
The other large similarity I think these two film types have is the portrayal of an urban community often at odds with the hegemonic forces. In some cases these urban, lower socioeconomic classes in film work together to topple or somehow live to fight another day with the hegemony.
However, in modern gangsta films, it seems as if these urban communities are often at odds internally, due to other factors like drugs, violence, and again their lower socioeconomic class. This can cause a schism within the community being portrayed in a film, which may not be overly present in a blaxploitation film.
Andrew! Right on. The issue of films being at odds with the hegemonic forces of the state is very insightful. And I'm glad you tease out the issue of female portrayals as objects or unrealistically powerful to the point of symbolic "castrators." The strands of difference are strands indeed, but I think as you note the historical moment helps us see those strands. Ironically, the urban gangsta films really do not have the Pam Grier type of image, other than perhaps Set it Off and the one character in New Jack City. Again, well done,
ReplyDeleteCheers,