WEEK FIFTEEN
Cartoon – Cartoon like sets and costumes.
Low budget (obvious) music from such films as Bride of Frankenstein, Werewolf of London and other Universal films.
Compare also the cartoon strip appearance of the information from the last chapters as they occur on the televisor.
1. Political Structure: Queen, sub kingdoms, Clay People, Forest People. Inability to conceive of political structure outside this culture or culture’s history
2. Costuming looks Roman and or Middle Ages. Confusion between SciFi and Fantasy
3. Asia “tinge”. Ming, Mongo Carries over into Star Wars. Jedi (jietai) Force (chi) sword fights with light sabers (Middle Ages or samurai?). Additionally, Ming’s home planet is Mongo. So between Ming and Mongo(l) we have some pretty clear references to Asian countries and cultures. Remember this is just prior to WWII and growing tension with the Japanese.
. Although the film has many cultural elements in it (and indeed, it is hard to imagine a film that would lack the cultural imprint of its maker), they elements may not be well handled. This is not meant to be a “great” film, but one basically for enjoyment. It is also important to remember that the film was a serial, made to lure people back to the film week after week.
Earlier cultural patterns dealing with appropriate behavior are regularly in evidence (often in extreme or “pure” forms). Flash attacks Ming to get sapphire, but even after ihe has it, he continues to strangle him. Flash later apologizes to Ming, since it is improper for a younger stringer man to physically attack an older one – especially after he already has what he is after. Similarly, Flash does not kill Ming at the end, but Ming’s Martian ally does – Flash attempts to prevent it, but fails A proper American hero does not operate outside the law.
What kinds of etiquette can be seen in the film that date it?
Later Flash seems to have decided that the “king” of the clay people will replace Azura and Barin (note resemblance of name to old title “Baron”) will replace the King of the Forest people (even thought he has his own planet Mongo) to rule. It seems acceptable for the American hero to establish the rulers of other places.
What does the ending imply about the way in which a government can be established.
Dale Arden is a very different woman than the one we see in Trapeze Dale is rather passive (says “Oh Flash” a lot and then faints). She is there in large part to give Flash someone to save, although most chapters end with Flash in danger, not Dale.
What does the serial imply about gender?
Main Page
Course Outline
Films (Tentative)