Brain storming for my paper on The Cell.
September 29, 2002 8:39 p.m.

The Cell, the Cell. Yes the Cell.

If you know me at all you know I quite enjoy this movie.

Now, for awhile I've needed to pick a topic to write or speak about for my Female Artists class. ...now my prof is seriously awesome. I love her. She and I can sit and talk forever about film and art, ...more acciurately, the analyzation of film. ...In fact she was recently published, her topic comparing Panic Room to 17 century art.

Anyway, we talked while back about the possiblity of my writing. ...and I decided upon The Cell. ...See, I wanted to write about the cell for my personality pysch class, ..analyzing the usage of Freud in the film. It would have been awesome,...but she wouldn't let me...

However, There is so much I can write about the cell for this paper. ...My prof suggested that I do some Brain storming on the subject.....I have more than enought ideas..I just need to collect them and keep them in one place. Where could be better, than here!

So, What can I write about the cell, well there are several different angles.

1. I could discuss the various physical manifestations of JLo's appearence durring the course of the film. (It's kind of hard to sound smart and refer to Jennifer lopez as JLo at the same time.)

There are really 7 (the number seems to increase the more I think and the more I type.) different forms she takes on, and what virtures do these forms symbolize, and what does that say about her as a woman? ...This woman hero, ...she is the hero, but Vince Vauhn is the protaganist. ...and what does that actually illustrate.

1. We first see her dress in a gorgeous white dress, very pure, almost innocent, very gentle, when she approches the boy.

2. The red suit. ..It is almost like muscle, protecting her. It is very tough, and hard, and masculine, but at the same time very curvy and volupsuous.

3. Her Professional attire. ...Showing her as competent, as well as confident, and yet gentle and femine at the same time. (I'm including her costuming when she first enters his mind in the catagory.)

4. In her underware, at home. This shows her entirely vulnerable, and how much of a woman she is.

5. As the Virgin Mary. The example of the 'perfect' mother. There for showing her as having motherly charactoristics.

6. As Warrior w/crossbow, kicking ass. showing power and strength ..and control.

I can go in to depth why it is sigficant that see is shown all these ways: Gentle, Strong, Professional, Vulnerable, Motherly, Powerful.

And the entire time being a powerful example of Empathy.

All this explaining why this charactor is a wonderful example of a woman in the role of hero in a modern film. ...The hero in a situation that a man might, or might not be able to do.

The fact that she is a woman who is everything, unlike the roles of woman being shown as very flat, 1 dementional charactors.

I could also write on the role of the woman as victim. ...I could use this film, as well as past horror films.

The idea that all of this man's victims are woman, and the fact that he drowns them,...not physally doing the deed himself. Also the fact that we see these women drowning, the way it is right in your face, where as in other films it is not that blunt and direct.

Also, his victims are not dumb blonds with big boobs. They are intelligent, and put up a good struggle and a good fight even after been trapped.

Their one 'weakness' is empathy, and that is what he uses against them. However, JLo's charactor proves that Empathy is not only an asset, but it can also be a weapon.

Now gee, how long is this paper going to be?

I was even continplating going into the imagery of the film...maybe even looking though art history books to find examples of woman dressed in similar attire.