Dominant and alternative ideology

Titanic
An old lady who claims to be a survivor of the Titanic tells her story to an eager group of treasure hunters, who are in search of a rare diamond in the Titanic's wreckage. Her name is Rose and she was a passenger on the Titanic along with the star, Jack. The two meet and Rose, unhappy with her arranged marriage to Cal. Jack, a young artist, who struggles to get through with life yet inexplicably enjoys it, sees the true Rose hidden behind the upper class snob. As he continues to spend time with her the two fall in love and kiss on the bow of the Titanic. Meanwhile the ship hits an iceberg and Jack is framed for theft and chained up in the lower levels of the ship whilst it is sinking! Rose tries to find a way to free him, and get off the ship. Will they both survive the sinking?


Dominant ideology
The film Titanic presents dominant ideology as it appeals to many audiences. the main target audience was young and old white males and females of a middle class/upper class background. However because of the eccentric storyline involving a poor boy from a working class background falling in love with a rich upper-class women and their struggles during this journey, it has appealed to many more audiences like working class people. Other then the fact that it was a huge blockbuster hit in the western world, the movie ratings where equally high all over Asia. This may be because the movie explores the difficulties of being from a different class and wanting to be with someone of another class, this is a huge issue in Asia especially countries like India where they have the “caste” system and if you associate with people from a lower class it degrades your reputation and brings “shame” to your family. In titanic Jack and Rose are lovers and they break this tradition as they come closer together. It appeals to a young audience because of the characters who are young and they represent “young love” meaning love is possible even when you are young. It also appeals to an older audience as rose from the beginning  is seen as an old women telling her tale of how she loved and lost and many old people can relate to this.



Freedom Writers

Fresh–faced, idealistic twenty–three–year–old Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) is ready to take on the world as she steps inside Wilson High School for her first day of teaching. Her class, a diverse group of racially charged teenagers from different walks of life – African Americans, Latinos, Asians, juvenile delinquents, gang members, and underprivileged students from poor neighbourhoods – hope for nothing more than to make it through the day.

On the surface, the only thing they share is their hatred for each other and the understanding that they are simply being warehoused in the educational system until they are old enough to disappear. Despite her students’ obstinate refusal to participate during class, Erin tries various means to engage them on a daily basis. But then ghetto reality steps in to focus the picture.

A racially motivated gang shooting witnessed by a Latina gang member in Erin’s class, and an an ugly racial cartoon that Erin intercepts during class, become the most unwittingly dynamic teaching aids. They spark a transformation in the classroom, compel them to listen and force her to take off her idealistic blinders and take in the kids’survival stories of their undeclared war on the streets. Erin begins to connect with them. She brings in music from the ‘Hood, and literature from another kind of ghetto, The Diary of Anne Frank, and with these simple tools she opens her students’ eyes to the experiences of those suffering intolerance throughout the world and the struggles of those outside their own communities.

Alternative ideology
“Freedom Writers” presents itself as an alternative ideology or “subordinate” as it is appealing to a female working class audience. The movie involves a lot of ethnic backgrounds who are all at war with each other. This film’s main target audience is people male or female from an ethnic working class background from their teens till 40’s. It targets ethnic teens since in this movie the struggle is about them and how they learn to live with each other. Middle aged people because the solution for these children is the white middle class teacher who learns to look beyond their background and understands their struggles outside of school but in the classroom she unites everyone.