Digital Culture Project #2: Primary Source
By: Giovanni Centeno
Tags: Comics, Marvel

Digital Culture Project #2: Primary Source

Minority misrepresentation in media has been a controversial topic preceding film as a medium altogether. Film was invented in the 1890’s(Skylar and Cook, 2016) and in the time since its creation, social equality and empowerment movements have accomplished a tremendous amount. Yet for some reason commercial films still widely focus on an idealized figure of the past. The figure of the white, straight male dominates the film industry and evidence can be found throughout all film genres. The superhero genre specifically illustrates the most obvious examples, and in the film poster for Thor: The Dark World, the use of composition and gesture reiterates the unimportance of women while promoting the idea of white patriarchy as salvation.

Looking at the image, almost within seconds it becomes blatantly clear that Thor, the male superhero of the film takes precedence over everything else. His figure looms overhead and overtakes most of the frame. His face is stern and aloof, as he stands straight and tall directly in the center of the composition. His dominance could practically be read in braille. Aside from the placement of Thor himself, the placement of the other of the film’s characters only accentuate his superiority as they all revolve around him, forming a golden triangular shape with Thor in the immediate center. In art history, the triangle is a traditional compositional technique used to create balance, facilitate eye travel, establish a focal point, and create a visual hierarchy. The triangle also carries a religious connotation with it, representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In renaissance paintings the peak of the triangle is usually reserved for holy figures. Consequently, by placing Thor in this prime location the artists behind the poster leave the viewer absolutely no room to doubt his superiority.

While the poster for Thor: The Dark Night features nearly twenty characters only two of these characters are women. Jane Foster, an astrophysicist and Sif, a warrior godlike being are both featured. Although instead of bringing a sense of feminine strength or equality their gestures only depict them as weak and passive. For instance, Sif, despite being a fierce warrior and having several battle scenes in the film is posed with her arms down, chest open, and a soft — almost helpless- facial expression. Compared to the other Viking gods who all seem to be fearlessly charging into battle, she is a stagnant juxtaposition. Along with her pose, Sif is completely weaponless as her sword wielding hand is clumsily cropped off the poster edge. Her last symbol of strength, though phallic, is metaphorically castrated. Meanwhile, Jane is featured in decorative Asgardian dress, which considering most of the film takes place on earth, reflects the expectation for women to assimilate into a man’s customs no matter the circumstance. Also, while Jane does stand in the foreground, her body is completely absorbed by Thor’s frame. Illustrating her as a lustful accessory rather than an entire standalone figure.

Gerry Conway, the creator of The Punisher comics once stated “..the comics follow society. They don’t lead society.” (Rosenburg, 2013). However claiming this would mean the imagination of fiction writers is confined to the societies they have grown in. Thor: The Dark Night is the story of a mythic Norse Viking God who lives in space and wields a magic hammer and yet somehow still more convincing than a strong, intelligent, independent minority in today’s media.

Rosenberg, A. (2013). ‘Legendary Comics Creators Dismiss Sexism Critiques, Say ‘The Comics Follow Society. They Don’t Lead.’. Retrieved from https://thinkprogress.org/legendary-comics-creators-dismiss-sexism-critiques-say-the-comics-follow-society-they-dont-lead-ed26ddf4ebf0#.i5s4xhxny

Creative Commons Attribution (2016). ‘Unit Two B-Composition’. Retrieved from https://mhsart1.wikispaces.com/Composition

Marvel Studios (2013). Thor: The Dark Night. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor:_The_Dark_World#/media/File:Thor_-_The_Dark_World_poster.jpg

Pau, J. (2015). ‘Ritmes Compositius En L’Escultura’. Retrieved from http://joanipau3bvip.blogspot.com/

Sklar, R. and Cook, D (2016). ‘History of the motion picture’. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/history-of-the-motion-picture