Portrayal of Women in Dreamgirls 2006 - Movie Review Example

Number] Portrayal of Women in Dreamgirls (2006) Dreamgirls is a one of the most popular movies released in 2006. It is a musical film directed by American director Bill Condon. The movie won three awards at 64th Golden Globe Awards and also won two awards in 79th Oscar Academy awards. The movie is an adaptation of Broadway book by Tom Eyen. The film basically emphasizes over the evolution of R&B music in the age of disco, funk and doo-wop music. However, the underlying theme of the movie is the depiction of women characters in the context of their racial identities and social class. The movie revolves around the story of three African American women and their quest for becoming a successful singing group. The essay aims to discuss the portrayal of women in the movie from the women studies’ perspective. The essay interprets the message divulged in the movie in the backdrop of Native American culture and focuses upon the assumptions made about the gender. The discussion aims to explain the meanings that movie imparts about the roles of women in connection with race and social class. In this regard, the essay presents a concise summary of the movie to illustrate the setting of the story and then proceeds to explore the depiction of women characters in the movie. The plot of the movie is set in the period of 1960s and 1970s. The movie narrates the lives of three young promising and talented African American women who formed a music trio The Dreamattes with the dream of becoming famous musical group. The three women Effie White, Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson were the members of the musical group where Effie acted as the leading singer. The singing talent of the girls was discovered by the record executive Curtis Taylor. He offered the girls to become back-up singers for headliners James Thunder. He worked hard on the grooming of the girls and takes the control of look and sound of the group. He soon started feeling closer to Deena and based upon his romantic interest he insists that Deena should replace Effie as leading singer of the group. They underwent a conflicting situation over the issues of change of group name and substitution of lead singer. The record executive insists that they should change the name of the group to Dreams because this name seems to be more music friendly. Furthermore, he also wants to see Deena as the leading singer of the group. The movie shows the three women having the realization that they have to pay high costs for getting their dreams come true because the fame and fortune comes to them in exchange for much higher cost then their imaginations. At this point, they have to take major decisions and compromises for the attainment of their dreams. The group recorded a song in the recording studio of Curtis and his partner. The song moves up the charts but it was re-recorded by white singers and soon people forget that the song was originally sung by the group of Native American singers. Through this act, the movie depicts the situation frequently faced by the African American in the country that their talent and skills are pulled back and the white singers came in front taking the credit for their accomplishments. The record executive tries harder to make the original version of the song popular and soon the group succeeds to gain its identity. The girls formed their own identity under the name of Dreams but the conflict arise when Curtis insists that Effie being a dark skinned girl would not be leading singer anymore. The movie shows that Deena was supported to become the leading singer of the group not actually on the basis of her singing talent but because being prettier and white surrounding. Deena seems more attractive and suitable for media exposure and soon she was taken to the peak of fame as the leading singe of the group whereas Effie was thrown in the background. When she protested against the humiliating behaviour of Curtis, he criticized her attitude and replaced her with his secretary Morris. The group achieved several landmarks with new composition and Effie fall down in poverty and obscurity. After sometimes, Effie was encouraged and supported to sing again. Soon she regains her confidence and became the club’s headliner and attracted huge crowd towards the club through her singing. Deena realized that Curtis is actually interested in redeeming her fame rather having real interest in her personality. She leaves Curtis and reconciled with Effie. They again sing together as a group where Effie gave tremendous performance and Curtis came to know that he is father of a daughter born to Effie. The movie tells the story of transformation of a musical group however; through this story the director has actually extensively explored the gender identities of the singers in connection with their race. The movie tells the racism backed problems faced by the women during the era of 1960s and 1970s that hinder their career progression. The director shows that the native women are exploited and manipulated by the scheming men and they have to compromise over their personal preferences and friendships. This is not simply the story of three native women but it illustrates the problem commonly faced by the African American women in American society. It shows that women have to struggle hard with the system of power that curbs their potentials and limits their career progression on racial basis. The story of the movie tells that the women despite having talent and ambitions have to go through certain compromises and sacrifice in order to make their dreams come true. The racism acts as great barrier in the career progression of women and they are often dejected on the basis of their race and colour. The powerful group in the society frequently exploits the women and use their talent as the tool for the promotion of their own interests and careers rather having true interest and love with them. The women characters are portrayed in the movie to explain that the women have to face certain tough and defining moments in their lives where they have to make the choice between their career goals and personal thinking and friendships. They have to compromise over their real personalities, preferences, ideologies, thinking, and friendship because in order to be successful they have to make them acceptable for the surrounding people and the entire society. The women portrayed in the movie represent different aspects of women nature and social behaviours. The character of Effie depicts the miserable treatment of black women in the American society that they have to face the humiliating behaviours and attitude of the people because of being dark skinned. It implies that the colour and appearance of women are more important for making them successful. The real talent inside the women seems dependable upon the social acceptance of their outer look. The character of Effie also shows how women carry on hard struggle to achieve the career goals despite facing humiliating behaviour from powerful people. The character of Deena sketches the women personality in different manner and indicates that the women have to go through certain concessions while overlooking their personal feelings and affiliations in order to become successful through the support of established people in the society. The character of Deena also refers to the manipulation of women in the hands of men and shows how powerful men exploit women and use them as tool of achieving their own targets. The treatment of Deena hints that men prefer women on the basis of their apparent beauty that seems to earn them success and fame. The character of Effie has been portrayed more delicately in the movie and it divulges deep messages and hints the mistreatment of women in American society due to black colour. The character of Effie shows the importance of being pretty and white and tells that women are thrown on the back just because they are not pretty and attractive. However, the struggle led by Effie depicts the strength of a women that the social barriers could not stop women from achieving her dream and despite facing all oppositions, women have the capability to fight back and achieve their goal through their uphill struggle. Thus, it is revealed that the movie Dreamgirls sketches the gender roles in connection with social, racial and class identities and explains the difficulties confronted by women in the achievement of their career and social goals. The movie uncovers both the dark and bright aspect of women treatment within a society. At one point, the movie shows the discrimination and humiliation that women have to face on racial and colour bases. This part shows that the whiter and beautiful women are given preference over the dark skinned women even if the dark skinned women are more talented and capable. The mistreatment of women is also shown from another perspective that some native women are encouraged and groomed by men but even these women fail to get true love and loyalty from men because they just use the women as tool of enhancing their own careers and employ the women’s talent as ladder to achieve their targets. It implies that the true love and respect remain far away from the women if they don’t belong to upper social class and dominating racial group. Their talent also fails to bring them real success and love because they lack upper beauty and attraction. At the same time, the movie also points towards the bright side of the picture and shows that the determination and hard work of the women finally result in their success and despite all the humiliating behaviours and unjustified dealings, women have the potential to come out from the circles of miseries exposing strong sides of their personalities. It implies that in the end the victory goes to talent regardless of colour and race however, it took a long time for black women to gain success in a white dominated society. They have to go through series of compromises and disappointments however; the strength of women insists them continuing their journey determinately till the achievement of their goals. Thus, the entire discussion could be sum up with the conclusion that Dreamgirls is an excellent piece of cinematic intelligence that conveys deep messages regarding the reception and treatment of women in society affected by their race, colour, status and appearance. The movie describes the miseries, compromises and sacrifice made by women in exchange for their career goals and also hints their exploitation by powerful males. The movie also shows the inside strength, capabilities and potential of women due to which no one could stop them from achieving what they want in their lives. Work Cited Dreamgirls (2006). Director Bill Condon, DreamWorks Pictures Read More