INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background to the study
Film has been in existence since time immemorial, it serves many
generations as a tool of understanding and passing across vital
information and ideas generated by individual different communities.
Since some people lack reading cultures, there is a need to engage films
to disseminate information to the public for better understanding.
Film, in the generic sense is the basis of all motion picture forms and
most pervasive form of communication and entertainment in the postmodern
world, Tomase (2005).
Films play an important role in the fabric of our society. It is
like a food which people cannot joke with, because of the satisfaction
of hunger. The need to ensure that ideologies and values that need
public participation is transformed into social thinking and debate has
been a serious concern to people and governments. To avail themselves
this golden opportunity, they resorted to various films which are
extensively used because of the important role they play in the comity
of nations, especially on how they command extensive audience
participation. Films transpose the discourse of social life into
cinematic narratives, Ryan and Keller (1988). The film producers are
supposed to be deeply rooted in the language and culture of its
audience. The manner adopted by film producers to express themselves in
various languages of their choices is very important to the audience
because they show the importance of understanding the message the
producer of any film is passing across to audience. Film is a popular
cultural form which is regarded as a gauge of social attitudes and
change, Kuhn (1990).
Masoud (2010) defines film as the currency of intellectual debate.
Films help the audiences both old and new to rethink their places in the
world and critically motivate them to do something about the injustice
and exploitation to which they are witnessed Pietari (2013).
From the foregoing, it is suffice to say that film is a subtle way in
which producers utilize to express their opinions to the public.
In spite of the magnitude of film as a powerful vehicles for
moulding public opinion and determining people's perception of social
reality, it is worrisome that women are unfairly portrayed in Nigerian
home videos .Nigeria is still dominated by stereotyped portrayal of
gender relations and negative images of women. The explosion in the
number of local video films is truly astounding. Aihe (1996:7) cited
Chinyere (2013) points out that at least one video film enters the
market every week . According to him "The result is that in a single
year since the past three years, more than three hundred local films
have been pumped into the Nigerian market”. The negative images of women
by the large local home video films producers have eroded the positive
feelings of the audience both within and outside the country. This has
made a growing number of Nigerian women have in recent years expressed
misgivings about the portrayal of women in Nigerian home video films
(Ezeigbo, 1996: Layor, 1995).
To investigate the representation and images of women in Nigerian
film, this research will adopt a thematic and semiotic analysis of
Nigerian film of ‘’Thunderbolt’ (2000) produced by Tunde Kilani ,one of
the films belonging to Nollywood . This popular film belongs to the
melodramatic genre that characterizes contemporary filmmaking in
Nigeria. Most interestingly, despite the films is characterized with
socio-cultural history, it employs the genre and theme in relation to
women’s position in the narrative structure.
The selection of this film is based on its popularity, which occurs
due to the popularity of the filmmaker, more importantly the
melodramatic, heartwarming plot, love and narrative of the film. The
film revolves about two different tribes in which the protagonist
(woman) proves to her husband beyond any reasonable doubt of her love
and hope that two different tribes can live in harmony in spite of their
cultural differences. The film portrays a woman is loyal to her family
vows and abhor any sort of sexuality outside marriage. Thunderbolt is
decidedly progressive. It is beyond any doubt that the
audience’s identification with Ngozi as a (relatively) strong female
main character somewhat subverts societal norms of male dominance.
This examination of sexual politics is suitable to the video-film’s
overarching discourse of modern (or Western) beliefs versus African
tradition. While it is somewhat Western in its treatment of sexual
politics, however, it sides overtly with traditional beliefs in many
other ways. The film portrays a modern African woman educated and
well-to-do, and she works instead of staying home to take care of her
baby, and her modern beliefs nearly cause her downfall, as she scoffs at
the idea that she has been placed under some sort of curse. it is
faster-paced, more focused on character psychology, and far more
melodramatic than canonical films.
This study indicates empirical evidence to support or disprove such
misgivings of women in our society. This is demonstrated by the
widespread condemnation of violent and socially deviant contents of the
Nigerian films, stereotyped and negative portrayals of vulnerable social
groups like women. The film narrates mystical love victimization.
Theoretically, this research employs the feminist perspective to
identify the images of women in the selected film using the semiotics
approach as its method. Semiotics concepts are applied when analyzing
the film. Semiotics as originated from linguistics can be applied to
cinema although care must be taken when doing so because cinematic
language is not like the normal verbal language in everyday use Abubakar
(2014)
Considering the popular definition of Semiotics as the scientific
study of signs (Saussure, 1983), this study uses the conceptualisation
of semiotics found in the works of various researchers on semiotics to
explain sign usage in this study. Signs take the form of words, images,
sounds, odours, flavours, acts or objects, but such things have no
intrinsic meaning and become signs only when we invest them with meaning
common to a particular society. According to C.S. Peirce (1931:58),
'nothing is a sign unless it is interpreted as a sign'. Anything can be a
sign as long as someone interprets it as 'signifying' something -
referring to or standing for something other than itself. We interpret
things as signs largely unconsciously by relating them to familiar
systems of convention. Since the science of sign has been a major medium
of communication across races, tribes and people over the ages, it is
pertinent for us to consider it as a vehicle for disseminating themes
for this study.Greimas (1990)cited Oso (2016) postulates that nothing,
in semiotic has meaning in and of itself because context is very
important to meaning-making. For this study to be complete, the subject
matter must be understood well. Themes in any work of fiction are the
key or central ideas of the producer of films and through these themes;
comments on life generally are made (Kofa, 2010).
Adágbádá (2009:31) postulates that the source of the theme is that
which forms the basis of a poem, prose or play, and it is normally the
society with its cultural norms and values. Authors’ way of using
signification as a means of conveying their thematic concerns is the
major thrust of this study; hence, it is the meaningful use of signs
which is at the heart of the concerns of semiotics that is dwelt on in
this study.
However, according to the feminist film perspective, most of the
films produced in Nigeria reproduce and distort the images of women in
comparison to their real social images and roles. While describing the
way women are portrayed in Nigerian video films, Adekunle argued that “there
is a noticeable trend in the Nigerian film industry...the women in the
films come as wicked, manipulative, loose in morals, diabolic and
inferior to the men” (Adekunle, 2010, p. 1). The controversy here
involves whether the films distort or reproduce reality. Some of the
social situations reviewed in this research attest to the film images
situating women as they are in real life.
1.2 History of Nollywood.
The emotionally traumatizing “Master – Servant” relationship,
apparent in the constant assaults, batteries, intimidation, segregation,
victimization, carried out while using Colonial masters on the
colonized, with darkened clouds of resentment, vengeance, thirst for
freedom, offering option to splattering drops of such thoughts,
instinctively projected consequently of the colonized intermittent
in-subordinate actions, began to distribute one of many blacks. The
British realized they had to thread with caution when they even now
desired to take part in “god” inside their lives when films just like
Tales of Manhattan, Trailer horn, Tarzan series began to stir up a
revolution in the hearts of Blacks around the globe.
Aware of the lethal energy of insurgency which could be unleashed
consequently of the movie medium, the British out of fearfulness for his
or her lives and achievable the loss of the Queen’s sovereignty took
the bull while using horn, and swiftly created a Colonial movie Censors
Board (FCB) in 1933 to censor and classify films just before they were
released for visual consumption while using public. Following the
establishment of the board, Films just like “The primitive, primitive
man, Dixie, Buffalo Bill, The Keys of the Kingdom, Sleepy village Girl
were tagged ‘suitable’ to be watched , while Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,
Clive of India, The Isle of Forgotten Sins, home of Frankenstein were
considered as unsuitable for viewing .
The list of documented films created for the duration of the 70′s era
and transcending somewhat into the 80′s is simply astonishing and goes
to demonstrate that the Movie Industry has been near to much longer,
contrary towards ‘1992 perception syndrome’ most are already injected
with .Such works include Kongi Harvest (1971), Alpha (1972), Bull Frog
in the sunlight (1974), Amadi (1975), Ajani Ogun (1975), Muzik Man
(1976), Bisi, Daughter of the River (1977), Ija Ominira (1978), Aiye
(1979), Kadara (1980), Jaiyesimi (1980) Efunsetan Aniwura (1981), Cry
independence (1981),Ija Orogun (1982) Owo L’Agba (1982)
Several researchers have written Literatures on Nollywood ranges from
the historical aspects of the industry to the theme, plots, production
and distribution of films for local and global audiences. The film has
been a source of expressing and understanding the Nigerian culture as
well as an influence on the lifestyles of Nigerian people. origin of
movies to the 1960s when the first set of Nollywood movies were
produced by great historical filmmakers, the likes of Hubert Ogunde, Jab
Adu, Ola Balogun, Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala) and Eddie Ugboma. These
professionals are considered to be the first generation of Nigerian
filmmakers. Moses Olaiya a.k.a Baba Sala, brought the modern Nigerian
comedy to life with his comic movies. Sam Loco Efe’s name can’t be left
out in this nomenclature with his humorous comedies. Hubert Ogunde was a
pioneer in the field of Nigerian opera. He was known for the
establishment of the Ogunde Theatre in 1945, which was the first
professional theatrical company in Nigeria. He was also referred to as
the father of the Nigerian theatre because of his great contribution to
the birth of the Nigerian film industry.
The Nigerian movie industry (Home video Industry) a.k.a Nollywood has
been typically accepted to have started-- immediately following the
success of Ken Nebue’s “Living in bondage”. From then on, its expansion
and attendant complications are known (by fascinated parties).The
Nigerian film industry is increasing the level of scholarship with
several researchers investigating the genres, production, distribution
and challenges faced by the film with the country the number of films
produced, as well as the themes and storyline of Nigerian films
(Ebewo,2007; Haynes and Okome 1998, Obayiuwana 2011)cited Elizabeth
(2004).
Nigerians became fully involved in the production of films, and by 1970, the first indigenous feature film, “KONGI’S HARVEST”,
written by Wole Soyinka, was produced in Nigeria. However, it was
directed by an American and many of its crew members were foreigners.
Later, more individuals became involved in the production of indigenous
films, the likes of, Ola Balogun, Eddie Ugbomah, Ladi Ladebo and others.
With several studies done in the past about the emerging Nollywood
film industry,the Nigerian film industry is viewed in both negative and
positive ways.
1.3. Statement of the Problem and Research Questions
This study was motivated by the researcher’s observation that the
representation of women in cinema today is a matter of debate. Nigerian
cinema practices are influenced by the patriarchal ideologies and
fantasies of the male filmmakers where women are placed in a lower
social status, often domesticated as housewives, secretaries, nurses,
and child breeders Abubakar (2014).
However, this kind of maligning of womanhood did not stop but was
augmented through negative representations. In most Nigerian films,
women are portrayed as home breakers, prostitutes, materialists, victims
of poverty, and evil doers. This type of representation is not
restricted to films produced by men in Nigeria; even those produced by
women situate women in such ominous positions. Women are suppressed and
maligned within the film industry; they play secretaries, prop girls,
odd-job girls, receptionists, and similar characters. They are oppressed
by being packaged as images (sex objects, victims, or vampires) and
they are oppressed within film theory by male critics who celebrate
auteur (Thornham, 1999).The above prescribed roles attached to female
cinematic representation are passive, very low status roles. None of the
roles is active, and women tend be under men as their masters,
husbands, or fathers. However, in some societies, these features might
not offend based on the status of women in those societies because
media, including film, reflect a society, although feminists suspect the
male auteur of distorting the real social images of women in their
films
It is against this backdrop that this study investigates the best
method to represent the features and images of Nigerian women in
Nollywood films. This research work revolves around Nigerian film
Nollywood and examines one film. However, the theoretical approach is
feminist film theory while the methodology for analysis remains the
semiotics approach
This research investigates the dominant images of women in Nigerian
film industries, Nollywood. To do so, the following questions will be
answered:
1. What are the major features and images of women in Nigerian
cinema? How are they represented in the context of their social status?
Are they positively or negatively represented in the film?
2. How does Nigerian cinema reproduce or subvert cultural hegemony? Do the films promote patriarchy or feminism?
1.4. Aim and objectives
The aim of the study was carried out to critically examine how women are being portrayed in Nigerian film:
i. to bring out the major features and images of women in Nigerian cinema.
ii. to ascertain the level of representation of women in the context of their social status.
iii. to determine whether or not Nigerian films promotes patriarchy or feminism.
iv. to investigate whether the Nigerian cinema reproduces or subverts cultural hegemony.
.
Chapter Two: Theoretical framework
2.1 Feminist film theory
Many competing approaches and theories guide film analysis, including
anthropological theory, semiotics theory, neo-structuralism theory,
feminist theory, and neo-Marxist theory (Ukata, 2010). Feminist film
theory emerged in the 1970s and is rooted in the women’s movement of the
1960s. The central discourse of the feminists involves how film texts
are worked and constructed to impose patriarchal ideology on females.
However, the desire of the female to counter and criticize the
mainstream cinema, while advocating alternative cinema and filmmaking in
which women were given favorable, active, and leading roles as the main
protagonists led to the birth of feminist film discourses.
Additionally, in their bid to counter the masculine-oriented cinema,
feminists even delved into criticism of the mainstream media
representation of women, such as in television programmes, newspapers
and magazines (Hollinger, 2012) cited in Abubakar (2014).
Feminist documentary and films reveals what motivated feminists to
start their films: They (feminists) found that women traditionally seen
on the screens were the reproduction of the experience, imagination, and
fantasies of male filmmakers. Feminists, both academics and radicals,
at all levels are fighting to bridge the cultural gaps between men and
women. Feminists works in the humanities have aimed both at eliminating
the disadvantages that women directors, authors, visual artists, and
composers have in relation to their male colleagues and supplying
missing historical information about women (Buikema, 1995).
McCabe maintains that the primary intention of feminist films is to
understand the ways in which women are represented in film and to expose
the sexist and women-centered content of cinema narratives as well as
to reveal the media description of women as sexual objects for men’s
pleasure (McCabe, 2004).Feminists in film studies are also concerned
about the sexist image of women in the works men produce, which led to
coining of the term ‘sexual difference.’ Feminist studies have focused
on establishing a female aesthetic independent of the cultural norms and
values set by men (Buikema, 1995). Nevertheless, Haskell (1973) and
Rosen (1993) reveal that feminist arguments on films are about
representation and spectatorship, the stereotypes of women in cinema,
and the distortion of women’s images from reality.
Moreover, feminists are accusing the media, script writers and the
film producers of misrepresenting women, portraying them in a
stereotypical manner, denigrating them, and always showing them in the
home and subordinate to men (Nelmes, 2007, p. 227). It is necessary that
women should be shown in a variety of roles; they should be depicted as
heroines, not only in the roles of loving a man, homemaking, and
bearing children. The women should be represented as active.
They should not face ridicule or unhappy or tragic endings; women
should be given high positions, depicted in adventures that do not
center on sexual attraction for a man or in working with other women
without cattiness (Thornham, 1999). Moreover, Claire Johnson, in her
paper “Women Cinema, a Counter Cinema,” showed how women have been
portrayed in films since the days of silent cinema. Women are always
seen as an extension of a man. Thus, she castigated the narrow roles
women have been given in films (Nelmes, 2007).
The other feminist theories that help in examination of the feminist
movement concerning cinematic representations are reflection theory,
equality theory, and theory of difference. Reflection theory of women
and film says that the cinema reflects and represents the social
reality. The way women are depicted in films is the way society treats
them. These depictions are false and distorted; hence, they should be
changed (Hill & Church, 2000).
If the cinema reinforces the social reality, feminists must first
change the societal perceptions of women and the way they are treated,
starting from the grassroots rather than attacking the male auteur to
the extent of deconstructing the cinema contents with regard to female
representations. Reflection theory, describes societies where women are
highly valuable and respected, their cinematic images are the same as in
reality. Moreover, feminists have strongly opposed reflection theory,
arguing that it allows a reconstruction and distortion by the filmmakers
(White, 2000).
Feminists agitating for equality are trying to emancipate women, to
have them seen as coherent, rational, and autonomous. De Beauvoir
provided an example of equality emancipating theory. She argued that
women should live the way men do and their social roles should go beyond
motherhood and subalterns to men; rather, they should be equal and
shoulder to shoulder with men. Moreover, part of their struggle is to
acknowledge the ignored women historical figures, authors, visual
artists, playwrights, and composers (Buikema, 1995).
Feminists who apply the theory of difference campaign for the
abolition of sexual differences, for females to have full access to
social and cultural structures. They want women’s social and cultural
positions to be strengthened, using different means to promote women’s
interests and raising questions regarding women’s aesthetics. However,
Buikema argues that sexual difference is constructed by society. In
addition, while demarcating gender and sex, Buikema maintained that
‘sex’ refers to biological differences between women and men and
‘gender’ to the identity and social position that accompany this
biological difference in particular cultures (Buikema, 1995). This
entails that the feminist discourses on film and cinematic
representations justify the patriarchal domination and ideology imposed
on females within the popular culture. However, without a tangible
vision of feminism, it is impossible to fully understand how gender
shapes the cinema.
To crown it all, the arguments and discourses of feminists in all
spheres and disciplines revolve around three basic perspectives:
representation, spectatorship, gender and sexual difference.
2.2 Semiotics and the semiotic approach in film studies
African literary artists have used and are still using various
theories to analyse and evaluate literary works. Among such theories are
Formalism, Structuralism, Marxism, Feminism, Semiotics and Sociology of
Literature among others. These theories are aesthetics of discourse;
they are tools for deeper literary interpretations . Semiotics is the
theory and study of sign and symbols, especially as elements of language
or other systems of communication (Umberto Eco, 1987) cited Oso (2016).
Semiotics is a method used for textual analysis in social science
disciplines and linguistics. It is concerned with how combinations of
signs communicate and make meaning in a given text. The text can be
sound, image, or a combination of the two. Semiotics is the study of the
means that can be used to communicate, such as words, images, traffic
signs, flowers, music, and medical symptoms (Taylor & Willis, 2007;
see Berger, 2000). Saussure (1916) maintains that semiotics is a science
that deals with study of the life of signs within society (Noth, 1995;
see Lapsley & Westlake, 1998).
However, semiotics can be said to come out of linguistics as some
early semioticians borrowed certain concepts of semiotics application
from linguistics structures. Buckland argued that “early
semioticians borrowed from structural linguistics the communication
test, a deductive method of analyzing how the underlying level lends
structure to surface level”(Buckland 2004, p. 36).
Chandler (2000) maintains that Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure
(1857-1913) was a pioneer who regularly referred to semiotics. According
to Chandler, the other key role players in the early development of
semiotics are American philosophers Peirce (1839-1914) and Morris
(1901-1979). Chandler also acknowledged Eco, Barthes, Kristeva, Metz,
Jacobson, Halliday, and Greimas as leading contemporary semiotic
theorists. Moreover, semiotics cannot be separated from structuralism;
Levi-Strauss in anthropology and Lacan in psycho analysis are also
considered important in the field (Chandler, 2000).
In addition, semiotics also deals with how meanings are produced
within a given media text. Seiter (1999) identifies the benefits of
semiotics analysis thus, “It allowed us to describe the workings of
cultural communication with greater and enlarged our recognition of the
conventions that characterize our culture” (Taylor & Willis, 2007 p.
19). Moreover, Berger argues that “semiotics helps us to
understand how to decipher the messages we are sent and understand
better the messages we send about ourselves to others” (Berger, 2000, p. 43). Moreover, Vanzoonen (1994) defines semiotics analysis thus, “semiotics
analysis can be seen as formalization of the interpretative activities
ordinary human being undertakes incessantly” (Taylor & Willis 2007,
p. 19). Fiske maintains that when dealing with semiotics we
concentrate on terms like denote and connote (Fiske, 1990). He further
argued that semiotics systems “concentrate on analyses of a
structured set of relationship which enable a message to signify
something. Moreover, semiotics works tend to contribute in
demystification and neutralizing representations and making them as constructed signs” (Westlake & Lapsley 1998, p. 33).
Based on the above definitions of semiotics from different scholars,
semiotics involves the study of different linguistic and cultural signs
and the way they make meanings in a given text. Text can be sound,
image, spoken words, or a combination of all. The meaning for
semioticians should have cultural significance
Through various types of signs, everything in this world entails and
imparts a certain meaning of its own in the eyes of the receivers.
Chandler (2000) explains that in semiotics, signs are perhaps everything
from which meanings can be deduced, like words, images, sounds,
gestures, and objects. To analyze semiotics in Saussure’s approach,
every sign has two concepts: a signifier, the form the sign takes, and
the signified, the concept it represents.
Semiotics has been criticized because its approach tends to be
subjective based on the researcher’s level of perception of what he or
she is analyzing. If two people are given the same text to analyze,
their results will differ, particularly at the connotative level.
Nevertheless, semiotics provides researchers with unifying concepts and
sets of methods. It is the approach that made available different
methodological terms to follow in analyses. Semiotics serves as a
textual analysis method that gives more room to researchers to express
their thoughts, while also giving them the chance to dig beyond the
surface and manifest meaning of a text. Metz( 1974). continued to argue
that “film, like a verbal language can be used merely as a vehicle
without any artistic intention, with designation (denotation) governing
alone and consequently, the art of the cinema like verbal art is, so to
speak, driven one notch upward” .
Semiotics has been criticized because its approach tends to be
subjective based on the researcher’s level of perception of what he or
she is analyzing. If two people are given the same text to analyze,
their results will differ, particularly at the connotative level.
Nevertheless, semiotics provides researchers with unifying concepts and
sets of methods. It is the approach that made available different
methodological terms to follow in analyses. Semiotics serves as a
textual analysis method that gives more room to researchers to express
their thoughts, while also giving them the chance to dig beyond the
surface and manifest meaning of a text. However, the problem of film
expressiveness as Metz put it is that cinema is not like a language
system because it contrasts important linguistics facts, while a
language is a system of signs with rules used for inter-communication
(Metz, 1974). Metz continued to argue that “film, like a verbal
language can be used merely as a vehicle without any artistic intention,
with designation (denotation) governing alone and consequently, the art
of the cinema like verbal art is, so to speak, driven one notch upward”
(Metz, p. 77). He further maintained that the semiotics should be applied to cinema studies with the greatest caution
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
This chapter presented research method adopted for the study. It
examined such germane items as research design, data source, data
design, data analysis procedure, sampling technique which was anchored
for data collection.
3.1. Research design
This study adopted qualitative research design and drew its data from
Nollywood film. This enabled the researcher to identify the various
ways in which the film producers portray women in the film.
3.2 Data source
Thunderbolt film produced by Tunde Kilani and was written by Femi Kayode (2000) was critically examined .
3.3 Data Analysis Procedure.
The analysis of the study was done in accordance with the aim and objective of the study.
i. to bring out the major features and images of women in Nigerian cinema.
ii. to ascertain the level of representation of women in the context of their social status.
iii. to determine whether or not Nigerian films promotes patriarchy or feminism.
iv. to investigate whether the Nigerian cinema reproduces or subverts cultural hegemony.
.
3.4. Sampling technique, sample size and data collection procedure
One film was randomly selected and critically examined.
Summary
The chapter started with the methodology adopted to achieve the
objectives for this work. Research design, data source, data analysis
procedure, sampling technique, sample size and data collection procedure
adopted for this work were also discussed.
4.0 Chapter Four: Analysis
4.1. Analysis of Thunderbolt.
The analysis of Thunderbolt employs different modes and
approaches but emphasizes on the semiotics method, which is the main
methodological approach of the researcher. By examining the iconography
of this film, semiotics concepts such as connotation and denotation,
signifier and signified will be applied.
Aesthetically, Thunderbolt (2000) is a film that presents the role of
supernatural beliefs, folklore, heartwarming, popular melodramatic
film, sexual politics in Nigerian society and the conflict between
modernity and African traditions.
4.2 Background information about the film
Thunderbolt (2000) was produced by Tunde Kilani. The Thunderbolt resulting from jealousy caused by the evil plot of a man in the central theme of the film. However, thunderbolt is
presented in the chronological order of its narrative using different
types of shots and scenes. The film also depicts the conflict life
style between two different tribes and jealousy .
Moreover, in terms of ideology, this film appeals less to ideology
than the patriarchy embedded in most Nigerian societies. The Yoruba
culture encourages patriarchy in that the men are the leaders at home.
However, the critiques of ideology are concerned with deconstructing the
ideological practices through assessment of their legitimacy. Rodriguez
maintained that “a central aim of ideology critique therefore consists of assessing the legitimacy of a practice of subordination” (Rodriguez,
no date, p. 269). With regard to the above statements, Nigerian elites
are yet to wake up to using the film medium for influential aims in
society. This is because filmmaking is not seen as a respectable
activity but rather a profitable business. In Nigeria, filmmakers are
considered immoral and agents of moral decadence.