Gender Exploitation in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof
Death Proof is an homage film in the style of the classic grindhouse movies which were usually lo 
w-budget genre flicks shown in rundown theatres in the 70s.
The film is intentionally marred to give it a worn look, much like the films from that era would appear due to mishandling of the film reels.
Essentially, the film is a revenge story, a favorite theme of Tarantino's and one at which he excels (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill). It is obvious that this is a labor of love for Tarantino and one clearly gets the sense that he is a true fan of this genre of film making. As such, Death Proof is a fun, albeit wordy, ride with some underlying themes worth exploring.
Tarantino makes interesting points on gender roles and assumptions about female and male social patterns. Grindhouse films were known for their exploitative subject matter and Death Proof is no exception. Men and women are equally exploited in different fashions. (Caveat: This is not a film to be discussed on any sort of academic level, it is a film to be enjoyed on a visceral, if not carnal, level.) It is possible that Tarantino isn't even aware of the subtleties in his film. For example, during the first half we meet and get to spend a lot of time with the first group of girls. They are portrayed as being frivolous party girls, whose antics we follow in what proves to build up to a cruel payoff. Camera shots are...ahem, well placed. They are presented talking at length about the upcoming evening's festivities and all the while they are, unknown to them, being stalked by a man. This attitude toward women can appear misogynistic at first but is reversed in the second half of the film. Tarantino initially portrays women as frivolous playthings (but always retaining power) then puts them in the driver seat, literally, in the last half of the film.
The film is intentionally marred to give it a worn look, much like the films from that era would appear due to mishandling of the film reels.
Essentially, the film is a revenge story, a favorite theme of Tarantino's and one at which he excels (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill). It is obvious that this is a labor of love for Tarantino and one clearly gets the sense that he is a true fan of this genre of film making. As such, Death Proof is a fun, albeit wordy, ride with some underlying themes worth exploring.
Tarantino makes interesting points on gender roles and assumptions about female and male social patterns. Grindhouse films were known for their exploitative subject matter and Death Proof is no exception. Men and women are equally exploited in different fashions. (Caveat: This is not a film to be discussed on any sort of academic level, it is a film to be enjoyed on a visceral, if not carnal, level.) It is possible that Tarantino isn't even aware of the subtleties in his film. For example, during the first half we meet and get to spend a lot of time with the first group of girls. They are portrayed as being frivolous party girls, whose antics we follow in what proves to build up to a cruel payoff. Camera shots are...ahem, well placed. They are presented talking at length about the upcoming evening's festivities and all the while they are, unknown to them, being stalked by a man. This attitude toward women can appear misogynistic at first but is reversed in the second half of the film. Tarantino initially portrays women as frivolous playthings (but always retaining power) then puts them in the driver seat, literally, in the last half of the film.