NCEA Level 3 Media Studies (90602) 2007 — page 1 of 4
Assessment Schedule – 2007
Media Studies: Explain the relationship between a media genre and society (90602)
Evidence Statement
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Candidate responds to ONE of the two statements
 Connections between genre
and society are made. At least
TWO clear connections are
made, supported with
evidence.
 Occasional oversimplification
or irrelevance, or
generalisation without
evidence may occur.
 Must discuss in terms of
GENRE rather than specific
texts. To this end, some sense
of the nature of the genre is
indicated, or some reference to
the text being representative of
the genre is given
 THREE texts discussed.
 Society should be clearly
identified.
 Expands response to an
understanding of how and / or
why these relationships
occurred.
 Analysis is of the genre’s
relationship with society, not the
text’s.
 There may be some evidence of
evaluation, but it is not sustained
or relevant throughout the
answer.
 Shows understanding of
identified society.
 Clearly outlines the nature of the
genre discussed.
 Evidence of perceptive and
cohesive argument that evaluates
the role of both genre and relevant
societal considerations.
 Builds on Merit answer by
providing a response deduced
from textual evidence and analysis
of genre already covered, ie more
than just a concluding statement.
 Can include valid speculation as to
future trends in the relationship
between genre and society.
 Integrates genre, society and
textual evidence in a coherent
response.
For example – (extract)
Option A
For example – (extract)
Option A
For example – (extract)
Option A
The postwar society in which Film
Noir was created influenced the
style and content of the films. The
ideas and values of that time can
be seen in the characters
portrayed, such as femmes fatales
and hard-boiled detectives.
Storylines were influenced and
regulated by the Hays Production
Code, which reflected what was
tolerated in general society.
Film Noir films were born out of
disillusionment felt as a result of
World War II. These films reflect the
darker side of human nature and
the coming to terms with the
atrocities of war. The dominating
codes and conventions of the genre
are linked to this disillusionment
and illustrate the fear of the society.
Film Noir is a reflection of, and
reaction to, the world within which it
was created. With the majority of the
films shot from mid-40s through to
late 50s, Film Noir is a lens into the
fears and values of that time and
society. With the world coming to
terms with the horror of what human
did to human in World War II, the
genre also had to deal with how the
world at home had changed. We can
see in the basic conventions of the
genre these fears and realisations.
Main characters reflect a society in
which women should be feared and
Films such as Double Indemnity
flawed men work outside the law.
(1944) show characters that reflect The femme fatale character was
the angst and mistrust of the world created to reflect the changing state
during and after the war. The main of women’s roles and the instability
character, Phyllis Dietrichson, is
of the expectation that all women
the typical femme fatale who
were happy homemakers. These
reflects the fear of women’s
films showed audiences that to err
newfound independence and its
away from the ‘good wife’ into a
inherent danger.
murderous seductress would lead
only to the woman’s demise.
The Third Man (1949), set in
Characters such as Phyllis
postwar Vienna, shows a city split Dietrichson from Double Indemnity
apart and in ruins, where the
(1944) are at first shown as in
characters steal from children and control and powerful. She is able to
fake their own deaths. This shows convince Walter Neff and others to
a corrupt society and reflects the
do her dirty work. But eventually, as
ideas of the society following the
with all femmes fatales, she comes
war…
to a sticky end. This shows that
society was not ready for a woman
like her and that she is to be feared
and punished…
Corrupt society, flawed men riddled
with angst, and powerful and
dangerous women: these characters
work outside the law because they no
longer trust its authority or
effectiveness. This all reflects that
state of mind of the people and their
need to re-establish order. Femmes
fatales had to be brought to justice in
the end because society was not
ready for a world where the ‘good
wife’ does not win out. The femme
fatale is to be seen as a dark warning
of what happens when the family unit
is corrupted. All men that fall into her
web of seduction are also punished
and held up for example. The society
needed these examples to scare the
‘little lady’ back into the kitchen…
NCEA Level 3 Media Studies (90602) 2007 — page 2 of 4
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
Phyllis Dietrichson from Double
Indeminity (1944) is a classic
example. She infiltrated her way into
the Dietrichson family by winning the
trust of Mr Dietrichson, murdering his
‘good’ wife, and then seducing him to
secure her place as his wife. She is
not comfortable with the role of wife
and merely sees it as a means to
securing her future and disposing of
his daughter. This is the worst type of
corruption because she is using the
traditional role of wife and in some
way making a mockery of it to
manoeuvre into being a widow and
inherit his fortune. Because of this,
she must be punished; and she is. An
audience of the time was not ready to
have a woman like her in the role of
wife. They needed to be reassured
that women like her were not able to
survive and prosper from their ‘evil’
ways.
Human life as merely a casualty of
crooked commerce also reflects the
postwar disillusionment. In coming to
terms with what we can do to each
other in the war, the Film Noir films
reflect society’s doubt in human
nature and show a world where
corruption is commonplace…
For example – (extract)
Option B
For example – (extract)
Option B
For example – (extract)
Option B
The style and tastes of the time
in which Film Noir was invented
can be seen in the conventions
of the genre; and as American
society’s values and tastes
altered, the genre has adapted
and taken on aspects of the
changing society.
The Hays Production Code, pulp fiction
novels, and postwar disillusionment all
combined to invent the world of Film
Noir. In this genre, we can see the
style and tastes of the ’40s and ’50s.
Modern Noir maintains the core
structure but reinvents itself to reflect
the modern world and attitudes.
The style and tastes of the ’40s
and ’50s can be seen in the
way characters are presented
and in storylines and worlds
that are shown. The hard-boiled
detective reflects the postwar
flawed male and is drawn from
characters from popular pulp
fiction novels such as those by
Raymond Chandler. The
femme fatale reflects the
danger perceived by a
patriarchal society of the
postwar woman, independent
and desirable. Society has
changed, and the style of
woman has changed with it…
Characters are portrayed to reflect
society’s fears and desires. Innuendo
is used to negotiate seduction under
the radar of censorship. It was a
corrupt world, and the storylines and
characters reflect this.
Characters’ innuendo and constant
cigarette smoking take the audience
into a trenchcoat world where dirty
deeds lurk within labyrinth locations
and femme fatales lie in wait. Film
Noir was invented in a world suffering
from postwar disillusionment and
restricted by society’s fears and
angst. The conventions of the genre
are embedded in the style and tastes
of the day they were created in;
modern Noir has been able to
reinvent itself to reflect a changing
society while maintaining the core
aspects of the genre.
One way to measure reinvention is the
portrayal of the femme fatale. Phyllis
Dietrichson from Double Indemnity
(1944) saturates the screen with her
style of seduction and murder. She
winds her way into Walter Neff’s
confidence through suggestion and an
anklet. The style of the day restricts her
ability to win in the end and is destined
to be punished and act as a warning…
The distinct style of fast-paced
dialogue riddled with innuendo was a
device for filmmakers and characters
that enables them to live in a world
where dirty deeds and seduction ran
rampant. Femmes fatales like Phyllis
Dietrichson from Double Indemnity
(1944) were able to seduce their prey
with rapid dialogue…
NCEA Level 3 Media Studies (90602) 2007 — page 3 of 4
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
The femme fatale from early
films such as Phyillis Dietrichson
from Double Indemnity (1944)
uses the style of innuendo to get
her man. Modern femme fatales
such as Wendy Kroy from The
Last Seduction (1994) directly
approach their targets…
On the other hand, Wendy Kroy from
The Last Seduction (1994) is free to
bombard the screen with a directness
that reflects changing attitudes toward
women. She comes out on top in
every element of the story and is
‘allowed’ to roam free to wreak havoc
on a collection of unsuspecting
males…
In a particular scene at the beginning
of their relationship, Phyllis and
Walter Neff’s wordplay becomes so
racy that she refers to him ‘breaking
the speed limit’, something he is more
than willing to do. She holds the
power in the relationship from that
start as she lets him speed to a
certain level, then slows him down
and directs how far he can go. This
shows a woman who is confident with
her sexuality enough to seduce and
take control…
However, Phyllis was restricted by
how far she was able to go. The
society was ready for her existence
but not quite ready for her success.
Her fate was always determined by
society’s fear of the modern woman.
Her confidence and control were
allowed to exist only as a warning of
what can happen when a woman
takes control. She is destined to be
put in her place permanently by being
killed off.
The reverse of this can be seen in the
case of a modern Noir’s femme
fatale, Wendy Kroy in The Last
Seduction (1994). The taste of the
day was for a modern woman to win.
It was a world where girls can do
anything, and Wendy is shown to do
everything and get away with it.
She does not bother with subtle
wordplay and merely asks directly for
what she wants and receives it. She
seduces Mike to do her dirty work and
kill her husband, Clay – something
she has to do for herself because he
is unable to do it. She then frames
Mike for it. She gets away with
everything – murdering Clay, setting
up Mike – and then drives away with
the money. She is from a society
where the femme fatale woman does
not need to be a warning, so she is
allowed to exist and succeed…
NCEA Level 3 Media Studies (90602) 2007 — page 4 of 4
Judgement Statement
Evidence contributing to
Achievement
Evidence contributing to
Achievement with Merit
Evidence contributing to
Achievement with Excellence
 Connections between genre
and society are made. At least
TWO clear connections are
made, supported with
evidence.
 Occasional oversimplification
or irrelevance, or
generalisation without
evidence may occur.
 Must discuss in terms of
GENRE rather than specific
texts. To this end, some sense
of the nature of the genre is
indicated, or some reference to
the text being representative of
the genre is given
 THREE texts discussed.
 Society should be clearly
identified.
 Expands response to an
understanding of how and / or
why these relationships
occurred.
 Analysis is of the genre’s
relationship with society, not the
text’s.
 There may be some evidence of
evaluation, but it is not sustained
or relevant throughout the
answer.
 Shows understanding of
identified society.
 Clearly outlines the nature of the
genre discussed
 Evidence of perceptive and
cohesive argument that evaluates
the role of both genre and relevant
societal considerations.
 Builds on Merit answer by
providing a response deduced
from textual evidence and analysis
of genre already covered, ie more
than just a concluding statement.
 Can include valid speculation as to
future trends in the relationship
between genre and society.
 Integrates genre, society and
textual evidence in a coherent
response.