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What Are The Stereotypes In Pretty Woman

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Director Gary Marshall utilises the somewhat contrived elements of the Cinderella fairytale and the cultural suppositions regarding prostitutes in the film Pretty Woman, successfully positioning the audience to accept and sympathise with the lead character, Vivienne Ward. Marshall conveys Vivienne's journey to be akin to that of Cinderella, a woman who is by all means downtrodden and helpless, desperate to leave her current situation, and perhaps naively hopeful of her salvation. This is highlighted by the on-screen rags-to-riches transformation created through Vivienne’s appearance, body language and her interaction with others. Initially, the audience is introduced to Vivienne Ward, the prostitute, who wears stereotypically revealing clothing and interacts with ‘trashy’ people, emphasising the dominant cultural beliefs regarding …show more content…
A close-up shot of Vivienne in the initial scenes of the film also accentuates the portrayal of a down-trodden woman. This is evident by her somewhat slumped posture and stereotypical prostitute clothing, conveying a sense distaste for her own occupation. Yet, after she meets Edward, a wealthy business man, and has agreed to be his hired ‘date’ for a week, she undergoes a fairytale transformation. This complete transformation is presented at a high-class social event – the polo match – and is pin-pointed by the up-beat background audio of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” as Vivienne makes her ‘grand entrance’. After this transformation and Vivienne’s ‘grand entrance’, a medium shot of her profile highlights her straight posture and classy clothing - pearl earrings and a fashionable hat. This presents an almost regal appearance and positions the audience to believe that she has a newfound sense of pride in herself, in the person she has become, thus emphasising the reality of her transformation from ‘Cinderella’ to a

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