Undergraduate Dissertation Trabajo Fin De Grado
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Undergraduate Dissertation Trabajo Fin de Grado Like Mother like Daughter? Star Persona and Female Bonds in Lady Bird Cristina de los Ríos Martín Supervisor Dr. Celestino Deleyto Alcalá FACULTY OF ARTS 2019-2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3 2. Star Persona and Image: Saoirse Ronan ................................................................... 4 2.1 Understanding the concept of star persona .............................................................. 4 2.2 Saoirse Ronan and mother-daughter relationships) ................................................. 6 3. Lady Bird ..................................................................................................................... 13 3.1 Narrative and formal analysis of the film .............................................................. 13 3.2 Character analysis and Saoirse Ronan’s star persona in Lady Bird ....................... 18 3.3 The mother-daughter relationship in Lady Bird .................................................... 24 4. Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 33 5. Works Cited ............................................................................................................... 34 1 Abstract This undergraduate dissertation examines the extent to which star studies are essential in film. More specifically, it looks at Saoirse Ronan’s star persona, and the complex mother-daughter relationship depicted in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird (2017). In order to carry out this analysis, the essay offers an introduction to star studies, and then to Ronan’s star persona in particular. Having gained insight into what Ronan’s presence in these films represents, the essay provides a narrative and formal analysis of Lady Bird, followed by close reading of the complex mother-daughter interactions. The aim is to prove that Ronan’s image reinforces the notions of meaningful female bonds presented in the film, mainly through the mother-daughter relationship. Resumen Este trabajo de fin de grado analiza hasta qué punto los estudios sobre las estrellas son esenciales en el cine. Concretamente examina la figura de la actriz Saoirse Ronan, y la compleja relación maternofilial descrita en la película Lady Bird de Greta Gerwig (2017). Para llevar a cabo este análisis, este ensayo aporta una introducción a los estudios sobre las estrellas, y además a la personalidad cinematográfica de Ronan en concreto. Una vez adquirido conocimiento sobre la aportación de la actuación de Ronan en las películas en las que aparece, el ensayo proporciona un análisis narrativo y formal de Lady Bird, seguido de un estudio detallado de las complejas interacciones madre- hija. El objetivo es demostrar que la imagen de Ronan refuerza el concepto de vínculos significativos entre mujeres representados en la película, principalmente mediante la relación maternofilial. 2 1. INTRODUCTION Star studies and performance have long been established as central features of story construction in the cinema. The analysis of the presence of certain actors, who often develop a distinctive star persona throughout their career, has proved the importance of these studies in films. The specific use of actors for certain roles conveys meaning to the overall construction of the film, and at the same time, the specific roles convey meaning to the construction of the actors’ star personae. In Lady Bird (2017), Saoirse Ronan plays Lady Bird, an unruly teenager defined by her own standards. Ronan’s presence in a film that deals with adolescence and coming of age already reveals significant information about the use of her specific star persona. It is an understatement that teen films, and especially girl teen films, have been historically considered trivial and meaningless, mainly due to the patriarchal approach to femininity and women in general. This is one of the reasons why Lady Bird stands out among other films of the genre. The unconventional heroine, who unapologetically displays her self- made femininity, and her relationship with her mother combine to construct a realistic portrayal of women. Thus, due to the importance this generation places on strong female role models, Ronan’s star persona deserves special attention in this particular film. The aim of this essay is to examine the star persona of Saoirse Ronan, one of the leading actors of her generation, in the film Lady Bird. The analysis of her specific presence is tied to the emphasis placed on female bonds throughout the film, which are most clearly expressed through the mother-daughter relationship. In order to carry out this analysis, an introduction to the concept of star persona will be provided, followed by a close reading of Lady Bird, which includes a narrative and formal analysis, characterization, and discussion of mother-daughter relationships in the film. 3 2. STAR PERSONA AND IMAGE: SAOIRSE RONAN 2.1 Understanding the concept of star persona Since the beginning of film history, film stars have shared similarities with the actual luminous celestial bodies seen in night skies. Brilliant, dazzling, awe-inspiring and hard to reach are some terms that are often used to describe both phenomena. Historically, stars have embodied and developed a series of star personae that derive from their roles as both characters and public images. This has proved to be unavoidable because, after all, every single individual carries out a performance, just like actors in a play; in other words, everyone, including stars, presents a constructed version of themselves which serves as a persona they choose to exhibit to the public (Dyer, 1998, p.21). Richard Dyer’s discusses stars as a social phenomenon, as images, and as signs. According to him, when it comes to performance, sometimes there is not much of a difference between the stars’ personae and the roles they have to play (1998, p.20). There are many instances in which the stars’ private lives and the way in which they are made public through various channels contribute to the construction of said personae. What these insights suggest is that in general, this is exactly what a star is: a culturally constructed persona. Culture and society have an immense impact in this construction, which sometimes leads to an attachment of stereotypical images as it is the case of Marilyn Monroe (Dyer, 1998, p.31). Bearing these ideas in mind, it seems logical to accept that the social ideology of a particular period of time has also been examined as an essential factor when constructing star personae. Thus, ideology is an important part of the construction of this phenomenon; the different collective thoughts of a society define and determine what should or should not be constructed or shown in public. 4 (Dyer, 1998, pp 1-32). This is also the case of Saoirse Ronan’s star persona, especially in so far as the generation to which she belongs is marked by feminist ideas about the role of women. This dimension of the star is analysed below. The star phenomenon is closely linked with audience and public recognition, and therefore it must be acknowledged that there may be important contrasts across different cultures and backgrounds. Since this dissertation focuses on Saoirse Ronan, it is important to keep in mind her background as an Irish American actor who has been active and acclaimed in both U.S. and British cinema. When it comes to the latter, there are certain issues that need to be addressed. As Macnab explores, the enormous impact Hollywood has had in film history is undeniable, and one of its consequences is the eclipsing and undermining of other national systems. British cinema has always presented intrinsic differences to Hollywood. Macnab’s study tackles and explains the mysterious quality appreciated in American film stars, which seems to be absent in the British filmic images; back in the day, British stars were considered to have been created as mere imitations or renewed versions of already-existing Hollywood stars (p.177). However, as he further explains, it is precisely this lack of transcendental and mysterious allure and glamour that has made British stars so relatable and widely accessible. These differences are important in our analysis because in the particular case of Ronan, it can be acknowledged that her roles in Hollywood and U.S films, such as those of The Host (2013) or more recently Little Women (2019), have granted her a great deal of glamour and recognition among diverse audiences, especially among youth and people her age. But it is her involvement in British cinema what has enhanced and highlighted the relatable quality mentioned above, for instance with her character in Brooklyn. Overall, the way Ronan approaches her characters as almost parts of her own 5 persona suggests genuine commitment to having her own voice; this, together with the realism and relatability she has acquired through European roles is the reason why her Irish-American background seems so important.Therefore, it seems clear that in many cases, what boosts the popularity of the stars is not only their glamour or mysterious quality, but also the degree to which the devoted audience is able to relate to them on an apparently personal level. Stars have always been presented as unearthly idols with an almost deified quality for a large number of people. The process of “de-divinisation” Dyer explores (1998, p.22) is