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Essay / The film's response to 'Bend It Like Beckham'
The film Bend it Like Beckham presents viewers with a brilliant comedy about a young Punjabi teenager growing up in the early 2000s in West London. The main character, Jess, loves football and desperately wants to play against the wishes of her traditional parents. The central plot surrounds Jess, her close friends and family as they deal with societal challenges related to race, gender stereotypes and cultural conflicts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayJess comes from a traditional, loving Punjabi Sikh family who have very firm ideas and expectations regarding the role of a woman in society. Jess' parents want her to learn how to cook traditional Punjabi meals, attend law school, and most importantly, marry a nice Punjabi boy. Rebelling against these expectations, Jess loves football, she even has a large poster of her idol, football legend David Beckham, hanging in her bedroom. In secret and in defiance of her parents, Jess plays small games of football in the park with her male friends. One day while she is playing, a girl named Jules sees her and invites her to come and sign up for the women's league. Knowing that her parents would not support her decision to play, Jess decides to sneak behind their backs and join the league. The title of the film Bend It Like Beckham effectively represents some of the key themes and elements of the film. The meaning of this phrase Bend it Like Beckham represents David Beckham's ability to score free kicks in front of a wall of defenders by bending the ball. In the same sense, Jess had to bend the rules of her own life and family values to achieve her own goals of playing football. This powerful work by Sultana Yusufali describes her first-hand experiences as a Muslim woman in today's society. How wearing her hijab scarf inspires others to view her as a symbol of oppressed femininity. I made the connection to Bend it Like Beckham with similar cultural aspects between the two works, Sultana was judged on her culture and what she wore. Just like Jess faced cultural differences and discrimination because of her culture. An example of this is Jules' mother and her interactions with Jess. She had her own preconceptions and prejudices towards East Asian cultures and races. Bend it like Beckham addresses many social themes and issues throughout the film. Jess' story and her dream of playing football against her parents' traditional wishes is what ultimately moves the plot forward. The writers were able to emphasize the rapprochement of British and Punjabi cultures, we see this a lot throughout Jess and Jules' friendship. Although the two come from very different cultures, they have many similarities that speak to this idea of reconciliation. Looking at the themes presented in the film, there are many different views on homosexuality. When Jess's close friend Tony comes out as gay near the end of the film, he gives a calm and caring response. On the other hand, when Jess and Jule's family believe they are lesbians, there is a ridiculous explosion. This panic is confined to the traditional lesbian stereotype of short hair and the tomboy look that makes families believe it. Racism is also brought up a lot throughout the film, Jess's father was not allowed into a cricket club due to societal discrimination and when Jess is knocked down during a match and called a "Paki" by an opposing player. This is just a sample. Get now..