EVALUATION - Reception Theory (Inglourious Basterds)

Just the other day in our media lesson, we learnt about the Reception Theory and applied it to Inglourious Basterds. In basic terms this is how the audience perceives a media text and their own opinions on it. There are three different readings that a person can have when viewing a text.

Dominant Reading - The individual agrees with the views and ideas that the film aims to bring across. In the case of Inglourious Basterds, the individual will oppose Hans Landa and the nazi opposition.

Negotiated Reading - The individual neither agrees with the views or disagrees. In the case of Inglourious Basterds the person may not necessarily oppose Hans Landa, but instead understand that it may not necessarily be the correct thing however it is his duty as Colonel and "Jew Hunter".

Oppositional Reading - The individual completely disagrees with the views the film brings across. In the case of Inglourious Basterds the person may agree with Hans Landa and his motives. The person is likely to advocate the actions of a character who isn't necessarily considered 'good'. This is oppositional to what Quentin Tarantino wanted to deliver; that the Colonel is an enemy.

Our film is similar in this regard in that it can be read in various ways. Some may choose to side with the victim, others may decide to enjoy the torment that our evil character gives her. It's dependant on the backgrounds of each individual viewing the film. Their upbringing, their personality and how they view the world all relate to their methods of decoding a film into a form whereby they can make sense of it. Some males may have a rather chauvinist attitude to women and therefore enjoy the terror that the main female character has to endure. There are other reasons to have a negative reading of our film but that is one such example. A negative reading doesn't necessarily mean the audience sides with the enemy, but it can also mean how they react to the film. For example, when Hans Landa casually murders the Jews hiding under the floorboards in such a flippant manner, it can be viewed rather comically by some, perhaps partly due to the reason that his character was instantly made humorous after taking out an obscenely large pipe.

I'd imagine our film can be taken rather seriously as the audience is likely to understand the fret that our protagonist feels. There will be some who find it comical but that's very much the same for most films. I imagine it can affect the way that a film may be produced. If the director wishes to create a scene in a particular way, he may have to create it in a particular way so that it reflects upon the narrative and tone of the scene. This should make the audience understand the reasoning behind the existence of the construction of said scene.

-Dale