Critical Investigation: Project proposal:

 Working title

The text I was focusing on was American Sniper (2014), directed by Clint Eastwood. The movie in particular aimed towards xenophobia, particularly Islam as they're an easier target, speaking objectively. Clint Eastwood showed explicit and controversial content in the film, but in some respects American Sniper was drama film/action, so they had no regard in what content they were showing, and were purely based on real-life events.

Angle

Critics have bashed Clint Eastwood for the controversy in the film, calling it a 'propaganda', and as a result this has stirred up audiences, particularly those who follow the Islam faith. Established the fact that American Sniper has controversial content, it might anger and offend some audiences, but the movie still gains attention even though it is negative.

Hypothesis

Films regarding political/prejudicial/stereotypical/discriminating issues are being glamorized and are developing an unhealthy obsession and causing controversy.  

Linked production piece

Documentary or short-narrative film, accompanied with voice overs.

SHEP

Social and political issues:

•  totalitarian beliefs from Islam
• Islamic terror maybe caused by poverty, oppression, as thought by the left wing
• Islamists' reasons for hate on specifically America

Issues/Debates

Representation or stereotyping:

Muslims might feel frustrated at the fact that they're uncomfortable in their own true skin, when there are stereotypes of a Muslim to typically be a terrorist or be affiliated with any group of that matter i.e. ISIS.

Post 9/11 & the media:

Muslims being absolutely diminished, ridiculed, and insulted in the most derogatory manner after the 9/11 bombings, where the media presented the Muslim community to all be seen as a threat, especially in America.

Media effects:

Being victim to prejudice and discrimination, where to an extent that it may affect peoples' daily lives (those who are of the Islam faith). Example, being declined a job offer because of reason x.

News values:

News institutions that might twist a story just to make headlines, resulting in a bad image on the situation presented.

Regulation/censorship:

"Unfair censorship". A significant example from wars is the Vietnam Napalm Bombings, where a young girl completely stripped from the acid attack was completely banned and removed, yet a graphic image of Osama Bin Laden shot in the face was not. 

Theories

Gender & ethnicity:

South/Western Asia - Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq are all stereotyped to be Muslim extremists.

Colonialism and Post-colonialism:

Representations of gender in the Muslim community, as well as the social ladder between the Hazara people and Pashtun people.

Structuralism and post-structuralism:

The behaviour that we see from Islam extremists and why it emerged in the first place - was it from social oppression, poverty? Etc

Marxism and hegemony:

How their power emerged as a result of for example, events like 9/11. Where are their basis and intentions from harming America?

Semiotics:

Certain associations that we stereo typically make with Muslims, whether it is offensive or just plain ignorant. 


Media texts

American Sniper (2014)

Other media texts
9/11 New York bombing
Paris Attacks
ISIS - Jihadi John

TV documentaries

The Islamic State
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/islamic-state/

9/11: Decade of Deception
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/911-decade-deception/

What Is Wrong With Islam Today? (Debate)
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/what-is-wrong-with-islam-today-debate/

Academic texts/books
Christopher Hitchens and His Critics: Terror, Iraq, and the Left
(Christopher Hitchens)

The End of Faith
(Sam Harris)

The God Delusion
(Richard Dawkins)