Character profiles
MIA WALLACE
Dependent on her husband's wealth, addicted to cocaine and generally passive. The relationship she has with her husband is a mystery to the audience, although we can gather that he is very protective over her, he threw one of his colleagues (he is effectively a mob boss) off a building for giving her a foot massage. This begs the question of why (or even if) she was allowed to go to dinner with Vince. Immersed in crime and addiction due to her gangster husband, Mia is represented as a contemporary femme fetale - intelligent, beautiful, mysterious and seductive. She is a character who is not featured for a long time in the film, but is one of the most memorable.
An extension and projection of her husband, her authority and power is shown when Vince, a hit man working for Mr Wallace, who takes Mia out to a restaurant. Vince is worried by her forward attitude and about doing anything wrong, as she could easily report back to her husband and get him killed. She also manipulates and toys with him seductively and intellectually, using her sex appeal and intelligence which displays her beauty and power, as well as her somewhat deviant nature.
She leaves Vince with little information when talking, for example Mia tells Vince about a previous role in a television show in which she told jokes, but refuses to tell him any jokes or more information about her past, adding to the audience's intrigue and at the same time getting them to question their opinions on her - is she really a passive, dependent weak woman or a quiet, mysterious and powerful one putting on a façade? Although Mia seems to have the upper hand, her fate is not as the audience would expect of such a headstrong character.
This could be because her representation is not conventional. She does not wear traditionally feminine dresses or heavy make up to express her femininity and sexuality (like usual femme fetales), but instead dresses in trench coats and tailored suits, very much like a man. In a male dominated world of crime, is Mia trying to fit in? Presenting herself as tough, intimidating and masculine makes her seem less vulnerable, and dressing in such a way would be an obvious way to do this. She ends up overdosing on heroin which she believed to be cocaine, and is rescued by Vince who eventually gets help, instantaneously becoming the helpless female victim that depends on male assistance, relying on those around her, Tarantino ultimately presenting her as the weak wife, never able to be independent for long, which is perhaps reflective of societal stereotypes for the wives of those heavily involved in organised crime as well as femme fatales.
JACKIE BROWN
Jackie is presented as an assertive, independent, streetwise middle aged black woman. Her race is centralised throughout the film, and can be seen in the opening scene.
The background music of this scene is Bobby Womack's 'Across 110th Street', which has some thought provoking lyrics. It becomes apparent that Tarantino selected this for a specific purpose, as it is already known that he stresses an importance on music (seen in interviews and commentaries). The lyrics act as a clue to Jackie's situation, as Womack talks about financial struggle ('doing whatever I had to do to survive'), societal structures (references to 'ghettos') and moral issues arising from this. Jackie's identity is immediately categorized merely through binary restrictions of being an African American, with connotations of poverty and desperation, which can be seen especially through the lyrics of 'Across 110th Street.'
Her physical appearance is something that stands out throughout the film, her smart, clipped airport uniform, perfectly styled hair and her confident stance and self contained demeanour make her seem both independent, desirable and attractive to the audience. Brown is presented as a survivor, who has not turned bitter or cold from her past experiences on the streets. She is also not dependent on a male at all. Despite her involvement in crime, she is seen as incredibly wise, outwitting corrupt antagonists (i.e. Samuel Jackson) and is purely in it for her own financial gain, the security which assures her independence. This is a juxtaposition with the average male protagonist in films of the crime sub genre, and in all these examples covered, Jackie Brown subverts all of these cruel stereotypes, and is portrayed as a quiet yet self assured heroine.
Comparison
The most notable difference between the two women is their level of independence within financial and societal spheres. Mia is completely dependent on her husband's money, and without the bond of marriage she would not be in any position of power, her status only elevates her and helps her mask her true identity, which can often be interpreted as her being weak, passive and completely unmotivated. Jackie, on the other hand, is wholly independent, and has no problem with being a lone figure, having no reliance on a man who could be seen as irrelevant in her plans as she orchestrates her own fate throughout the film whereas Mia is controlled by men like her husband. This links to the success of each character, with Mia ending up almost dying, leaving her weak and Jackie walking away from the situation with a prosperous looking future.
A similarity is that both characters are subject to stereotypes but Mia does not subvert this stereotype unlike Jackie. Brown's stereotype is also damning, with other portrayals of African American women being negative. For example, in the film 'Precious', Precious and her family live in a ghetto with no real means of financial security, and the children featured in it are subject to abuse. Also, in 'Ghost', Whoopi Goldburg plays a character who lies and plays on emotions to get money. In Jackie Brown, however, Jackie is presented as someone relatively wealthy, independent and strong willed, with no sign of poverty or deprivation on any level. Although she is involved in crime, it can easily be argued that she does not hurt anyone purposefully to get easy money, the violence in the film is never because of her direct involvement.
In contrast, Mia is presented as a contemporary femme fetale, doomed from the beginning, controlled by her husband and having to be rather submissive and meek in comparison to other (male) characters in the film, and certainly in comparison to Jackie.
Another thing the two characters have in common is that they are arguably both very beautiful. Having said this, Mia and Jackie use their femininity in different ways. Mia, although dressed in a masculine fashion, uses her physical charm and allure for her own gain, and as a way to manipulate men. Jackie, on the other hand, does not comply with this at all. Despite her beauty, physical charm and expensive looking, coordinated outfits, the audience can see that she does not explicitly use this as a way to get what she wants, unlike Mia. Brown is able to wear pretty looking clothes and use makeup as an expression of her femininity without having to use it to gain anything, it is merely her own choice. This demonstrates her independence and control over her own life, and in Mia's case, only highlights her desperate yet passive attitude and her willingness to comply with societal stereotypes and expectations, unlike Jackie.
This shows a detailed understanding of the characters, work at examining how technical codes have been used in the film e.g. lighting, camera work etc. You could also do with breaking up the paragraphs a little more as they are quite long.
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