Ma Vie en Rose and transgenderism

What is the significance of Ludvig's idol Pam

In the movie, Ludvig idolizes a lady from a famous french television show named Pam. What Ludvig sees in Pam is an ideal image he wants for himself. The embodiment of Pam is beauty and femininity; which is what Ludvig strives for. Not only is Pam someone Ludvig wants to be like, but she is also an escape and a source of comfort for Ludvig. She provides the motherly touch in the dream sequences that Ludvig's mother cannot. In the beginning we see the mother accept Ludvig, but as things get more and more difficult, she becomes cold and even downright mean to Ludvig. More and more do we see Ludvig fantasize more about Pam when things get tougher. In this sense, we can relate this portion of the movie to the film Dancer in the Dark, in which the main character becomes more and more distant from reality and engulfed in her own world of musicals and wonder. Ludvig shares this quality, albeit not to the same extent as the character of Dancer in the Dark.

What is the significance of Ludvig's relationship with

Far From Heaven

What is the significance of Frank and Cathy's role in terms of female and male?

In the movie 'Far From Heaven', Housewife, Cathy Whitaker finds that her husband, who is a respected business man, has been cheating on her with men. Conflicting with his own identity, we see the Frank and Cathy begin to switch roles on the movie. Cathy, at first glance appears to be a housewife whose skills are limited to homemaking and motherly duties. As the film progresses, not only do we see Cathy begin to become more than a housewife; we see her "wear the pants".
An example of this is when Frank falls in love with the blonde-haired boy from Miami and Cathy simply says "So I assume you want a divorce then" in a cold and emotionless tone, all the while Frank is sitting on the couch bawling.
Her husband, Frank, is in a state of identity crisis regarding his own sexuality. We slowly see his masculine traits begin to deter as he slowly loses his hold over his desires and sucumbs to them. We see Cathy begin to fall for a man named Raymond, but unlike her husband, Cathy is able to cope with her desire and maintain a level of control which, ultimately, empowers her masculine characteristics. She almost gives in to Raymond at the end, but through his rationalization she realizes that she and Raymond cannot be together due to society's outlook on interracial relationship; which was just as taboo as homosexual relationships.

What is the significance of Cathy and Raymond's relationship

Cathy, being seen as a liberal woman, starts talking with her former gardeners son Raymond, who has taken over his deceased father's business. Raymond is a passionate, good-intentioned man who just wants whats best for his daughter. Raymond seems to be the object of desire, which Mulvey states in her essay; although she seems to be swaying to the side of the damsel in distress being the usual object of desire. Since Cathy's role becomes more masculine, we not only can relate to her, but we again are envisioning Raymond as the object of desire. It's almost like role reversals from the original days when boy likes girl, boy saves girl, they live happily ever after, although, the ending isn't quite as happy.

Dancer in the Dark and the elements of the movie

What is the significance of Selma's blindness?

The main character Selma suffers from a degenerative disease which causes her to slowly lose her sight. Through out the first half of the movie, Selma can see alright but as the movie progresses her vision gets worse. In my opinion, this serves as a symbolism for her moving away from reality. Because she can't see what is around her, she begins to fill in what goes on. Selma's passion of musicals and music in general shows through her delusions she has during her difficult times. Her blindness seems to unattach her to her reality, which is filled with all kinds of hardships. The second portion of the movie is filled with Selma's fantasies of musical numbers, which in reality don't ever occur. In essence, her lack of sight allows her to peer more into her world of fantasy.

what is the significance of Selma's relationship with her friends Kathy and Jeff?

Kathy and Jeff serve as a string that allows Selma to be connected to reality. Granted they do appear in Selma's musical numbers, they link together reality and fantasy, because the viewer sees Jeff and Kathy singing and dancing, only later to see them in their normal state. Jeff and Kathy are used to allow the viewer to see when the fantasy ends. Selma often strays from reality; she becomes more and more involved in her own created world, all the while serious things are happening around her. Although she has this escape, Jeff and Kathy serve as kind of guide for her to "wake up" and respond to the situation