In Friday's lesson within the unit, Film Genres and National Cinemas, students continued their investigation into the romance genre, with a sharper focus on how a change in national context can affect genre conventions. Leading into this lesson, students considered the classic romantic comedy film, What Women Want (2000), and compared it with a clip from the Chinese remake of the same name, that came out eleven years later in 2011. Not only did the passage of time affect the appearance of love and romance, the switch to the high class corporate marketing world in China certainly allowed for our main heroine Li Yi-Wong portrayed by Gong Li to be a more formidable and confident force to be reckoned with, when compared to the original film’s ‘girl boss’ Darcy Maguire, played by Helen Hunt. Unlike Mel Gibson’s cocky and self assured character, Nick Marshall, the Chinese film’s Sun Zigang played by Andy Lau had a wackier and more humble personality, as he struggled to come to terms with his strange new ability: to be able to read the minds of women.
Throughout the lesson, the students considered the appearance of love and romance in various national contexts, with examples from Germany, the United States, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Australia. For their blog, students were to consider how changing national contexts can affect the representation of genre films and television, by selecting to compare and contrast two focus clips. For my blog today, I will reflect on a clip from the quintessential romantic comedy film 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), where Kat confesses her feelings for Patrick, and a moment from the second season of the Australian hit drama series, H2o: Just Add Water (2007), where Cleo and Lewis finally get back together.
In the above clip from 10 things I Hate About You, main character Kat (inspired by Katerina Minola from Shakespeare’s 1592 play, The Taming of the Shrew) confesses her love for resident bad boy, Patrick (based on the apparent ‘tamer’, Petruchio from the same play). This however is not done in a way that could be described at all as ‘low key’, following the film’s inclination towards grand gestures and drama. When the English teacher asks if anyone would be willing to share their poems in front of the class, Kat obliges with a slight hesitation, already showing a change in her usual unapologetic and abrupt manner. To this, the teacher expresses his preparedness for something controversial or disruptive, as Kat is perceived as an ‘opinionated student’, quick to get on her high horse (certainly not the kind of teacher I would recommend to run a learning environment based on an authentic inquiry approach!). Her poem is as follows:
“I hate the way you talk to me, And the way you cut your hair.
I hate the way you drive my car, I hate it when you stare.
I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind
I hate you so much it makes me sick, It even makes me rhyme.
I hate the way you're always right, I hate it when you lie
I hate it when you make me laugh, Even worse when you make me cry
I hate it when you're not around, And the fact that you didn't call
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you, Not even close, Not even a little bit, Not even at all.” (Gil Junger, Richard Gibbs & Richard Gibbs, K. K. (1999))
Kat’s rather sing-song and simplistic poem in this scene serves to reveal the deeper changes in her heart. The repetition of “I hate” at the beginning reinforces how the other characters see her; as a spiteful and unpleasant loner. It is in her tonality that her tough girl facade begins to break down. The line “Even worse when you make me cry” causes Kat to whimper and tear up as she reads, highlighting that the hate for the person in the poem is different from the effortless hate she applies to the vast majority of people she encounters in her day to day life. This hate appears to be in painful contradiction to her true feelings, which she confirms in the final line. Once she finishes her poem, Kat is no longer the scary and unapproachable girl we knew, but rather a normal teenage girl with a broken heart and raw emotions. The close up on Patrick’s face empathises his struggle to respond to the gesture, which was perhaps even more dramatic than his earlier cheeky rendition of Frankie Vali and the Four Seasons’ post-disco classic Can’t Take My Eyes off You (1967). This scene reinforces how romance is often depicted in American films; that the truer the love, the bolder the gesture. In this film’s race towards dominance in the relationship, Kat and Patrick often find themselves evenly matched, however it seems inevitable that their need for control would eventually be eclipsed by their feelings for one another. It is important in American romance films that the characters are rather loud in their actions, so that there can be no mistake about the existence of their relationship to both people in the couple, as well as to all of the surrounding characters. Quiet love connections appear to be few and far between in romance films from the USA, and 10 Things I Hate About You is certainly no exception.
In contrast to Kat and Patrick, Cleo and Lewis in Australia’s H2o: Just Add Water have a more subtle moment of true connection. While they certainly experienced their fair share of ups and downs on their road to becoming reunited, the rekindling of their spark throughout the series is a ‘slow burn’ process. In the above clip, Lewis joins Cleo on the beach. The pair sit closely together, as the rolling waves provide a soothing moment of seclusion for true feelings to be shared. This follows the pattern of the show where apologies, expressions of feelings, and heart to heart moments require space away from those not directly involved, contrasting with the need to ‘make a scene’ in many American films. The camera remains in close proximity to the two and a shot-reverse shot editing pattern allows us to see Cleo’s solemn and quiet pain (no crocodile tears), and Lewis’ more mature awareness of the damage he has done. Reserving all dramatics, Cleo asks “Why’d you come after me, Lewis?” In response, Lewis answers this question with another: “Why’d you think?”, highlighting that his actions speak volumes for his feelings, and that their connection leaves little to be clarified. In a relaxed, brief and candid conversation, Lewis reveals the elephant in the room, his controlling girlfriend Charlotte is now out of the picture. In a friendly and also rather Australian fashion, Cleo lightens the mood by telling Lewis that it “took [him] long enough” to realise they were not a good fit for one another. Lewis takes the well deserved dig graciously and makes it clear that he would like to be “a lot more than friends”, if that is what Cleo wants. Beautiful, ‘magical ocean’ music begins to play, symbolising that this is a match made in Heaven. Both smile softly and move in for a delicate kiss. Cleo and Lewis then regard each other with sheepish and wordless joy. The camera then cuts to a mid shot of the couple from behind as Lewis puts his around Cleo as she leans in, emphasising that all is back to how it should be.
As mentioned before, this moment of romance in Australian television is quiet, stripped back, and in a private setting. While American couples are often quick to express their feelings and ideas publicly in films, when it comes to love and revealing deeper truths, Australians who often like to joke around and appear casual and flippant to most people need space and distance from others for authentic one-on-one moments like this. Thus, romance in many Australian films and programs is something that is private, and can only flourish authentically with some space and time to dedicate to serious and candid conversations. Unlike Kat, Cleo is a softer mannered character, but even in her hardest times, she tends to mask her heartbreak. This makes it only possible for the people who know her best to reach her when she becomes distant. In addition, Louis is a more realistic teen, with quite a unique set of idiosyncrasies, unlike Patrick who (while he is played by Australian actor Heath Ledger) is a more stereotypical bad boy who hides a softer heart behind a thick facade of performative delinquency.
References:
Frankie Vali and The Four Seasons. 1967, provided to youTube by Rhino 2017, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, online video, viewed on 19 February 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYwQy_9JPtQ
Gil Junger, Richard Gibbs & Richard Gibbs, K. K. (1999) 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. USA.
Jaley Williams. 2019, H2o Just Add Water | Cleo and Lewis get back together, online video, viewed on 19 February 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EwXlr1Xu_A
ThatVideoGirl1997. 2013, 10 Things I Hate About You - Full Poem Scene HD, online video, viewed on 19 February 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31N_HM2f9Ks
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