Applying Levi-Strauss' Theory of Binary Opposites: Pretty Woman (Marshall, 1990)

What is the genre of the film? How are the genre signifiers introduced?

The genre of Pretty Woman is Romantic Comedy (RomCom). The signifiers that demonstrate the genre to the audience within the film are the plot, the music, the title font and the characters. In the first ten minutes of the film we are introduced to both characters and we are given the idea that there is going to be a point at which their paths intertwine due to the cross cutting technique. This helps denote the genre of the film because we know that they both live in completely different worlds and yet we know that they will both merge into one.

Who are the main characters and how are they opposed?

In the opening sequence we are introduced to Edward Lewis who is a very rich young male who enjoys the luxuries of life. We know this by the way he dresses, his environment and the cars he drives.

The next main character we are introduced to is Vivian Ward the leading lady of the film. We learn that she shares a room with Kit and they don't have alot of money. They both work as prostitutes on the Hollywood walk of fame in order to make the money to pay rent, etc.

Right from the start we know that these two characters couldn't live in more different worlds. The main difference between them is that one is rich and one is poor. We are shown that Edward is very wealthy because he can afford smart suits, whereas Vivian is poor because she has to fill in her shoes with permanent marker instead of buying a new pair.

We also get the sense that Edward is quite naive to the 'real' world because he gets lost in Beverly Hills while trying to get to his hotel. Whereas Vivian seems pretty clued up and smart because she has the sense to keep paying her rent and tells Kit off for spending the money on drugs.

What are the main themes of the film and how are they introduced?

The main themes of the film is for the two characters to find their escape from their current lives in each other. We are introduced to this idea in the opening sequence when we see Edward reflecting on his life and rushing to escape the party. Vivian asks Kit whether she ever just wants to get out of their current situation. This shows us that both characters are not happy with how their lives have turned out and they want to reach that happiness that they once dreamed of.

Another theme that is introduced to us through this is that love conquers all boundaries. This is made evident by showing the definite differences between the two worlds that the main characters come from, because at the time when the film was made it was still quite a strange idea for someone like Vivian to be involved with someone like Edward.

How is the narrative organised to show conflict?

Conflict is created by the binary opposites that are shown within the film. Even in the first ten minutes of the film we are introduced to a number of binary opposites. This is done by the frequent cuts between Edward and Vivian because we are constantly transported from his world to her world and we instantly notice the conflict that has been created.

The first example of this is when we are shown Edward's party. Everyone is smartly dressed and have expensive jewellery/watches on, there is a piano player and it is more of a networking event where people can set up business deals, etc. rather than a 'proper' party. After, we see the party at the Blue Banana Club which is completely different, as there is loud 'head-bopping' music and people in short skirts/vests.

Another example of binary opposites is the characters themselves. Edward is a young white male dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and he lives in a large house, but he has no-one to share it with. His 'best friend' is his lawyer which suggests that he only really has friends for convenience. When he gets lost it suggests that he is probably quite separate from the way the real world works and he has become alienated by the upper class world he lives in. On the other hand, Vivian is a young white female who has very raunchy clothing and has to fill in her boots with permanent black marker. She lives in a very small apartment which she shares with her best friend Kit. All of these factors that define both characters are completely opposite to each other which is what creates the conflict within the narrative.