Dragonriders of Pern. Dragonflight : suppression to equality : portrayal of the 'other' in speculative cinema : thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
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2019
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Massey University
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In this thesis project, I investigate the link between costume design for fantasy film and gender. In it I assert that costume design can be deployed to develop a positive visual language for female film characters and thereby enable agency and autonomy with regard to their clothing and bodies. The recent movements 'fourth wave feminism' and the online movement #MeToo (Helmore, 2019) provide a frame for the thesis discussion, and the case study film adaptation of Anne McCaffery’s young adult science fiction/fantasy novel, Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight (1968). The adaptation, in particular, focuses on the costume change journey of the main protagonist Lessa and her transformation in status from suppression to equality. In the film adaptation, costumes are posed as a storytelling device to reflect Pern's transitioning cultural hierarchy and shift from a feudal, patriarchal, society to a nation in which the social ethics of contemporary readers are more readily reflected. The Dragonflight film, and explanation of Lessa as a realistic, evolving, empowered female role model for contemporary audiences, is further underpinned by discussion regarding contemporary feminist issues surrounding women's equal rights. I argue that the adaptation of the original narrative for Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight (1968) is timely as although the text was progressive and even rebellious for the 1960s, it has remained a product of its time. I argue that attitudes towards female rights and sexual consent presented within this novel are outdated and require modifying to the standards of contemporary notions of equality. I first examine contemporary entertainment media’s portrayal of unhealthy gender stereotypes, gender/ race bias and continuous disproportionate roles for minorities and women, who, when rarely presented on-screen often lack diversity and authenticity, socially conditioning audiences’ perceptions. This analysis is then applied to the shifts in navigation in Lessa’s narrative journey, as depicted through the medium of costume design. I conclude that this visually demonstrates to a cinema audience Lessa’s narrative arc from repressed and exploited serf to autonomous and empowered role model.