Representation is a way of re-presenting certain events or stories to the audience. However real the representation seems, it can never really offer its audience a true presentation of ideas. In this way, the media uses representation to simplify a text allowing their audience to consume it in a clear and manageable way, allowing them to enjoy it more. Representation is a very important idea when looking at films that portray women in different societies, because they therefore have different ideologies to live up to. Stereotypes are also used in film; they are not real people, but widely circled traits and characteristics of particular groups. Therefore, stereotyping is also used by the media to allow audiences to understand the text more clearly by putting people in particular groups, and already knowing the attributes linked to them. The audience is subsequently more satisfied by the text because it is more easily decodable. .
Both these crime films where the protagonist is a woman demonstrate two entirely different angles of representing women in jail. In both of the films, the audience are positioned on the women's side; we are always manipulated into believing their idea of right is acceptable. But, the difference lies in the way the society's values shape the women. The blatant lawlessness in Chicago' (2002) allows it to become a carefree world of murder that is supported by society, which contrasts with the down to earth law abiding world in Double Jeopardy', which reflects contemporary dominant ideology.
Chicago' was set in the 1920s, a time of conservatism and conversely of great social change. From the world of fashion to the world of politics, these ideas clashed to produce to most explosive decade of the century. The music was all jazz, a very important feature of the time. The look was young, the youth ruled everything, and if it was young, it was in fashion.
