Jess faces several obstacles and challenges in Bend it like Beckham. How does the director use imagery to convey this aspect of the story?" Imagine being born into a family where cultures as well as overprotective parents stop you from following your dream. The film, Bend it like Beckham gives an insight into the life of Jesminder Bhamra, a typical Indian girl with a passion for football. Being raised in a family with a strong sense of culture, Jess was unable to achieve her main goal in life, which was to pursue a professional career in football, as it went against the laws and traditions of her Indian heritage. Having overprotective parents who were raised learning the ways of a typical Indian lifestyle also made it difficult for Jess to follow her dream of playing football professionally. Director Gurinder Chadha uses film techniques such as props, camera shots, costumes, and lighting effects to help convey the many obstacles and challenges Jess is faced with.
The director uses camera shots as well as props effectively to portray the clash between the worlds of football and Jess's Indian heritage. This is evident in the scene where Jess is practicing her skills using a cabbage whilst her mother is cooking chapattis and getting irritated at her for not being able to cook a full traditional Indian dinner. Instead of paying any attention to how to cook a traditional meal, she uses the cabbage as a soccer ball to practice her soccer skills. Through Jess's body language, the audience gets the feeling of how Jess is struggling to balance her family's Indian culture and the world of English Soccer. The camera shot of Mrs. Bhamra forward, looking back at her daughter, also gives the audience an idea of how Mrs. Bhamra is aware of the many changes Jess has made growing into becoming a young adult with a passion for football. The use of camera shots, as well as props in this particular scene, gives the audience an idea of the many obstacles Jess encounters.
The director has also used costumes and camera shots effectively to illustrate some of the many obstacles Jess is faced with. The collision between the two cultures Jess inhabits is evident in the scene where her soccer mates quickly redress her into the traditional Sari dress in the changing rooms before rushing back to her sister's wedding. The use of costume in this particular scene highlights the clash between the two cultures. Jess is dressed in a traditional Sari, whilst her teammates are wearing the club's soccer uniform, which is western style modern looking. The blue sari Jess is in symbolizes how she is not coping well with the challenges she has been faced with in an attempt to make her dream of playing football professionally a reality. The mid-camera shot capturing Jess's nervous facial expression whilst her teammates are surrounding her, helping to redress her into the Sari, also illustrates how Jess is feeling nervous about her parents finding out she participated in the gr...
