The Representation of Male Characters Who Reject Social Control in Thai Gangster Film

Abstract

Research on “The representation of male characters who reject social control in Thai gangster films” is qualitative research by means of textual analysis with the objective of studying the composition of a representative image of the character. A male drama that rejects social control in a Thai gangster film and studies the decoding of the meaning of the audience with first-hand experience through in-depth interviews.

The study found Thai gangster films have created male characters who reject the control of society through narrative elements and character attributes. This falls under two ideological sets, the first is the dominant ideology from the perspective of the social norm framework. Another ideology is the counteractive measures from the human agency side by the tactics of a series of opposing ideologies that legitimize the character as a "gray area”. This operates subsequently under the main ideology which consists of the following strategies; 1. assembling the image of a teenager as a lesser person in society; 2. assembly creates ideal masculinity but does not conform to social norms; 3. combining both the inclusion and exclusion strategies; 4. victorious storyline in the early stages before returning to normal in the later stages; 5. resistance to some aspects while also accepting of other aspects; 6. strategy of referring to stories in the past but showing to others in the present.

In deciphering the meanings of first-hand audiences with gangsters, it is to be acknowledged that gangsters' decryption observations were found to be broader in scope than what the film represented. However, although the representative image of the gangster some of the representations in the movies are true, however that's not all. In some respects, although it's bad behavior, it's yet to be the worst, or at some point, it may be worse than it was represented in the movie. In which all recipient samples chose to negotiate the meaning because they did not decode it to meet the film's expectations, but instead chose to decipher what it means to emphasize who they are, what is their identity? in order to show their presence and to exist in society.