Ideology

How to apply an ideological critical approach?
Ideology, while referring to specific detail, encompasses many different things. The two main things to focus on are text and context. Text being the literal content of the film and context an understanding of the time and conditions the film was made it, the views of those at the time and where yourself, as a spectator, may be biased or have a different interpretation due to the passing of time.
Representation:
 When analysing ideology reference can be made to representation. Representation and the main factors of it are commonly referred to as CRASH:
Class (to include socio-economic status)
Race
Age
Sex (gender and sexuality)
Handicap (physical, psychological, cultural)
In terms of the application of critical ideological approaches this is a good place to start. Are the characters representative of any of the factors and are we manipulated to have sympathy for these characters. Do they support or contradict stereotypes of such characters.
Consider characters may represent a symptom of a problem or issue existing in wider society and culture.
These issues, through the process of narrative, are discussed and negotiated within the context of film. They debate though visual representation the struggles for differing ideologies to be heard and they suggest possibilities available within the constructed world of film.

Genre and Ideology:
This then leads to the analysis of genre which carries with it stereotypes and conventions. Genre can either work with the filmmaker, due to a spectator's understanding of the conventions of genre, to help easily portray a message based in ideology to the spectator. Or, specifically in hybrid or revisionist, genre and the conventions of it can be contradicted to deliver a message based in ideology. In something like Film Noir this could include gender positions such as the Femme Fatale or the fundamentally flawed/ morally ambiguous protagonist.
Points Covered may include reference to:
Genre and Narrative
Storylines and Props
Characters and their functions
Use of camera, sound and editing (text)
Use of dialogue, language, music
Appearance (dress codes, body language, mise-en-scene)
And Within Context:
Characters, roles, beliefs and attitudes
Stereotypes, traditional and unconventional representations
Social, cultural, political or historical contexts

Marxist Analysis:
More in-depth analysis in reference to the application of ideological critical approaches may come from Marxist analysis and ideology:
Base and Superstructure:
In traditional Marxist terminology 'base' refers to finance or the economic base of society. 'Superstructure' is the socio-cultural world that surrounds the economic base. Applying this to film would be to suggest that film is a medium reliant on money and, as such, it will always be controlled by its base.
Dialectic:
According to Marx, this referes ti two opposing forces that, through conflict, reach a resolution. As film is a simplified format (being on approx. two hours in length) this conflict must, therefore, be simplified.
Hegemony:
Antonio Gramsci states hegemony is leadership or dominance, usually of one social group over another. This can be seen in the systems a film uses to make its ideologies appear natural. One of the key ones seen in cinema is the often subtle prioritisation of one viewpoint over another.
Interpellation:
According to Louis Althusser interpellation is where the individual exists as a subject already receptive to ideology. This is where film plays into our existing expectations about who/what we are. Normally this is the notion of individuality as outlined by the 'hero'.

Key Questions to ask in regards to Ideology Analysis:
What are the main messages and values of the film?
How are these messages conveyed through the use of the key elements of film form?
Does the film reinforce, challenge or reject dominant attitudes within the society it is made in? What films/TV shows have similar/differing messages?
Which character(s) are the spectators encouraged to align themselves with and what is their dominant belief system?