Understanding and analysing how Next Retail Ltd (Next) delivers its logistics

Understanding and analysing how Next Retail Ltd (Next) delivers its logistics 1.1 Introduction This report is based on understanding and analysing how Next Retail Ltd (Next) conceives, supports and delivers its logistics and the supply of its products. Next is an international company based in the UK that offers quality fashion clothes and accessories for men, women and children and home ware. It is a subsidiary of Next Plc which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Next Plcs total revenue was  £3.4b in 2010 and profit before tax was  £505 million (Appendix 1). While Next Retail is present in over 500 stores in the UK and Eire, it manufactures its products outside Europe. For international companies like this, logistics and supply chain management is an important factor in the success of their businesses. This report will describe and analyse Nexts logistics and supply chain strategies. It will also attempt to understand the rationale behind these strategies and whether they have been successful. Based on the report findings, recommendations will be made. The sources of information for this report will be mostly secondary; they will include the company website, company reports, economic reports, journals and textbooks. It is expected that a thorough analysis of this information will be sufficient to produce a high quality report. 1.2 The nature of logistics. There are several definitions of logistics depending on the nature of the organisation (Rushton et al 2006). For some, it is the management of all activities which facilitates movement and the co-ordination of supply and demand in the creation of time and place utility (Hesket et al 1973 cited in Rushton et al). Rushton himself defined it as the efficient transfer of goods from the source of supply through the place of manufacture to the point of consumption in a cost effective way whilst providing an acceptable service to the customer (Rushton et al 2006). It can be broken down into two major components materials management and physical distribution (figure 1.1). The two components can be further broken down into transport, warehousing, inventory, packaging and information of goods and services. The way that each company makes its decisions on the various aspects of logistics management is a function of many things such as the nature of products or services it offers, the countries in which it sources its materials and sells its products, the international and local laws and regulations, the type of customers it targets, resources available etc. Figure 1.1. A comprehensive diagram of logistics (Rushton et al 2006). 2.1 Supply chain strategies Supply chain strategies are different from supply management. They define how the supply chain should operate in order to be competitive. It is a process that has to be repeated in order to measure the cost benefits of the operational components (UPS 2005). Supply chain management, on the other hand, is the management of upstream and downstream relationships with suppliers and customers to deliver superior customer value at less cost to the supply chain as a whole (Christopher 2004). Supply chain strategies depend on the companys corporate strategies which are the blue print for what the company wants to achieve (Mangan et al 2008). The figure below shows how the logistic and supply management strategies depend indirectly on the corporate strategy and directly on the business unit strategy. Figure 2.1 The link between SCM Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Mangan et al 2008). According to Mangan et al (2008), there are two major types of supply chain strategies; the lean and the agile strategies. With lean strategies, the emphasis is on reducing and if possible eliminating waste the in the production of the goods and services e.g. there is no time lag in the factory and the products are ready just in time for use. This strategy depends on having all the resources and information necessary for production and distribution; it also depends on being able to predict customer demands so that there is no waste of products. The agile strategy pioneered by Christopher (2003) is borne of the fact that when there is high volatility in the demand and production process, it is not always possible to have accurate resources and predict customer demands. The agile strategy helps the business to be able to cope with any demands made on it by embarking on mass production and differentiation. Both lean and agile strategies are not mutually exclusive and businesses can choose to use both of them for products with different lead times, product cycles and customer demands. Nexts supply chain strategies Nexts primary objective is to deliver sustainable long term growth in earnings per share and its business strategies to achieve these include: Improve its product ranges Increase the number of its customers and their average spend. Improve product sourcing, reduce cost and manage stock levels efficiently (Next 2011). The dominant buying behaviour of Nexts customers is not always predictable because the fashion market is characterised by high volatility, low predictability and high impulse purchasing (Christopher et al 2004). Fashion stores used to change their stock only twice a year, with up to eight fashion seasons in a year, the stores have to constantly change their stock. In fact, fashion trends have been observed to last for only six to eight weeks (Collins 2003). This leads to complications in the supply chain for most fashion companies. The consequent volatility requires an agile supply strategy. Mass customisation is one key technique in the agile strategy. This involves mass production of the business products but configuring them slightly so that there are some variations in the products. The customers then have different products to choose from even though the products are essentially the same. Next adopts this strategy by offering mass produced clothes in variety of colours, sizes and styles to accommodate the differences in its customers tastes (Next 2011). On the other hand, as seen from its business strategies, there is a strong desire to reduce cost and manage stock levels efficiently. This corresponds to the lean supply strategy which eliminates wastes and increases efficiency. Next handles its inventory management accurately with the use of sound IT systems (NEXT Annual Report 2010). This ensures that there is a good balance between having additional products at hand and the risk of not having them when the customers need them (Gourdin 2000). Its warehousing and distribution operations are constantly reviewed to maintain efficiency and reduce risks such as physical property damage, reduce fabric waste, warehouse breakdowns, capacity shortages etc. Care is also taken to make sure that the products are transported to the retail stores on time (Next 2010 Annual Report). As a result of this, in 2010, the company was able to increase gross profit margin by 0.5% through reduction in warehousing and distribution costs (Figure 2.2). Figure 2.2. Next Plcs profit margins in 2010. Logistic Service providers (LSPs) LSPs are companies who handle other companies transport and distribution networks. Recognising the cost-effective prospects in international transport and logistics entails dedication and resources (Rushton et al 2008). Thus, many businesses outsource the transportation of raw materials and finished products to LSPs and focus on their own core competences to save resources and increase profits (Mangan et al 2008). Some companies, on the other hand, provide its own transportation and distribution services. While some others come together as agencies to organise their logistics needs, thereby getting the services at cheaper rates (Mangan et al 2008). Some LSPs also provide integrated logistics services and act as a one stop shop for companies. They are called third-party logistics companies (3PLs) or even fourth-party logistics companies (4PLs). They provide transportation, warehousing and packaging and distribution for other businesses. Examples of such companies are DHL, Kuehne and Nagel Logistics. Choosing the right LSP depends on several factors including the services provided, the geographical location, costs, speed, services needed, LSPs history etc (Mangan et al 2008). Next Plc falls under the categories of company who provides its own logistics services. It boasts of over 20 years of transporting, warehousing and distribution and has invested over  £66 million on its network over the past few years (Stanton 2007). Next Plc considers itself so experienced in these functions that it is now offers 3PL services to other retail businesses with 100 to 150 stores under the umbrella of Ventura Network Distribution (Stanton 2007). The company has two major networks; primary retail and two man network (Ventura 2009). Primary Retail: which comprises of 8 sites, 800 staff, depot space of about 1 million feet, warehousing space of about 5 million feet and over 200 vehicles. Two Man Network: this comprises of 11 sites, 220 staff and about 150 vehicles. In addition, it also offers the mail order fulfilment services (Ventura 2009). Ventura is doing well with a profit of  £6m in 2010; an increase of  £1m from the previous year (Next 2010 Annual Report). More growth is expected in the coming year. 3. Procurement and Outsourcing Procurement is the process of buying and acquiring the materials and services needed for a business. The materials and services procured by businesses will vary according to each business needs. A business like Next that sells clothing and accessories will need to buy fabric, sewing equipment, labour skilled in sewing and manufacturing clothes while a business who sells processed foods will need the food ingredients, the cooking equipment and skilled cooks. The art of procurement is increasingly more complex because of the differences in the cost and quality of materials and services across the world. In order to remain competitive, companies have to buy their materials from areas with greatest value for money and so save on costs of production. International regulations on buying and selling across the world also mean that businesses need to factor in laws, custom and excise duties when choosing where to buy their materials. The identification of right source of supply, purchasing right quantity, right quality, at the right time and at the right prices are important elements of procurement functions (Saxena 2009). Procurement can be direct and indirect. Direct procurement is applicable to manufacturing companies since they need to buy raw materials and equipment for their goods. Indirect procurement is applicable to all companies since it focus on the purchases of company facilities that are necessary to run the company such as labour, marketing, buildings/offices, office supplies etc. As with many other non-core business functions, some companies decide to outsource the procurement function to specialised companies that deal with this. For instance, they might engage recruitment agencies to fill a vacant position within their companies instead of spending time sifting through many CV and conducting interviews. Next Plc has several subsidiaries, one of which is called Next Sourcing Limited (NSL). NSL handles its procurement and sourcing operations. It is present in China, India, Hong Kong, Romania, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the UK. Its function is to design its fashion clothes, source the necessary materials, buy these materials and maintain the quality of the companys products (Next 2011). This subsidiary is doing well and last year recorded a profit of  £35.7m. However, with increasing competition from external suppliers, it is expected that profits will drop to about  £30m in the present year (Next 2010 Annual Report). For its indirect procurement, Next uses its subsidiary Ventura to handle all its customer service requirements and it offers this service to business who engage its service. This service is very important because increasing customer satisfaction is the output of good logistics (Gourdin 2000). At the moment, Next has 6 call centres in the UK, another one in India and employs over 7,000 employees (Next 2011). In addition, the company also recruits its own staff through its websites and advertisements on job sites like Indeed.co.uk which lead the applicants back to the Next website. 4.1 Conclusion Logistics is especially important to international companies. It involves how the company sources its products, manufactures, transports and stores them. The strategies embarked on by the company are a function of its business objectives and strategies. Next is determined to be profitable by increasing the demand of its products and reducing costs. Therefore, it uses a combination of both the lean and agile supply strategies to manage its logistics and supply chain. Next has created subsidiary companies to manage the different components of its logistics and supply chain. It is evident that the company wants to have total control over its business. In addition, it has commercialised these subsidiary companies and offers their services to other businesses, thereby increasing its revenue. Next has been quite profitable including the subsidiary companies that manage its logistics and supply chain. However, according to its 2010 annual report, the profits from Next Sourcing Ltd is likely to see a decline in the following year as a result of competition from external suppliers. 4.2 Recommendations Based on the findings of this report, the following recommendations have been made: It might be necessary for Next to outsource some of its logistics functions to independent companies so that it can focus on its core competencies which are to provide quality fashion clothing and software. At the moment, in trying to do so many things, the company might be losing the expertise and focus they need to build their brand and make even more profit. For instance, because of the large number of employees needed for the company and its subsidiaries, Next can outsource its recruitment functions to recruitment agencies. If the profits from NSL start to fall as predicted, it can also consider outsourcing this function. It is necessary for the company to realise that outsourcing procurement does not necessarily mean that it loses total control of its sourcing and buying processes. It could still have a department in charge of this function but work with third parties to ensure that it uses the expertise necessary for competitive advantage. The department can monitor the procurement process so that Next can be assured of its quality. 5. References and Bibliography Christopher M., (2003). Creating Agile Supply Chains. In: J. Gattorna, ed. 2003. Gower Handbook of Supply Chain Management. 5th edition; Gower Publishing Ltd. 283 291. Christopher M. (2004) Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Creating Value Adding Networks. 3rd ed; Financial Times/ Prentice Hall. Christopher M, Lowson R. Peck H. (2004). Creating agile supply chains in the fashion industry. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. Vol 32(8) 367 376 Collins J.L. (2003). Threads: Gender, Labor and Power in the Global Apparel Industry. 2nd ed; University of Chicago Press. Frazelle E. (2001). Supply Chain Strategy: The Logistics of Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill Professional. Gourdin K. (2000). Global Logistics Management: A Competitive Advantage for the New Millennium. Wiley-Blackwell. Mahadevan B. (2009). Operation Management: Theory and Practice. Prentice Hall College Div Mangan J, Lalwani C Butcher T. (2008). Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management. John Wiley Sons Next (2010). Annual Report. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nextplc.co.uk/nextplc/financialinfo/reportsresults/2009/jan10/jan10-c.pdf Accessed 02 March 2011. Next (2011). Next About us. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nextplc.co.uk/nextplc/aboutnext Accessed 02 March 2011. Saxena J. (2009). Production and Operations Management. McGraw Hill Education Stanton J. (2007) Next Goes into Third Party Logistics. [Online]. Available at: http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2007/10/31/128885/Next-goes-into-third-party-logistics.htm . Accessed 12 March 2011. Ventura (2009). Ventura Distribution Network [Online]. Available at: http://www.venturadistribution.co.uk/default.asp. Accessed 10 March 2011.

Different Cultures

Different countries of the world have different cultures. In light of this, there may be discrepancies in the way we interpret our interaction with the person from another culture. Sometimes it may be difficult to understand or accept another culture which is different from one’s own culture. In my three years of living in America, I have had experiences based on the difference between the Korean and American culture – these are in the area of non-verbal communication and appointment culture.However, I have also noticed that the structure of the educational system is similar. First of all, nonverbal communication is so much different between two countries. According to reading, â€Å"Where Do We Stand† Lisa Davis, mentioned that all countries have different nonverbal communications and personal space. Because of these, there may be misunderstandings and misinterpretations. One of the differences between the American and Korean culture is greeting. Americans greet by putting up a handshake and saying â€Å"hi† to anyone, both young and old.Koreans do that only to friends or someone who are younger than people who greet. If it is someone older, we greet by bowing head. Moreover, one other mode of greeting is kissing each other. It is really different culture from Korea. We never kiss anyone except close family members. I still find it hard to adapt to this mode of greeting. The simple communication mistakes we make at one time or the other upset the Americans. This may not be deliberate but due to the communication gap.Secondly, keeping an appointment is an indispensable condition even between friends in America. According to reading â€Å"Friends and Strangers† Margaret K. (Omar) Nydell, she talked about some differences of cultures and if she wants to meet another person, she needs to have a one week grace period. To me, this is strange. When I just came to America, I did not know about cultural differences. The first person I met was American-Chinese, we later became close friends. There was a times I was in bad mood. I called her so that I can talk to her.However, told me that she did not want to talk to me because she was having her personal time and asked me to meet the following day or two days after. I thought she just did not want to meet me and did not think it could be impolite to someone else. In Korea, we usually never make an appointment with friends. Whenever the need arises, a call is made and if the other party is available to meet. Even some of my friends just come to my home without any call. Making an appointment is one of courtesies in America.Although both cultures are sometimes poles apart, there are still some similarities between both cultures. A similarity can be found in the educational system of both countries. I believe that all countries have the same passion about education. America students prefer attending a good school and study hard. They also like people who are well edu cated. Even if there are many differences between other countries, Korea and America, when I study with others, we forget everything about differences and study with the same passion.It helps connect us to each other even if we come from very different countries. In conclusion, I have had so many experiences and realize that there are differences between other cultures. This I have come to realize since coming to this country three years ago. It is really hard to understand each other across cultures, and sometimes it there is still a communication gap between my friends and I. However, we are can understand each other if we all make an effort. We should try to accept the differences and then we could be closer to each other.

Issues in Education-Student Wellbeing Essay

When looking at the work done in schools around the promotion of wellbeing, there are many different state and national frameworks that inform school-based practices. I have chosen to discuss the Framework for Student Support Services in Victorian Government Schools (Department of Education 1998) pictured below. This framework outlines four major principles or levels of activity, grouped together with the ‘resilient student’ at its centre. The major principles are primary prevention, which is presented in the framework as the largest of the four principles and therefore indicates that it should be given the most attention, followed by early intervention, intervention and postvention. I’d like to start by posing the question what is resilience and how can resilience be recognised in a student? Resilience can be defined as â€Å"the set of attributes that provide people with the strength and fortitude to confront the overwhelming obstacles they are bound to face in life†(Sagor, 1996, p.38). There are also certain characteristics and descriptors of resilience that have been recognised by teachers and described by Sagor (1996) as being the most â€Å"social, optimistic, energetic, co-operative, inquisitive, helpful, punctual and on-task† (p.38) students. So the aim for wellbeing in schools should be on trying to instil some of these qualities in its students as a preventative measure to give them the best chance at becoming a a resilient student and hopefully carrying that on into adulthood. Primary prevention is the largest area in the framework because it constitutes the broadest and most significant area of activity. The aim is to provide students with the skills and tools needed on the path to becoming a resilient student. This means raising awareness to what makes students vulnerable, developing targeted programs and strategies that help to reduce these vulnerabilities and increasing awareness the issues whilst providing different ways of coping and/or skills that may be useful when these events or adversities may arise. Primary prevention is not always the first choice in schools according to Richard Sagor, a Professor at Washington State University, he believes that teachers don’t always opt for prevention before intervention, especially long term teachers, they tend to see the problem/s as being with the individual students and not with the cohort of students or school as a whole. Sagor suggests that â€Å"we must recognise that it is politically easier to ‘stay the course’ and continue to offer ‘traditional’ mainstream education†¦rather than to re-make our secondary schools into more hospitable, inclusive and preventative organisations†(1992, p.19). I found these arguments to be similar to those that arise in Australian literature on this topic for example â€Å"the health sector has invested considerable resources towards the development of a ‘packaged curriculum’ and†¦.the evidence to date has been that school health education has little effect beyond the short term†(Glover & Butler 2004, p.300). The programmes we have in place seem to be missing the mark and not really achieving what they set out to do. The next principle in the framework is early intervention. This is the time to assess the risks and identify the needs of students in order to really target those at risk of ongoing social, emotional and/or physical harm. By giving students the tools to be able to identify, assess and manage their own risks, early intervention intends to catch a problem at it’s beginnings and intervene before it gets any worse. This principle does promote student wellbeing and is probably one of the most effective as it can be very targeted information for issues that have already been recognised as being a problem. Intervention involves providing effective management and support to students in crisis, this includes ensuring access to appropriate counselling, care and treatment services and is also concerned with providing the skills for professionals who are dealing with students at their crisis point. Yes this principle still has it’s place in the promotion of student wellbeing, but it is already a bit late for the students, the key is to get in before the issues arise. Postvention is basically how the situation is handled beyond the crisis or event. It is the provision of ongoing support or counselling where necessary, monitoring the recovery process and evaluating the situation. After this crisis has passed and wellbeing is restored, a plan can be implemented or introduced into the prevention stage to increase awareness of the issue and hopefully prevent this happening for others in future or give them the tools to be able to cope with a challenging situation. I think this principle is very important and plays an evaluative role in providing wellbeing for present and future students. The principles in the Victorian Framework for Student Support Services of 1998 are collectively designed to provide comprehensive support for the promotion of the wellbeing of students in schools all over Australia and are also being increasingly encouraged on an international scale. The key to moving forward is prevention, like anything if we can prevent a problem before it begins and/or provide the skills and the know how to deal with a crisis before it arises then everybody is much better off. Students, teachers, parents and the wider community would be stronger and better equipped to face the challenges of everyday life. Our work as classroom teachers contributes in many ways to the promotion of young people’s wellbeing. It is no secret that high school students spend the majority of their teenage years in schools where they are supervised by teachers. Whether it be in classroom, out in the playground, out and about on excursions and even at the bus stop. Teachers are very influential figures in a young persons life, so it will come as no surprise that the work a classroom teachers does can contribute to the promotion of young people’s well being. Wellbeing can be defined as, â€Å"a state of positive psychological functioning that allows students to thrive, flourish and learn. Wellbeing refers to a state of positive emotional and social functioning that we would wish to nurture in all our students. The term wellbeing has been used to refer not only to a person’s subjective experience of ‘feeling good’ about themselves and their relationships with others but also to their sense of meaning, purpose and growth†(Goh, 2013). Wellbeing is a very broad term which is difficult to define. This definition from Goh (2013) stood out to me because it mentioned the fact that promoting the wellbeing of students allows them to ‘thrive, flourish and learn’, this is the important objective for schools and teachers to remember. Norris (2003) argues that â€Å"Children learn best in an environment that is safe, nurturing, and affirming†(p.318) which I think is the aim for all classroom teachers. Teachers can use a range of teaching strategies to enhance the resilience and overall wellbeing of their students. An example of a strategy for teaching resilience in America is the ABC’s of resilience. Renee Jain (2013) speaks about the difference between two people and what makes one person resilient and another person not. The A stands for adversity, this is the problem being faced. The C stands for the consequence or the reaction to the adversity and the thing that makes two people end up with different consequences is the B which stands for beliefs(about the situation). A resilient person is armed with the beliefs and the tools to pick themselves up and move forward. Those without resilience will be consumed by the adversity and struggle to get back up (Jain, 2013). By making students and teachers aware of this connection it is easier to understand why we need to be taught the qualities of a resilient person in order to maintain wellbeing. Many efforts are being made to spread the message of wellbeing for students through the use of programmes designed by non-government and some government organisations. The USA are world leaders in the sheer number of programmes and resources in the promotion of mental health, with thousands of programmes in operation with varying levels of success (Weare, 2010, p.27). The promotion of mental and wellbeing in Australia is also starting to thrive with programs such as Root of Empathy (2009) and Mind Matters(2009) at the forefront of the efforts to reach students with the message of wellbeing (Weare, 2010, p.28). In the UK â€Å"an increasing number of schools are engaged in what is effectively mental health work†¦working on a wide range of initiatives†¦two particular examples are Place 2 Be (2009), which supports councellors in schools and Pyramid Clubs (2009)† (Weare, 2010, p.28). I think the most prominent thing that stands out to me on an international scale is that everyone is trying to approach this from a whole school and even a whole community perspective, making it everyone’s business. I do think that this is how it should be and to be effective in promoting overall wellbeing of students it has to be a looked at as a holistic approach. By that same token, staff wellbeing is also a priority in promoting positive school environments. This means that it is important to look after yourself as a teacher, if the teacher is stressed, not focussed, and not looking after their own wellbeing then that will reflect onto the students wellbeing. In conclusion, teachers are very important role models and play such a pivotal role in a young persons life. Countries all over the world are now staring to really understand how much of an impact teachers and even schools as a whole can can make in the promotion of wellbeing in students. As long as the approach is holistic and targets students in the time of their lives when they need this information the most, we can quite possibly create a new generation of resilient young people. References: Glover, S & Butler, H 2004, ‘Facilitating health promotion within school communities’, in Moodie, R & Hulme, A (Eds.), Hands on health promotion, IP Communications, Melbourne, Vic, pp. 299-310. Sagor, R 1996, ‘Building Resiliency in Students’, Creating a Climate for Learning, Vol. 54 (1), Washington State University, Vancouver, pp.38-43. Sagor, R 1992, ‘Alternative programs for at-risk youth: wolves in sheep clothing’, Reaching Today’s Youth, Vol. 1 (2), Washington State University, Vancouver, pp.18-22. Goh, C 2013, ‘Student Wellbeing’, Student Wellbeing Action Partnership, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Accessed on 31/7/2013 from: http://web.education.unimelb.edu.au/swap/wellbeing/ Norris, J.A 2003, ‘Looking at Classroom Management Through a Social and Emotional Lens’, Theory into Practice, 3 (4), p.313-318. Jain, R 2013, Teaching Students the ABC’s of Resilience’, Social and Emotional Learning, The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Accessed on 31/7/13 from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-the-abcs-of-resilience-renee-jain Weare, K 2010, Promotiing Mental Health Through Schools, In P.Agglton, C.Dennison & I.Warwick (Eds.), Promoting Health and Wellbeing Through Schools, London: Routelege, pp.24-42.

Art Cinema Characteristics in Persona - 1692 Words

Kyle Keitz Professor Mullens Film 221 March 5, 2013 Art Cinema Characteristics in Persona According to David Bordwell’s research, Hollywood had a basic outline on how they made their films. The classical narrative cinema follows narrative structure, cinematic style, and spectatorial activity. In Classical Hollywood Cinema there is usually a psychologically defined, goal oriented character that’s easy to like. Foreign countries had a different way of making film, post WWII, Europe reestablished their facilitated film export and coproduction. Since the U.S. was exhibiting film in other countries it gave those foreign countries a chance to make film for international audiences. The neorealist films may be considered the first postwar†¦show more content†¦There is a scene when she is watching a television set and it has footage of the war in Vietnam and Bergman seems to emphasize a scene with a Buddhist Monk burning himself to death. She looks horrified and backs up into a corner and since I couldn’t think of any other motive for Bergman t o show the television set with Elisabeth, I assumed this is partly why she is mute. The only time she actually speaks is out of fear, she yells â€Å"No, don’t!† because Alma was about to toss boiling hot water at her. This proves to Alma that Elisabeth is human and she doesn’t want to be scared, doesn’t want to feel pain, and doesn’t want to die. It generally proves to her that Elisabeth exists. Elizabeth isn’t the only one that is going through torment she knows since Alma openly admits her doubts in life. Alma has some secrets of her own that she shares with Elisabeth. She seems to doubt a lot of the things that she has going on in her life. She is unsure of where her relationship is headed with the man she plans to marry, she doubts her capability to be a nurse, and she also doubts her strength to stand up against Elisabeth. Elisabeth seems to admire what Alma is saying and after she goes to bed another dream sequence is initiated . Bergman seems to leave this up to you on whether or not you want to believe that it really happened. In this scene, Elisabeth enters Alma’s room and they face each other after she is woken up while one strokes theShow MoreRelatedIce Cube2384 Words   |  10 Pagesdevelopment of the star persona of Ice Cube, the rapper/actor who has made the unusual transition from hardcore gangsta rapper to leading man in such â€Å"family-friendly† films as Are We There Yet? The essay, entitled â€Å"With an Attitude: The Development of Ice Cube’s Star Persona,† will soon be published in the online film journal 16:9; I’ll link to it as soon as it’s up. 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In previous years, the dominant representation of a women in film has been the passive, subjugated protagonist. However, through the development of female empowerment and added feminist representations of film, the female heroine transformed to become strong and independent women in her own right, as an individual character