Feminist Film Theory & AudiencesLaura Mulvey
Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975)
The Argument
- Cinema reflects society
- Therefore cinema reflects a patriarchal society (society ruled by men)
How then does a patriarchal society manifest itself in cinema?
Patriarchy & Phallocentrism
- Phallus is the symbol of power
- Note how guns are used in films
Guns = Phallus = Power
The Gaze
The "gaze" of the camera is the male "gaze". The male gaze is active, the female passive. Within the narrative the male characters direct their gaze towards female characters. The spectator is made to identify with the male look, because the camera films from the optical, as well as libidinal point of view of the male.
Thus three levels of the cinematic gaze - Camera, Character & Spectator - that objectify the female character (The Triple Gaze). Therefore, the audience is constructed itself as male. Women are forced to look as though they were a male audience member.
Agency
In Classical Hollywood cinema, the male protagonist has agency, is active, powerful and move the plot forward. He is the agent around whom the plot unfolds. The female character is passive and powerless, she is the object of desire to the protagonist and audience
Erotic Desire
Mulvery argues that women have two roles in film: 1) As an object of erotic desire for the characters and 2) As an object of erotic desire for the audience
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