Laura Mulvey – Male Gaze (1975)
Voyeurism (looking at someone without them
knowing – spying)
Women on screen for purposes of display
Spectators (regardless of gender) are
encouraged to take on ‘male gaze’ – we as the audience have been positioned to
see the characters in a specific way
Male gaze – a powerful controlling gaze at the
female on display, who is effectively objectified and passive
Textual
Analysis Task:
Candy shop
video
Camerawork
Low angle of 50 cent getting out of car –
power
High angle over women dancing – no power
Close ups of women showing off their body
Long shots, low angle to show their body, to
make them more sexual – the idea of being Goddess-like
50 cent centre of camera to show his dominance
and power
Direct mode of address/eye contact with camera
– intimidating/powerful
Low angle on 50 cent on top of balcony as
though he owns them
Mise-en-scence
Playboy mansion
Wearing lingerie, nurse costume - caring,
nurturing, latex, tight, shirt
Light to reflect body curves
Colour red to show lust
Paintings came to life – for decoration,
objectified
Car shows power and wealth
Costume
Editing
Slowed down on women - seductive
Faster on 50 cent to show he’s not that
important
Cross cutting
Post-feminism and the female gaze
A re-appraisal of feminist values
Does not strive for ‘equality’ as this assumes
men are ‘the best’ – they wish to superpose male achievements
Objected to theories which position them as
objects of the ‘male gaze’
Identities a female gaze women actively
desiring men
Women began to assert their right to dress and
be sexually attractive
Gender
representation
Lady gaga
telephone video
Camerawork
High angles to show power
Close ups of face
Close up if legs
Mise-en-scence
Costume shows off body but not in a sexual way
Black and spikes not as seductive, quite scary
and tough
Editing
Past pace editing – aggressive
Doesn’t linger on her body
Women are quite tough
Laura Mulvey must be my favourite theorist so far. I genuinely love her theory and I'm so willing to challenge it!
Laura Mulvey must be my favourite theorist so far. I genuinely love her theory and I'm so willing to challenge it!
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