Mulvey: Pleasure and Narrative Cinema
Laura Mulvey: A British filmmaker and theorist, most well known for her essay 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' (1975) . Her work is observed to be one of the most defining texts in establishing feminist film theory.
Mulvey (1975) states that film fascinates us through images and engages our emotions. Through the use of psychoanalysis she aimed to "discover where and how the fascination of film reinforced by pre-existing patterns of fascination already at work within with individual subject". She refers to this as a "political weapon".
Mulvey (1975) states that film fascinates us through images and engages our emotions. Through the use of psychoanalysis she aimed to "discover where and how the fascination of film reinforced by pre-existing patterns of fascination already at work within with individual subject". She refers to this as a "political weapon".
In mainstream cinema patriarchy is heavily prominent, placing a focus on women as objects of "visual pleasure". She argues that this visual pleasure takes the form of scopophilia where the viewer can take great enjoyment and pleasure in observing the human form in an environment where they will not be condemned for doing so. She argues that films actually encourage this type of behaviour from the viewer by creating a "safe space" that is specifically designed for people to explore the visuals that cinema creates.
She describes a 'shift in spectatorship' in the films that she had come to love and admire. She became a female spectator of films, viewing them with 'different eyes' than before. The difference here is that instead of being absorbed in to a films narrative and mise en scene and becoming voyeuristic spectator, she became an active viewer who placed herself at a distance from the film in order to form criticism. The group that she was involved with during this period of time were known as The Feminist Studies Group.
(Laura Mulvey discusses the emergence of her essay 'visual pleasure and the narrative cinema')
Sigmund Freud discusses scopophilia in his 'three essays' (1905). In simple terms he discussed the link between children's voyeurism and cinematic looking. Describing a curious gaze that we possess that stems from childhood before we have developed a sense of what is right and wrong in a social context. For instance, children are often outspoken and do not realise that it is rude to point at someone and say something aloud about their physical appearance. A fully developed adult brain has adapted to filter through our thoughts and be selective with what we share aloud with others therefore relating to our personal definition of societal norms. In cinema Freud believes that we resort back to this childlike mindset and become absorbed by what we are viewing, allowing ourselves to stare and take pleasure in doing so. He believed that the most satisfying of visual pleasure is that of the human form and face.
He states that women's portrayal within a narrative act 'against the development of a storyline' and alters in pace to act almost like a freeze frame in moments of erotic contemplation. "Women as image, man as bearer of the look". Women are not only an 'erotic object' within the narrative but also for the spectator who for them are an object of fantasy. Throughout the narrative the spectator is being guided through the story in an attempt to let them identify with the male protagonist which intensifies their visual pleasure of female characters by making them feel included in the storytelling.
This leads on to the concept of fetishistic scopophilia: the image of the woman can be viewed as a threat to the male spectator which can instil fear. The two methods of escaping this fear is to first investigate the woman and unravel her 'mystery' which can be achieved by exposure to the female body (fragmentation), the spectator no longer views her as a whole and is therefore removes any intimidation. The second method is to deny castration by turning the woman in to a reassuring fetish.
She describes a 'shift in spectatorship' in the films that she had come to love and admire. She became a female spectator of films, viewing them with 'different eyes' than before. The difference here is that instead of being absorbed in to a films narrative and mise en scene and becoming voyeuristic spectator, she became an active viewer who placed herself at a distance from the film in order to form criticism. The group that she was involved with during this period of time were known as The Feminist Studies Group.
(Laura Mulvey discusses the emergence of her essay 'visual pleasure and the narrative cinema')
Sigmund Freud discusses scopophilia in his 'three essays' (1905). In simple terms he discussed the link between children's voyeurism and cinematic looking. Describing a curious gaze that we possess that stems from childhood before we have developed a sense of what is right and wrong in a social context. For instance, children are often outspoken and do not realise that it is rude to point at someone and say something aloud about their physical appearance. A fully developed adult brain has adapted to filter through our thoughts and be selective with what we share aloud with others therefore relating to our personal definition of societal norms. In cinema Freud believes that we resort back to this childlike mindset and become absorbed by what we are viewing, allowing ourselves to stare and take pleasure in doing so. He believed that the most satisfying of visual pleasure is that of the human form and face.
He states that women's portrayal within a narrative act 'against the development of a storyline' and alters in pace to act almost like a freeze frame in moments of erotic contemplation. "Women as image, man as bearer of the look". Women are not only an 'erotic object' within the narrative but also for the spectator who for them are an object of fantasy. Throughout the narrative the spectator is being guided through the story in an attempt to let them identify with the male protagonist which intensifies their visual pleasure of female characters by making them feel included in the storytelling.
This leads on to the concept of fetishistic scopophilia: the image of the woman can be viewed as a threat to the male spectator which can instil fear. The two methods of escaping this fear is to first investigate the woman and unravel her 'mystery' which can be achieved by exposure to the female body (fragmentation), the spectator no longer views her as a whole and is therefore removes any intimidation. The second method is to deny castration by turning the woman in to a reassuring fetish.
(an explanation of scopophilia and how it affects individuals who experience it)
Applying the 'Male Gaze' to film
Mulvey Research:
1) https://www.womenandfilm.net/home/2017/9/21/on-the-female-gaze (online)
2)
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