About “Male Gaze”
“Male Gaze” was introduced by scholar and filmmaker Laura Mulvey in her now famous 1975 essay, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.
In feminist theory, the male gaze is the act of depicting women and the world in the visual arts and literature from a masculine, heterosexual perspective that presents and represents women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the heterosexual male viewer (2023, The New Yorker).
The male gaze in the film industry
The documentary “Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power” glimpses from a woman’s perspective that behind the glamorous screen, there is a hidden world of patriarchy (2022, British Film Institute). It tells the story of everything from the visual language of gendered cinema to Hollywood’s culture of employment discrimination and sexual assault, and the connection between the three forms a triangle.
Film always quietly affects people at the deepest level, but just few people realize that the visual language of the film contains the power relations of gender differences.
The presentation of the “male gaze” in the film
“The Lady from Shanghai” is a very classic movie. In a fragment, several men are standing around the boat in full clothes, and the heroine Rita Haywards is lying in the middle of the deck in a bikini.
Picture from: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040525/mediaviewer/rm754793728?ref_=ttmi_mi_nm_pos_29 and https://picryl.com/media/lady-from-shanghai-trailer-hayworth1-f5416f
While watching these movies, the subconscious of the female audience watching these films is also being hypnotized. They will also want to be as beautiful and attractive as the heroine, but this is an aesthetic from a male perspective.
Employment discrimination
In Hollywood, directors are defaulted to male directors. Even if a female director manages to make a film, she will encounter various difficulties in the end, such as being evaluated as not meeting the taste of the distributor.
So, it’s not just about the subject matter or who the director is, it’s about the male power at the top of the industry behind the disparity between men and women. They can decide what films will be resourced and released, or they will be the source of the real “male gaze”.
Picture from: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jan/04/hollywood-diversity-sees-no-improvement-in-2017-report-finds
Sexual harassment
According to the survey, 94% of women in Hollywood have been sexually harassed, and (2018, The Guardian) includes not only actresses, but also women in other positions. Interviewees for the documentary said: There is a power relationship that exists in the minds of people in the industry.
In some films, while committing sexual assault on the screen, soft music is used to cover up the essence of violence. Over time, audiences have become more receptive to these contents, Over time, audiences have become more receptive to these contents, and women have been objectified more and more.
The male gaze is culturally empowering, and deconstructing this culture requires women’s courage and confidence to defend women’s own aesthetics. Because female beauty is a choice, not an obligation to serve men.
Reference
Lauren M J. (2023). The Invention of “the Male Gaze”. Available from: https://www.newyorker.com/books/second-read/the-invention-of-the-male-gaze
British Film Institute. (2022). Overview of Brainwashed: Sex,-Camera-Power. Available from: https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription/film/watch-brainwashed-sex-camera-power-2022-online
Andrew P. (2018). 94% of women in Hollywood experience sexual harassment or assault, says survey. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/feb/21/94-of-women-in-hollywood-experience-sexual-harassment-or-assault-says-survey
Your blog thoughtfully explored the male gaze and its presence in the film industry with providing numerous examples! The male gaze in films is unfortunately common and has long-lasting impact in our society, especially with adolescent people who are still developing their identity and beliefs. Through these films they can form gender discriminating ideas and opinions which can be spread the next generation, reinforcing gender stereotypes. As you mentioned, employment discrimination sexual harassment is sadly present as well. Even though films are supposed to entertain us and teach us moral lessons, it’s very concerning that those same people making these projects are doing horrible acts behind the scenes.