Scholar Laura Mulvey theorized that the film camera is not a neutral, objective recorder but deeply tied to point of view and gender. Coining the phrase, “the male gaze,” she methodically revealed how the cinematic apparatus makes women into objects to be looked at. This critique, and the work of feminist scholars after her, warrants a reevaluation of almost a hundred years of film as an art form. In this Deep Dive, we’ll explore Mulvey’s original text and its implications on the history of film. How does a camera move and why? What are some primary examples of the male gaze in classical and contemporary Hollywood? And how do women and non-binary directors upend this fraught history of the camera (if they can at all)? Join us for an illuminating discussion of how we see women on film.
COST $30 General $25 Student/Teacher/Senior/Military $20 Film Streams Members
