Visual Pleasure and the Visual Pleasure and the Narrative CinemaNarrative Cinema

Article by: Laura MulveyArticle by: Laura Mulvey

Presentation by: Evelyn WalkerPresentation by: Evelyn Walker

Purpose of this discussionPurpose of this discussion

To understand concepts of To understand concepts of scopophiliascopophilia (voyeurism) and (voyeurism) and scopophilia in its narcissistic scopophilia in its narcissistic aspectaspect (fetishistic scopophilia) (fetishistic scopophilia)

Analyzing Sternberg and Hitchcock and how Analyzing Sternberg and Hitchcock and how their techniques differ from one anothertheir techniques differ from one another

Gaining a better understanding of why women Gaining a better understanding of why women are treated as objects in film and forgotten as are treated as objects in film and forgotten as spectatorsspectators

OutlineOutline

Purpose of the Discussion and Outline (1 Purpose of the Discussion and Outline (1 minute)minute)

KEY TERMS (3 minutes)KEY TERMS (3 minutes) Quick Demonstration (2 minutes)Quick Demonstration (2 minutes) Why active/male and passive/female? Why active/male and passive/female?

(3 minutes) (3 minutes) Sternberg and Hitchcock (3 minutes)Sternberg and Hitchcock (3 minutes) VertigoVertigo AND AND Marnie Marnie (10 minutes) (10 minutes) Discussion questions (3 minutes)Discussion questions (3 minutes)

ScopophiliaScopophilia

One of the component One of the component instincts of sexualityinstincts of sexuality

Freud associated with Freud associated with taking other people as taking other people as objects, subjecting objects, subjecting them to a controlling them to a controlling and curious gazeand curious gaze

Looking at another Looking at another person con tinues to person con tinues to be the erotic basis for be the erotic basis for pleasurepleasure

Scopophila (con’t)Scopophila (con’t)

The story unfolds, and the people The story unfolds, and the people onscreen are indifferent to the presence onscreen are indifferent to the presence of the audience, producing a sense of of the audience, producing a sense of separation, which plays on the voyeuristic separation, which plays on the voyeuristic fantasyfantasy

The darkness of the auditorium contrasts The darkness of the auditorium contrasts with the brilliance of the images on screen with the brilliance of the images on screen to perpetuate this fantasy. Spectators are to perpetuate this fantasy. Spectators are also isolated from each other in the dark.also isolated from each other in the dark.

Scopophilia in its narcissistic Scopophilia in its narcissistic aspectaspect ( fetishistic ( fetishistic

scopophilia)scopophilia)

Where curiosity and the Where curiosity and the wish to look intermingle wish to look intermingle with a fascination with with a fascination with likeness and recognitionlikeness and recognition

Cinema has structures of Cinema has structures of fascination strong enough fascination strong enough to allow temporary loss of to allow temporary loss of ego while simultaneously ego while simultaneously enforcing the ego enforcing the ego (character in the story has (character in the story has control, so spectator has control, so spectator has control)control)

DemonstrationDemonstration

I will be right back. I will be right back.

Notice the way that I am “coded”.Notice the way that I am “coded”.

Was I more “Hollywood worthy” Was I more “Hollywood worthy” BEFORE or AFTER I left the room?BEFORE or AFTER I left the room?

““Woman As Image,Woman As Image, Man As Bearer of the Man As Bearer of the Look”Look”

Pleasure in looking Pleasure in looking has been split has been split between ACTIVE/MALE between ACTIVE/MALE and PASSIVE/FEMALEand PASSIVE/FEMALE

Women are Women are simultaneously looked simultaneously looked at and displayed, with at and displayed, with their appearance their appearance coded for a strong coded for a strong visual and erotic visual and erotic impactimpact

““Women As Image...” Women As Image...” (things to contemplate)(things to contemplate)

““What counts is what the heroine provokes, or What counts is what the heroine provokes, or rather what she represents. She is the one, or rather what she represents. She is the one, or rather the love or fear she inspires in the hero, rather the love or fear she inspires in the hero, or else the concern he feels for her, who or else the concern he feels for her, who makes him act the way he does. In herself, makes him act the way he does. In herself, the woman has not the slightest importance.”--the woman has not the slightest importance.”--Budd BoetticherBudd Boetticher

The male figure cannot bear the burden of The male figure cannot bear the burden of sexual objectification. Man is reluctant to gaze sexual objectification. Man is reluctant to gaze at his exhibitionist like. (Hmm…is this why at his exhibitionist like. (Hmm…is this why most men that I know cannot stand “most men that I know cannot stand “The The Rocky Horror Picture ShowRocky Horror Picture Show” ?)” ?)

Josef von Sternberg’s StyleJosef von Sternberg’s Style

Woman is not the Woman is not the bearer of guilt, but a bearer of guilt, but a perfect product whose perfect product whose body is the content of body is the content of the film and the direct the film and the direct recipient of the recipient of the spectator’s gaze.spectator’s gaze.

Most important Most important absence is that of the absence is that of the controlling male gaze controlling male gaze within the screen scenewithin the screen scene

Alfred Hitchcock’s StyleAlfred Hitchcock’s Style

Male hero sees exactly what Male hero sees exactly what the audience seesthe audience sees

Male heroes are exemplary of Male heroes are exemplary of the symbolic order and law BUT the symbolic order and law BUT erotic drives lead them into erotic drives lead them into compromised situationscompromised situations

Male hero controls the female: Male hero controls the female: she is “castrated” by a she is “castrated” by a certainty of legal right AND the certainty of legal right AND the established guilt of the woman; established guilt of the woman; therefore, the man is on the therefore, the man is on the rightright side of the law, the side of the law, the woman on the woman on the wrongwrong

Hitchcock’s “Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”Vertigo”

The narrative revolves around The narrative revolves around what Scottie sees or fails to what Scottie sees or fails to seesee

Scottie seeks to control Scottie seeks to control Madeleine--at first, Madeleine--at first, voyeuristically, then by voyeuristically, then by questioning herquestioning her

Later, Scottie’s fetish is to Later, Scottie’s fetish is to reconstruct Judy as Madeleinereconstruct Judy as Madeleine

Judy is both masochistic and Judy is both masochistic and the passive counterpart of the passive counterpart of ScottieScottie

Hitchcock’s Hitchcock’s “Marnie”“Marnie”

Marnie also performs for Marnie also performs for Mark Rutland’s gaze and Mark Rutland’s gaze and masquerades as the masquerades as the perfect to-be-looked-at perfect to-be-looked-at imageimage

Mark controls her by guilt Mark controls her by guilt (catching her stealing) (catching her stealing) AND eventually by legal AND eventually by legal right (marrying her)right (marrying her)

Discussion and Review Discussion and Review QuestionsQuestions

Explain how Explain how Sternberg and Sternberg and Hitchcock use Hitchcock use scopophilia and scopophilia and scopophilia in its scopophilia in its narcissistic aspect.narcissistic aspect.

Can you think of Can you think of other contemporary other contemporary movies that use movies that use scopophila and/or scopophila and/or scopophilia in its scopophilia in its narcissistic aspect?narcissistic aspect?