Wider Film Theories

8/9/2019 Wider Film Theories

1/12

Task 1.1 Wider Film Theories Megan McClean

Wider Film Theories

By Megan Mc Clean

For this assignment I am going to give you a brief history and introduction into

the movement and waves of feminism that caused great changes to how women

fought for their artistic rights. I also lan to give e!amles of how the "lm

industry has changed to let women through but even in the resent day women

are ushed to the side#line. I will then give brief descritions of a coule of other

"lm theories that can be related back to the feminist "lm theory.

Feminism is a collaboration of $movements and ideologies aimed at de"ning

e%ual rights for women& 'fn.1(. There are three waves of feminism throughout

history. The "rst wave of feminism was formed in the late 1)**s+ also known asthe $,u-ragette movement&. In the beginning of feminism these women stood u

for women&s vote+ as they wanted to $be e%ual with men and have the same

rights to voting& 'fn.(.

The second wave of feminism came in the 1/0*s. In this movement women

wanted e%uality through their+ $se!uality+ family+ worklace+ reroductive rights+

de facto ine%ualities and oce legal ine%ualities& 'fn.2(. This second wave of

feminism moved right through the )*s into the early /*s.


2/12


The third wave of feminism was born in the early /*s through to today. This wave

involves ideologies focusing on e%uality for $gay and non#white women& 'fn.3(.

Women in this wave want to abolish the tyical stereotyes for women but also+$gender role e!ectations and the %ueer theory& 'fn.4(.


3/12


Feminism "lm theory was seen to have begun in the second wave of feminism in

the 1/0*s. This was after $the radical movement crashed in 1/0) women began

to look in more detail& of the female history& 'fn.0(. In the beginning of themovement women began to move away from the idea that caitalism is the

reason for women not being e%ual with men. This is when the male ga5e was

born.

The Male 6a5e occurs when we as an audience are being ut $in the ersective

of the heterose!ual man& 'fn.7( ga5ing at the women on screen as we stare at

their curves# as camera movement+ lighting and slow motion are used to

emhasise this. In Mulveys theory she talks of how women are laced on $screen

for the visual leasure of men& 'fn.)( # utting women in the osition of being se!

symbols or ob8ects instead of human beings. We as women then can only see

ourselves as visual leasure for men+ utting us in osition of having to focus on

what the heterose!ual man wants us to look like.


4/12


In mainstream "lms women were seen as the assive characters and the men

were active characters. This is when the women were used as insiration to the

man in the "lm and caused the man to act on this+ moving the storyline forward.

Women were seen to almost $only e!ist because of the male& 'fn./( 9 this can be

found in such "lms as **7. The dominance of male ga5e at the time comes from

the $:egemonic ideologies that e!ist in our society& 'fn.1*(# this was an era

where white heterose!ual men were in ower and set to oress the underdogs

such as women+ gay eole and black eole.

Throughout

history women

have been battling

for e%uality to men. The

"rst female director was a woman named ;lice

6uy#Blach< =1)72#1/0)>. ,he was a well#known

French director that never came to great light as :ollywood had never credited

her and this was a time that women didn&t even have e%ual vote. ?ven in the

resent day some women are still being oressed by male domination and

religious ower.

,audi ;rabia is country known for its women to be covered head to toe and

stand in the shadows of the men as they have higher ower. :aifaa al#Mansour

grew u in this society of oression for women and comletely understands how

the lives of women don&t mean a lot comared to the men.


5/12


In *1 :aifaa al#Mansour made an ulifting "lm about a young rebellious girl in

,audi ;rabia who enters and @oran reading cometition to get the money to buy

herself a bike.

The director of this "lm has a subtle but owerful way to e!ress how women in

,audi ;rabia are oressed and they may not even realise it themselves. :aifaaal Mansour talks in an interview of how she tries to $tell an intimate story and

change eole&s ersective on "lm when they see a human erson+ it uts a

face on a culture rather than e!ose it& 'fn.11(. This is a erfect "lm that comes

into contact with women of di-erent ages from Wad8da herself to her mother# as

her mother is too distracted by trying to make her husband hay by getting him

a second wifeA where is the mother&s hainess


6/12


What I "nd so

secial about this

"lm is that the director does not try to se!ualise women or give them false hoe

of how they should look. ,he resents them in a realistic manner+ so that the

oint that she is trying to get across becomes more real for the women and also

men watching. nlike the 1/4*s women# like in this "lm# have got more realistic

styles and ways of lifeA even though :aifaa al Mansour talks of how she tries $to

be resectful of the culture& 'fn.1( she still makes a owerful oint of utting

women in ower and changing the direction of women&s rights in ,audi ;rabia.

Dverall Feminism in "lm has owered a movement throughout the ast 0* years

and shall continue. Women have come from being a man&s se!ualised imagery

on screenA to becoming their own emowerment and moving the great voice ofwomen forward. ?ven though we still have so far to go for women to become

seen as an e%ual se! to men+ we as women are slowly changing the ercetion

that women are second to men.

Esychoanalytical Film Theory

Esychoanalytical "lm theory sets out to analyse the $ersective of sychoaths&

'fn12(. This theory starts o- in the unconsciousness of a erson&s mind as we$reress various desires+ fears+ memories and fantasies&'fn.13(# this is where "lm

comes in as we take our fantasies and live them out through watching what is

haening to the characters on screen. This theory discusses the $talking cure&

which is about $bringing the unconsciousness to the surface& 'fn.14(. Film through

this theory can also be seen as $analogues to dreams and manifestations of the

unconsciousness of the "lmmaker and sectator& 'fn.10(.

,igmund Freud had a theory that there are three levels to the ego of the mind+

which are

IG# this art of the consciousness drives for $acts of leasure&


7/12


,uerego# this art of the mind strives to act in a $society aroriate manner&

'fn.17(+ but also controls right+ wrong and guilt.

?go# the ego searates what is real and $seeks to lease the IG in realistic ways&

'fn.1)(. The ego is also a defence mechanism.

Famous sychologist+ Hac%ues acan created a "lm theory that hels describe in

detail the sychoanalytical side of "lm and the mindA known as the 2 registers of

human reality.

The imaginary register starts o- with the $mirror hase =mimicry> the child

identi"es with an image outside of themselves+ $this can be a mirror reJection of

themselves or even an image& 'fn.1/(. In this theory it is seen that the ego is

created by $alienating identi"cation& 'fn.*(+ with lack of comletion in the body

and nervous system. The symbolic side of the register discusses 2 thingsA "rst of

all the demand for love+ secondly desire+ which becomes distorted at the level of

need and thirdly the wish+ which is what the mind wants consciously. The $real&

register reresents $what is e!cluded from reality& 'fn.1(. This register can be

used to connect how the audience become involved with characters on screen

and how they can be moved away from their own reality for a moment in time.

,lavo8 Ki5ek a well#known sychologist e!amines the idea of fantasy and

symtom in sychoanalytical "lm theory. ,ymtom is a mechanism of gender

imbalance. This can be seen in classic :ollywood as the women are seen $as

ob8ects traded by men+ ossessed by the look& 'fn.(. This is where feminist "lm

theory comes into lay as women are consciously and sub consciously se!ualised

on screen to become a man or woman&s fantasy# taking them away from reality

of their own relationshis for a moment in time.

Ki5ek also talks of what would usually drive a character to do what they do when

they are confronted. The "rst idea is $the regime of the brothers this idea comesfrom the death of $death of totemic father social ower reconstitutes around


8/12


regime of the brother& 'fn.2(+ which then leads to mutual crime+ violence and

sustained by rituals of humiliation. These characters are known as $desire

creatures& that go on regardless becoming unstoable. With this tye of

character on screen we understand how the audience can become engulfed by

their own suerego and IG as they unconsciously become the character for the

time that the "lm is being shown.

Dver all sychoanalytical "lm theory hels the audience to get inside the minds

of the characters or "lm makers+ so that we can truly understand why they have

shaed the "lm in such a way that makes the storyline stronger. Feminist "lm

theory and sychoanalytical theory blend well together to let women and men

see how women are being se!ualised on screen. 4* year ago eole did not

conform to the idea that "lm is an art form that will get inside your mind and

could change you sub consciously without you knowing. These two theories are

erfect e!amles of how "lm has got a lot more layers than "rst seen.

Mar!ist "lm Theory

Mar!ism is $olitical and economic hilosohy& 'fn.3( created by @arl Mar! and

Friedrich ?ngels in which the $concet of class struggle lays a central role in

understanding societyLs allegedly inevitable develoment from bourgeois

oression under caitalism to a socialist and ultimately classless society&

'fn.4(.

Mar!ist "lm theory is known as one of the oldest "lm theories that there is

created from the ideologies of Mar!ism. @arl Mar! and his followers were wary of

$how cinema suorts dominant ideology& 'fn.0(. From this idea+ @arl Mar! set

out to create ideologies of "lm+ which consisted of

$Individual matters and can make a di-erence in the world& 'fn.7(

; erson can imrove themselves

6ood will triumh

?-ort will be rewarded

$Financial and marital stability is the best reward& 'fn.)(

Criminal will return to the scene of the crime

?vil will be e!osed

$Corrution e!ists in isolated cases& 'fn./(

Gon&t have se!+ do drugs+ drink or meddle with things you don&t

understand


9/12


; "lm that can be related to Mar!ism "lm theory is

The :unger 6ames. The :unger 6ames is

"lm that can be seen as reresenting the

Mar!ist theories with its forward ideas of

ushing a ower to the ground as eole stand

u for their freedom+ for all classes of societyto be e%uals and treated like e%uals.

Mar!ism is an idea that doesn&t believe in

classes of society+ that there is a higher ower of

money and a lower. The ideologies of the Mar!ism ides+ set out as it seems

to make an e%ual society an that through "lm these ideas can be told and shown

to the ublic and make them change their views.

Formalist "lm theory

Formalist "lm theory focuses on the $formal+ or technical elements& 'fn.2*( to

"lm+ such as lighting+ camera+ set design+ color+ shot comosition and editing.

This tye of theory hels eole studying "lm searate the di-erent tyes of

styles and movements in "lm. This "lm theory stands by the idea that $"lm is

indeed art and not reroduction of reality& 'fn.21(. Filmmakers in this theory are

seen as artists that $shae and mold images we see on screen the way a

sculture molds clay& 'fn.2(.

Because formalism sees "lm as an art form it has multile views under its skin+

such as neo#realism+ anti#realism+ realism and ;vant#garde. Formalist "lm theory

focuses on ideologies on $how socio#economic ressures create articular style&

'fn.22(. The ideologies in this theory bring together themes+ emotions and art to

create "lms that move the audience through a story or the beauty of the "lm.

$Two e!amles related to formalism

Classical :ollywood cinema

Film noir $ 'fn.23(

Filmmakers wanted to create a new way of e!eriencing a "lm in such a leasant

way that audience would sit back and be taken into a new world for a moment in

time# involving he audience into the "lm.


10/12


; "lm that can be seen as formalist is the

shoot#out that ends ,ergio eoneLs ,aghettiWesternGollars trilogy# this "lm is a good

e!amle of how the editor has %uickly cut

the scene from a wide shot to a close u of

the gunA making the audience have an

e!erience of a 8um "lm that kees them on

the edge of their seats.

Dverall each "lm theory was created with the great intention of making "lm

theory better and for us the audience to understand the artistic endeavour of the

director. ?ach "lm theory in many ways are linked together to make the

understanding of what is haening on screen better.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Leonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_Westernhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_Westernhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollars_Trilogyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_Westernhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_Westernhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollars_Trilogyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Leone


11/12


Bibliograhy

1. httNNen.wikiedia.orgNwikiNFeminism. httNNen.wikiedia.orgNwikiN,u-ragette

2. httNNen.wikiedia.orgNwikiN,econd#waveOfeminism3. httNNen.wikiedia.orgNwikiNThird#waveOfeminism4. httNNen.wikiedia.orgNwikiNThird#waveOfeminism0. httNNwww.slideshare.netNnealiainNfeminist#"lm#theory7. httNNwww.slideshare.netNchristimothy1Nlaura#mulvey#the#male#ga5e#

02)121)%idPafdc*cb7#f22)#37d0#b13d#

32130c773041QvP%f1QbPQfromOsearchP1). httNNwww.slideshare.netNchristimothy1Nlaura#mulvey#the#male#ga5e#

02)121)%idPafdc*cb7#f22)#37d0#b13d#

32130c773041QvP%f1QbPQfromOsearchP1/. httNNwww.slideshare.netNchristimothy1Nlaura#mulvey#the#male#ga5e#

02)121)%idPafdc*cb7#f22)#37d0#b13d#32130c773041QvP%f1QbPQfromOsearchP1

1*.httNNwww.slideshare.netNchristimothy1Nlaura#mulvey#the#male#ga5e#

02)121)%idPafdc*cb7#f22)#37d0#b13d#

32130c773041QvP%f1QbPQfromOsearchP111.httNNwww.theguardian.comN"lmNvideoN*12N8ulN10Nwad8da#saudi#arabia#

female#director#video1.httNNwww.theguardian.comN"lmNvideoN*12N8ulN10Nwad8da#saudi#arabia#

female#director#video12.httNNwww.slideshare.netNrolandagonaNsychoanalysis#of#movies13.httNNwww.slideshare.netNrolandagonaNsychoanalysis#of#movies

14.httNNwww.slideshare.netNrolandagonaNsychoanalysis#of#movies10.httNNwww.slideshare.netNrolandagonaNsychoanalysis#of#movies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragettehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-wave_feminismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-wave_feminismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-wave_feminismhttp://www.slideshare.net/nepaliain/feminist-film-theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragettehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-wave_feminismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-wave_feminismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-wave_feminismhttp://www.slideshare.net/nepaliain/feminist-film-theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/christimothy12/laura-mulvey-the-male-gaze-26381318?qid=afdc0cb7-f338-47d6-b14d-43146c774651&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1http://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movies


12/12


17.httNNwww.slideshare.netNrolandagonaNsychoanalysis#of#movies1).httNNwww.slideshare.netNrolandagonaNsychoanalysis#of#movies1/.httNNwww.slideshare.netNrolandagonaNsychoanalysis#of#movies*.httNNwww.slideshare.netNrolandagonaNsychoanalysis#of#movies1.httNNwww.thefreedictionary.comNMar!ism

.httNNwww.thefreedictionary.comNMar!ism2.httNNwww.slideshare.netNturner1*1*Nmar!ist#"lm#theory3.httNNwww.slideshare.netNturner1*1*Nmar!ist#"lm#theory4.httNNwww.slideshare.netNturner1*1*Nmar!ist#"lm#theory0.httNNwww.slideshare.netNturner1*1*Nmar!ist#"lm#theory7.httNNen.wikiedia.orgNwikiNFormalistO"lmOtheory).httNNwww.slideshare.netNdanwargoNformalist#"lm#theory#resentation/.httNNwww.slideshare.netNdanwargoNformalist#"lm#theory#resentation2*.httNNwww.slideshare.netNdanwargoNformalist#"lm#theory#resentation21.httNNwww.slideshare.netNdanwargoNformalist#"lm#theory#resentation2.httNNwww.slideshare.netNdanwargoNformalist#"lm#theory#resentation22.httNNwww.slideshare.netNstaceyhallNauteur#theory#43102/

ne!tOslideshowP123.httNNwww.slideshare.netNdma!*0Nauteur#theory#44/17relatedP124.httNNwww.slideshare.netNstaceyhallNauteur#theory#43102/

ne!tOslideshowP1
http://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/Marxismhttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/Marxismhttp://www.slideshare.net/pturner1010/marxist-film-theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/pturner1010/marxist-film-theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/pturner1010/marxist-film-theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/pturner1010/marxist-film-theoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formalist_film_theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/staceyhall/auteur-theory-5416329?next_slideshow=1http://www.slideshare.net/staceyhall/auteur-theory-5416329?next_slideshow=1http://www.slideshare.net/staceyhall/auteur-theory-5416329?next_slideshow=1http://www.slideshare.net/staceyhall/auteur-theory-5416329?next_slideshow=1http://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.slideshare.net/rolandagona/psychoanalysis-of-movieshttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/Marxismhttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/Marxismhttp://www.slideshare.net/pturner1010/marxist-film-theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/pturner1010/marxist-film-theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/pturner1010/marxist-film-theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/pturner1010/marxist-film-theoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formalist_film_theoryhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/danwargo/formalist-film-theory-presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/staceyhall/auteur-theory-5416329?next_slideshow=1http://www.slideshare.net/staceyhall/auteur-theory-5416329?next_slideshow=1http://www.slideshare.net/staceyhall/auteur-theory-5416329?next_slideshow=1http://www.slideshare.net/staceyhall/auteur-theory-5416329?next_slideshow=1

Documents

Wider Film Theories