Woman […] stands in patriarchal culture as a signifier for the male other, bound by a symbolic order in which man can live out his fantasies and obsessions through linguistic command by imposing them on the silent image of woman still tied to her place as bearer, not maker, of meaning (Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure” 15).
Ever since Laura Mulvey published her essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” in 1975, feminist film theorists have challenged her assertion that films are directed at an exclusively male spectatorship. Despite the fact that Mulvey herself has revised some of her ideas in “Afterthoughts on ‘Visual Pleasure and
Narrative Cinema’ inspired by King Vidor’s Duel in the Sun (1946)” (1981), theorists are still struggling to understand if and how visual pleasure manifests itself for female viewers.
In classical Hollywood cinema, this visual pleasure is the result of
successful audience manipulation. Cinema is often regarded as a ‘narrative machine’ because “the narrative is delivered so effortlessly and efficiently to the audience that it appears to have no source” (Belton, American Cinema 22). As a rule, the film’s artifice is hidden so well that it remains unnoticed by the audience, conveying the impression that the narrative is “spontaneously creating itself in the presence of the spectators […] for their immediate consumption and pleasure” (ibid.). Thus, cinema’s visual manipulation techniques enable viewers to
experience visual pleasure as they enter the world on screen and become involved in the lives of their screen surrogates.
Among the many talented directors in the history of film making, Alfred Hitchcock is known for being one of cinema’s most productive auteurs and a pioneer in the field of visual manipulation. Through his way of directing the camera – and with the camera also the gaze of the spectator – his audience not
only appreciates the narrative itself but also, and especially, Hitchcock’s technique of storytelling. By means of simultaneously zooming in and tracking out, combined with point-of-view shots and extreme close-ups, the audience assumes the protagonist’s perspective along with a sense of vertigo, guilt and pleasure. Thus, as a director, Hitchcock is like a criminal who makes the audience his accomplice in a crime that is about to unfold in front of their eyes. [...]
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The Gaze and Spectatorship in Feminist Film Theory
- 2.1. Laura Mulvey’s “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (1975)
- 2.2. Beyond Mulvey
- 3. Playing with the Gaze in the Films
- 3.1. Rear Window (1954)
- 3.1.1. L. B. ‘Jeff’ Jefferies
- 3.1.2. Lisa Carol Fremont
- 3.1.3. Visual Pleasure through Masquerade and Female Empowerment
- 3.2. Vertigo (1958)
- 3.2.1. John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson
- 3.2.2. The Women: Midge and Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton
- 3.2.3. Autonomy, Nostalgia and Empathy enable Visual Pleasure
- 3.3. Psycho (1960)
- 3.3.1. Marion Crane and Lila Crane
- 3.3.2. The Men: Sam Loomis, Milt Arbogast and others
- 3.3.3. Norman Bates and Mrs. Bates
- 3.3.4. Empathy and Masquerade as a Source of Visual Pleasure
- 3.1. Rear Window (1954)
Objectives and Key Themes
This bachelor thesis examines how female viewers experience visual pleasure in three of Alfred Hitchcock's films: Rear Window, Vertigo, and Psycho. It challenges the traditional notion of the male gaze in feminist film theory, arguing that female spectatorship is more complex and nuanced than previously understood. The analysis explores how techniques of visual manipulation create different viewing experiences for women, encompassing identification, empathy, and masquerade.
- The male gaze and its limitations in explaining female spectatorship.
- The concept of visual pleasure and its relation to identification and empathy.
- The role of masquerade in subverting traditional gender roles in Hitchcock's films.
- The complexities of female desire and agency within patriarchal cinematic structures.
- An exploration of different female characters and their diverse responses to the male gaze.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces Laura Mulvey's influential essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" and its impact on feminist film theory. It posits that while classical Hollywood cinema often appears directed at a male gaze, Hitchcock's films offer potentially subversive readings, allowing for alternative interpretations of female spectatorship and visual pleasure. The thesis will analyze Rear Window, Vertigo, and Psycho to illustrate this perspective.
2. The Gaze and Spectatorship in Feminist Film Theory: This chapter provides a background on feminist film theory, starting with Simone de Beauvoir's work and progressing to Laura Mulvey's concept of the male gaze. It delves into Mulvey's ideas of scopophilia and narcissism, the active/male and passive/female dichotomy of looking, and the mechanisms of castration anxiety and fetishistic scopophilia in classical Hollywood cinema. The chapter then examines responses to Mulvey's theory, including discussions of cross-gender identification, masquerade, and the complexities of female spectatorship, laying the groundwork for the analysis of Hitchcock's films. Different theorists' contributions and varying interpretations are discussed.
3. Playing with the Gaze in the Films: This chapter offers a nuanced analysis of gender and the gaze in Rear Window, Vertigo, and Psycho, arguing that they challenge the simplistic active/male, passive/female dichotomy. While initially presenting male protagonists who appear superior, a closer look reveals the moral ambiguity of their gaze and the ways in which female characters subvert and challenge patriarchal power structures through active engagement, empathy, and masquerade. It sets the stage for in-depth character and thematic analysis within each film.
Keywords
Feminist film theory, Alfred Hitchcock, the male gaze, female spectatorship, visual pleasure, scopophilia, narcissism, masquerade, identification, empathy, Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, gender roles, patriarchal structures, femme fatale.
FAQ: Analysis of Female Spectatorship in Hitchcock's Films
What is the main topic of this academic text?
This bachelor thesis analyzes how female viewers experience visual pleasure in three Alfred Hitchcock films: Rear Window, Vertigo, and Psycho. It challenges the traditional "male gaze" concept in feminist film theory, arguing for a more nuanced understanding of female spectatorship.
What are the key themes explored in the text?
The text explores the limitations of the male gaze in explaining female spectatorship, the concept of visual pleasure and its relation to identification and empathy, the role of masquerade in subverting gender roles, the complexities of female desire and agency within patriarchal structures, and the diverse responses of female characters to the male gaze.
Which Hitchcock films are analyzed?
The thesis focuses on three Alfred Hitchcock films: Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), and Psycho (1960).
What is the significance of Laura Mulvey's work in this analysis?
Laura Mulvey's influential essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," provides a foundational framework for the analysis. The text utilizes Mulvey's concept of the male gaze as a starting point but ultimately argues for a more complex understanding of female spectatorship that goes beyond Mulvey's initial framework.
How does the text address the "male gaze"?
The text critiques the limitations of the male gaze as a sole explanatory model for cinematic experience, arguing that it doesn't adequately account for the diverse and complex ways women engage with and interpret films. It examines how female characters actively subvert and challenge patriarchal power structures presented through the male gaze.
What concepts are used to analyze female spectatorship?
The analysis utilizes concepts such as visual pleasure, scopophilia, narcissism, masquerade, identification, and empathy to understand how female viewers engage with the films. It explores how these concepts interact within the patriarchal cinematic structures of Hitchcock's films.
What is the structure of the text?
The text includes an introduction, a chapter on feminist film theory (including a discussion of Mulvey's work and responses to it), and a chapter dedicated to a detailed analysis of the three chosen Hitchcock films. It also provides a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords.
What are some of the key findings or arguments of the text?
The text argues that Hitchcock's films, despite initially appearing to adhere to the male gaze, offer opportunities for subversive readings that demonstrate the complexity of female spectatorship. It highlights how female characters utilize techniques such as masquerade to challenge traditional gender roles and engage actively with the cinematic narrative.
Who is the intended audience for this text?
This text is intended for an academic audience interested in feminist film theory, Alfred Hitchcock's filmography, and the complexities of cinematic spectatorship.
What are the key words associated with this thesis?
Key words include: Feminist film theory, Alfred Hitchcock, the male gaze, female spectatorship, visual pleasure, scopophilia, narcissism, masquerade, identification, empathy, Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, gender roles, patriarchal structures, femme fatale.
- Quote paper
- Anett Koch (Author), 2011, Playing with the Gaze in Hitchcock. The Experience of Visual Pleasure in "Rear Window", "Vertigo" and "Psycho", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/275235
