Film Studies

Dr. Katie Johnson

Women in Film

Fall 2017

Midterm Paper

Due: Thursday, October 12 @ 5:00 pm—upload to Canvas site

Note: Late papers will be docked one grade for each day late.

In this paper, you will analyze a sequence of a film of your choosing to closely read its meaning in relation to the idea of a gendered gaze and psychoanalytic theory. Its purpose is to train you with specific skills to analyze film, noting both camera shots and narrative. To what extent does the film sequence you choose reflect—or contest—the central ideas of a male gaze? Or, a female gaze?

Find a short film sequence (example: the Kim Novak entrance in Vertigo) and analyze it. Your analysis should examine the visual conventions, cinematic technologies, and cultural discourses used by your image and it should employ concepts from our readings that help strengthen your inquiry.

Address the questions below (but rather than answering them one-by-one, seek to achieve a coherent thesis that incorporates these topics):

How does the image of woman signify in the film sequence? Can it be said she connotes a to-be-looked-at-ness? Why or why not?

Is there a gendered gaze in your film clip? If so, please clarify how the camera is working very specifically. Note both shots that assume the character’s point of view and the camera (and thus, implicitly, the audience view—are all 3 male, as Mulvey maintains)

What about the women in the audience? Can women identify with your clip? Consider Mulvey’s point in “Afterthoughts” about identifying with Pearl from Duel in the Sun (who has an unstable sexuality but is the heroine and momentarily masculinized). Does your clip have such a character?

Is there a female gaze? If so, do you proceed from Doane’s analysis of Freud’s theories about femininity? Or do you use another theorization?

Is the woman (or man) in the sequence fetishized in any way? Please specifically describe how this works and reference Mulvey’s or Kaplan’s article about the workings of fetishism in film. (Also implicit in this is how fetishism is a response to castration anxiety).

Do you find instances of voyeurism in this film sequence? Who is watching whom? What role does voyeurism play, according to Mulvey (who is using Freud) in negotiating castration anxiety for male spectators?

Are there instances of postfeminism, as Gill puts it?

Does your clip feature a Final Girl and/or trans-sex identification as specified by Carol Clover?

Do Barbara Creed’s notion of the monstrous feminine or Sophie Mayer’s articulation of haunted homes and bad motherhood find articulation in a recent film?

You will bring a lot of your own analysis but also draw upon and quote at least two of our course readings.

The finished paper should be about 5- 6 pages long. Include the link to your film sequence in your bibliography. Assume your audience is comprised of other interested readers of film and that you are writing for a scholarly film journal. Be sure to use proper MLA or Chicago citation and bibliography. (Please note: titles of films are underlined or italicized.)

Please observe academic honesty and do not plagiarize. Cite all of your sources with proper MLA or Chicago citation and bibliography. Write with joy and integrity.

I am interested in your ideas! Be sure to construct your own argument about the sequence, supported with solid evidence, examples, and concrete citations from critical works. Engage in the scholarly conversation to articulate your own thesis. Most of all, enjoy the writing!