In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female.
There are three different looks associated with cinema: that of the camera as it records the pro-filmic event, that of the audience as it watches the final product, and that of the characters at each other within the screen illusion.
Audience
The (male) spectators who are gazing at the image on the screen in a nearly voyeuristic act; female spectators must, to enjoy cinema, choose to identify with the male protagonist and assume his male-gaze perspective
Characters
The (male) people in the film, interacting with each other throughout the story and encapsulating the perspective of the screenwriters of the movie and reinforcing the functional basis of patriarchy such as gender roles
Camera
The factor that more clearly displays the female character as an erotic object of desire either for the other characters in the filmed story or for the viewer (audience) of such story, linking the concept of “male gaze” to that of scopophilia
With this project, our aim is to represent an overview on the presence of the male gaze in mainstream Western cinematic industry, heavily influenced by the United States' cinema. Specifically, we will examine the ten highest-grossing U.S. films for each decade from the 1940s to the 2010s.
While we acknowledge the existence of a well-developed alternative cinema, the impact of the U.S. culture on the Western part of the world cannot be disputed and the impact of films on society and on one's personal views is undeniable.
To what extent do popular films rely on the male gaze?
For our selected 80 films, we gathered data from different sources and based on the three different perspectives associated with cinema as defined by Mulvey: textual data (film scripts and reviews, via web scraping), but also metadata (from Wikidata's SPARQL endpoint).
Specifically, we analysed the films through: script analyses (examining the representation of women, their descriptions and their dialogue percentage), online reviews analyses (focusing on the overall reception of the film and on possible gender bias underlying the reviews), and metadata analysis (deepening the research on the films' crews: the directors, screenwriters, costs and revenue)
BLACK SCREEN.
FADE UP:
A studio opens the scene. From a single window comes a singular ray of light, that touches all that's inside the
room: a messy desk, walls covered
in posters and autographed pictures, an old sofa and a coffee table overflowing with used plastic cups,
tissues and post-its.
Two figures are in the room. One of them is sitting on the wore-down sofa, while another person, who we
cannot yet see, emerges from the
corner: they seem to be engaged in an intense conversation.
DIRECTOR
What are we going to do with it?
SCREENWRITER
First things first: don't panic, and let's discuss it. I need you to pay attention.
DIRECTOR
(sighs)
You're right. But it's our first movie, and I want it to be great.
SCREENWRITER
And so do I. So, listen to me: let's go through our notes again.
They both look towards the table.
SCREENWRITER (CONT'D)
So, where do you want to start?
DIRECTOR
Okay, let's just get it out there: I'm terrified of bad reviews. An audience can make or destroy your career, and you can't do anything about it. It's not like you can control it.
SCREENWRITER
I get you, okay? I loved "Star Wars III - Revenge of the Sith" and they completely bashed it on IMDB, while childish stuff like "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is idolized. I really don't get it.
DIRECTOR
Your first mistake was going on IMDB. Have you seen some of the stuff they write about female characters or even actresses? There are creeps out there.
SCREENWRITER
You're right, but it's not just that: you won't find a completely offensive audience, just a few problematic instances. We shouldn't worry about that.
DIRECTOR
I still don't want them to hate on our characters. What if they start hating our movie because there are women in it?
SCREENWRITER
Listen, it's not going to happen. I don't think that some insensitive language is enough to destroy our movie's reputation. This thing really makes you anxious, uh?
Keep in mind that all the movies which have been tested for the Bechdel test have male directors (no matter their result in the test)!
The door slams open. A WOMAN enters the room: she seems annoyed. The two figures are startled by the sudden interruption, it's not like it never happened before, but they weren't expecting to see her so soon.
WOMAN
(irritated)
I swear, I'm done!
DIRECTOR / SCREENWRITER (at the same time)
Your audition didn't go well?
WOMAN
I didn't even audition. The plot itself was kinda trashy, and there was just another woman in the cast!
SCREENWRITER
(chuckles)
Well, that's unfortunate. The Bechdel Test strikes
again.
WOMAN (cont'd)
I couldn't believe my eyes while I was reading the script. Only two female characters, and all that they do is gush about the male protagonist.
DIRECTOR
God, that's awful. I hoped we had overcome that with "Top Gun".
SCREENWRITER
Did you have enough screen time at least? Maybe you were a walking stereotype but with a lot to say?
WOMAN
Nah, I had a few lines. And the dialogue wasn't even interesting.
WOMAN (cont'd)
Enough about my day. I don't want to think about it. What are you up to? I feel like I've interrupted something serious.
DIRECTOR
Don't worry, but yeah, we are trying to put together our first movie.
WOMAN
Oh yeah, you told me about that! How is it going?
SCREENWRITER
(jokingly)
Hopefully better than the script you have read.
WOMAN
(sarcastic)
Why, are you writing about "beautiful and attractive women" and "big and strong men"?
DIRECTOR
Why is being beautiful or attractive a problem?
WOMAN
There's nothing wrong with that. It's a problem when attractive is all you're allowed to be. Have you watched "Psycho"? Janet Leigh remains beautiful even while she gets murdered.
SCREENWRITER
Imagine if we ranked movies just basing ourselves off the script a combination of character descriptions, dialogue and even the Bechdel Test... I would like to see the results!
WOMAN
Yeah, I can assure you that cinema would be completely different.
WOMAN (cont'd)
Anyway, I'll leave you both to it. If I don't eat immediately, I'm afraid I'll faint. Don't break your head over this, okay?
SCREENWRITER
That won't happen. But I'm not the one who is prone to freak out over nothing.
The DIRECTOR sighs, he's visibly overwhelmed by all the possibilities.
SCREENWRITER (cont'd)
First of all, I think it would be nice to work with someone else. They would bring a new point of view to whatever story we want to tell.
DIRECTOR
Any of your colleagues in mind?
SCREENWRITER
A few come to mind, but I'm afraid that they all see the world through the same gaze.
DIRECTOR
Well, then I'm not interested in them. I want something different, new... Something that doesn't scream traditional and patriarchal values.
SCREENWRITER
So, no superheroes, cowboys or hypermasculine hunks?
DIRECTOR
(chuckles)
Definitely not, I think we've seen enough of that. No,
let's do something... Experimental.
SCREENWRITER
Wait... Weren't you the one terrified of going bankrupt because of a not well received movie?
DIRECTOR
(stiffens up)
No. I mean, yes, it scares me. But I don't want
that to stop us from being good creators.
DIRECTOR (cont'd)
Also, I don't think that a movie with different values than the mainstream is doomed to fail. At least, I've never heard of anything like this.
SCREENWRITER
Happy to hear that you are not freaking out about it. And also yeah, you're right. Keep in mind that a big production usually scores good box office's revenues.
DIRECTOR
Wait... Are we a big production?
SCREENWRITER
(sighs) Just forget it.
DIRECTOR
Despite everything, I have my role models to follow: directors like me that go beyond
tradition, and explore new perspectives.
You know, right now, from tv series to cinema, stories never heard before are being told: maybe they will
never be
as successful and mainstream as some of the blockbusters we talked about, but they have so much to
express...
I hope that one day cinema will show the world as it is, and not just through one gaze.
SCREENWRITER
Wow, that came out of nowhere and it's actually quite deep. Trying to steal my job?
They both laugh.
SCREENWRITER (cont'd)
Jokes aside, you're right. It's time to shake this industry up. And we will do that, I promise. Just like the directors that inspire you so much
An alarm interrupts their conversation: one of their smartphones buzzes, a notification on its screen. It reads: "Time for a break!". They both fall into the sofa, tired, and keep talking about their beloved movie for a bit. Outside, the day slowly leaves space the night.
THE END
The team
