Feminist Analysis of the Film Pretty Woman - Research Paper Example

?Feminist Analysis of the Film “Pretty Woman” Introduction Feminism is an organised clustered movement that initiated during early sixties and focused on the establishment and defence of the women equality and right pertaining to political, economic, and equal opportunities of women. The movement within no time spread so widely that a different genre of literature, art and aesthetic evolved out of the movement with pertinent principles of the ‘ism’ and the movement captivated within the context of the work. Feminist scholars and school of thoughts have divided the movement into three distinct “waves”. The first wave is mainly referred to women’s suffrage, the second wave is associated with the liberation movement of women and the third one is related and can be felt through the continuation of the movement through the reaction evolved in the field of art and literature and perceived as the failure of the second-wave of feminism which began in the 1990s. The first wave of feminism is related with suffrage movements of the nineteenth and first-half of the twentieth century. This particular wave in the feminist movement was concerned with the women’s right to vote. The second wave of feminism began in 1960s and was related with the major focus on women liberation which campaigned for the equality of women in legal and social front. In cultural context, feminist film, art or literature evolves out of the movement and forms its four distinct principles pertaining to four schools of thoughts. Also sometimes pieces of art, literature or aesthetics are judged and viewed from the feminist perspective. The same perspective can be judged after giving a close introspection to the film “Pretty Woman” which appeared on the silver screen in the year 1990 as a romantic comedy written by J. F. Lawton and directed by Garry Marshall. The film stars casted Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in the leading roles along with Hector Elizondo and many others. The plot of the movie centres round the down-on-her-luck prostitute from Hollywood, Vivian Ward who acts as an escort to the rich businessman Edward Lewis for a week in his business trip. The story is all about their brief period of staying together and their growing relationships. This film can be viewed from a strong feminist bent and all the four critical theories and principles of feminism somewhere peep through the lighter plot of the film. Thesis Statement This essay tends to analyse myriad subtle and intricate feminist perspectives and interpretations entwined within the plot of the film. The essay also intends to discuss the critical role of the four principles of feminism operating throughout the film. Pretty Woman: A Feminist Discourse The plot of the film centres round seduction; love and its development of a Hollywood prostitute Vivian with a robot like multi-millionaire, Edward Lewis. At the outset of the movie we are introduced to a woman who is not doing well with her business of prostitution. The body of Vivian (played by Julia Roberts) is subjected or rather exposed for material pleasure and as a prostitute, Vivian sells her body and her body is likely to be viewed as a mere commodity. The critical theory of liberal feminism plays well here. According to the theory or principle, the parameter of gender prejudice is based on the individual ignorance. And education is seen as the key tool against the battle for gender discrimination (Sociology, “Feminism: Basic Principles”). In the film, the prostitute Vivian is not educated and so she is compelled to choose a profession where no much brain work is needed. But during her stay with Edward Lewis we can hear few real wise statements from her which proves her intelligence. Also Vivian at the first acquaintance with any person irrespective of men or women gives the option that she is ready to be called by the name that the other person pleases. This kind of an instruction clearly indicates a threat to the existence of Vivian as an entity and creates an existential crisis for her. With Vivian, the body is her identity and she is a product with a pretty face and a sexy body and so her name and identity hardly matters. The existence of body and its treatment as a commodity takes dominance over her social identity. A film recreated on the Pygmalion myth, begins with a pertinent tune of neo-Pygmalion comedy with a tough hooker heroine captivated within it and the film definitely works as a feminist version of an upscale princess fantasy (The New York Times, “Movies”). Taking into consideration, the Marxist view or principle of feminism operating through the film “Pretty Woman”, it is first essential to understand the principle associated with the Marxist view of feminism. Marxist view or principle of feminism envisions that the seed of all discriminations lay in capitalist class relationships. This class distinction is the root cause of female oppression, exploitation and anarchy inflicted on the women section of the society. Marxist principle of feminism views that men are socialised into exploitative relationships that they display in place of work and in their homes. In the film too, we see the body, and the company of Vivian gets sold for first a day and next a week. She is supposed to ease Edward, the capitalist who has the power of money and who neither manufactures nor sells anything but buys companies in trouble and sells them into pieces. He comes to Hollywood for a deal where he had to face some trouble with the owner of the company who is not ready to sell his property and is ready to bear the losses because he is worried about his men who have been serving him and his company for ages. Vivian is shown as a symbol, an icon of the proletariat class who is paid enough homage and respect by Edward and Vivian is shown having the capacity to mould the mind of Edward who finally does not take over the wrecked company completely and gives a thought to the values of humanity associated with an enterprise or commodity. Though Vivian is also accepted as a marketing personal who markets her body by Edward in a lighter note, still both of them are shown to have some professional connections as both come to contention while talking that in business, personal attachment should be completely disdained and both in their own ways, actually contradict their pro-capitalist vision through their activities. The socialist principle of feminism or view suggests that the power of men over women is being consolidated by the ideological myths about women and her body. These myths are viewed as an integral part of a strong socialising and seen as a powerful influence on women that culminates to define and code their role as stereotypes essentially, “a mother”, “house-keeper” and “a child-rarer”. Vivian is viewed in the light of the socialist principle as she is projected as someone fragile and the story of the film is set in a way where the princess in distress gets freedom in the hands of a rich, handsome prince, an aspiration and dream of every woman with a middle class mentality. The film pertinently indicates transcendence of money over love. At the same time, the film bears a strong inclination towards the social status and shows that women are more taken away by the status of men than their love. Also the identity of a woman can change if exposed to a strong social class and entity as it happens in the case of Vivian’s costly make-over which Edward sponsors in order to take her as an escort to some of the high-class events that Edward was supposed to attend during his stay in Beverly Hills (Tandon, “Feminism: A Paradigm Shift”). The radical principle or view of feminism points out patriarchy and sex class are the keys to all the ideation related with the understanding of women and her position and experience in all types of society. Vivian and her subverted role are subjugated to the desire of a male-dominated society where her body is her sole identity and is key factor to the radical philosophy of feminism operating throughout the film. Conclusion The film “Pretty Woman” though launched with a veil of a romantic comedy projecting the story of a hooker and a lonely eligible rich bachelor, it contains quite a few food for thought. The subtle expression of manifold social and economic issues captivated within the light plot of the film only needs proper exploration and address. The feminist content of the film is great but explicit. On a proper exploration, one can find all the principle and school of thoughts pertaining to the movement that operates throughout the film. The film is subjected to viewing for every feminist as it opens up the perception and myriad manifestation of women exploitation prevailing in the society. Crafted out of the Pygmalion myth, the film actually bears some of the truest and the darkest sides of the society which often escapes our attention or they get subverted by the glamorous high-society life and the glitches that surround it. But this cannot disdain the reality and the film is a reflection, a paradigm where the women exploitation and its true sides are projected. References Sociology, “Feminism: Basic Principles”. April 16, 2011. Liberal Feminism. 2005. The New York Times, “Movies”. April 16, 2011. Pretty Woman. 1990. Tandon, Neeru, Feminism: A Paradigm Shift. Atlantic Publishers & Dist, 2008. Bibliography Beasley, Chris, What is feminism?: An Introduction to Feminist Theory. Sage, 1999. Gleiberman, Owen. “Pretty Woman”. April 16, 2011. Movie Review. July 26, 2007. Read More