Feminism in American Cinema - Annotated Bibliography Example

Annotated Bibliography ment of Topic, Prospective Arguments, and Analysis of Sources My topic isan exploration into the ways that feminism has appeared in American cinema as a means of encouraging greater equality between the sexes. I plan to discover the progression feminism through cinema by first examining how it was thwarted in its early years through an examination of the available literature as well as by looking at some of the films that have been produced in Hollywood from a feminist perspective. Through a combination of written analysis and analytical viewing, I believe it will be possible to determine where, why and how feminism has been portrayed through American cinema, how it has changed over the years and how it continues to push for change and equality. My guiding hypothesis is that the portrayal of feminist ideas has gained increasing strength over the years. I believe this occurs as women gain more influence in the industry as is reflected in growing numbers of female directors and writers. I think it also happens as attitudes among men continue to change with these influences as shown in the films they direct. These hypotheses might change as I begin to look more into my subject. For example, men might be found to be fighting against the changes by directing films that continue to place women in subjugated positions or otherwise unimportant roles. It may also be found that women tend to reinforce long-held notions of the female as mistress of the home while men continue to push a more progressive agenda. The prospective arguments for my essay will include the argument that women in the field are necessary to bring the feminist agenda to the forefront, that American cinema has progressively encouraged greater equality between the sexes and that this is reflected in the films that are produced in later years. I will use a combination of feminist literature and direct cinematic viewing to support these arguments. The primary sources will be the films themselves, which portray the actual expression of feminist ideals. What they reflect directly reveals the attitudes adopted by the producers, directors and writers regarding women’s rights and abilities. The secondary sources will consist of feminist literature that discusses the main points of the movement over time. These sources will help identify those issues that should be watched for in the films and thus help indicate whether progress has been made, where it has been made and perhaps also indicate whether the greater involvement of women in the industry has helped to bring about these changes, such as through the efforts of female directors and writers. Annotated Secondary Sources Mayne, Judith. “The Woman at the Keyhole: Womens Cinema and Feminist Criticism”. New German Critique 23.Spring-Summer (1981): 27-43. Mayne (1981) provides two clearly distinguished meanings of women’s cinema. One meaning is “films made by women,” and the other meaning is “films made for women” (27). The first part of her article attempted to explain how films within each of these traditional definitions were transformed by feminists over time. This is perhaps the reason why women love different films in different ways, and why some films made by and for women reach their audiences in unique ways. Feminism in cinema has certainly shaped the way actors act and filmmakers do films, making the human experience richer and more sophisticated. This discussion will lead into the various types of films that are made and how they can be interpreted from a wide variety of viewpoints to indicate sometimes conflicting, yet equally valid, points. De Lauretis, Teresa. “Aesthetic and Feminist Theory: Rethinking Womens Cinema”. New German Critique 34.Winter (1985): 154-175. De Lauretis (1985) equally supported the thesis of man-woman differences that lie at the heart of the argument, which is a difference that should be highlighted without calling one as inferior to the other, but as a form of celebrating the complex diversity found in our world. Cinema is a medium that provides a perfect vehicle for this message to reach the world, more so because American cinema is an effective form of cultural “imperialism.” He argues against the feminist notions of ‘masculatizing’ themselves and for an appreciation of the equal validity of femininity as a viable and valuable perspective. This discussion will help me to focus on the various ways masculine and feminine are portrayed to determine whether a ‘feminist’ voice actually constitutes true progress for women or is simply a reassignment of masculine values onto the female form. Hammett, Jennifer. “The Ideological Impediment: Feminism and Film Theory”. Cinema Journal 36.2 (1997): 85-99. Hammett (1997) provided a glimpse into the solution, as she argued that feminist film theory had too long equated representation with alienation and error, causing it to become embroiled unnecessarily in questions of epistemology. She argued that the struggle should not be over representation, but over representations, and what was needed to challenge patriarchy was not an altered epistemological relation to the real, but altered representations. This article will be helpful to my analysis in terms of examining the ways representation has changed over the years within the film industry. Smelik, Anneke. “Feminist Film Theory.” The Cinema Book. 2nd Ed. Pam Cook & Mieke Bernink (Eds.). London: British Film Institute, 1999, pp. 353-365. http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/anneke/filmtheory.html Anneke Smelik (1999) discusses the various ways in which feminist theory has affected the cinematic industry from its early narrative heavily influenced by psychoanalytic theory through the present day and the numerous perspectives that have been brought to bear. In this essay, she discusses the feminist counter cinema, the concept of the female spectator, the idea of the masquerade, the issues involved within the concept of the female look and the questions this raises regarding female subjectivity and female desire. This further leads into a discussion of sexual preference and the idea of gay or lesbian criticism as it relates to feminist theory and the ideas of masculinity. This is a well-balanced summary of the various issues to be confronted and will be quite helpful in both attempting analysis and in narrowing focus to the most important aspects of the discussion. Annotated Primary Sources Rebecca. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perf. Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders and Judith Anderson. Selznick International Pictures, 1940. “Rebecca” is an early Hollywood film that demonstrates how women were shown to conform to pre-defined social roles. Those who strayed outside of these lines were demonized by society in general, but occasionally worshipped by other women who longed for this kind of freedom of being. The narrative itself is significant in the way in which women are regulated to a specific role, but so is the acting and the scenery in which the new Mrs. De Winter loses all other identity and the images of women carried throughout the home are expected to be handed down to the living women within the film, suggesting a continuation of the old ways and old ideals. This film helps to establish the base starting point for Hollywood films against which subsequent films will be compared. Desperately Seeking Susan. Dir. Susan Seidelman. Perf. Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Aidan Quinn. Orion Picture, 1985. “Desperately Seeking Susan” is a film that directly addresses the concepts of female voyeurism and female desire. Because it features a young woman who becomes obsessed with another young woman whom she’s never met, there is also a strong element of lesbian criticism involved, although there is little indication that the women are true lesbians. It is noted that a psychoanalytic approach to the film would necessarily exclude the possibility that the desire inherent in the film is not necessarily for the female body, but is instead a desire for the ‘other’, the idealized, fantasy life believed to be lived by this other. This film will be helpful to the discussion because of the many issues it introduces and the varying viewpoints that have been raised regarding its message. Because it addresses the concept of the feminine directly, it is ideal for a study of how feminism is reflected in modern cinema. Bridget Jones’ Diary. Dir. Sharon Maguire. Perf. Renee Zellweger, Gemma Jones, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant and Felicity Montagu. Miramax, 2001. This film examines an even more modern approach to the female question in the form of a slightly overweight, relatively clumsy young woman in search of love and respect. The depiction of this young woman by a normally slim and trim ‘idealized’ actress is of especial note as this actress purposely gained weight for the film so as to depict a more ‘normalized’ figure. Unlike many earlier films, the girl does not get the boy in the end because of some massive transformation she’s undergone, but rather as the two of them begin to more fully understand each other and their varying viewpoints. Read More