Cinema as gaze is a theory depicted within Thomas Elsaesser and Matte Hagener’s text, “Film Theory: An Introduction through the Senses”. This concept explores ideas in the connection between camera, spectator and protagonists. Elsaesser and Hagener state that, “This arrangement creates an architecture of looks, linking camera, audience and protagonist(s) that turns the sliver screen into an imaginary mirror of spectatorial desire.” (T. Elsaesser, M. Hagener, 2010, p 88) The camera connects the audience with the protagonist by directing its gaze upon an object, place or person. The desire of the protagonist becomes reflected onto the spectator, forcing them to see it how the protagonist does. This can be explored further through the notion of the male gaze. Described in Laura Mulvey’s, ‘Visual and Other Pleasures’, male gaze utilises the power of the camera to impose oversexualised images desired by the protagonist, onto the viewer. Mulvey states that, “Traditionally, the woman displayed has functioned on two levels: as erotic objects for the characters within the screen story, and as erotic objects for the spectator within the auditorium, with a shifting tension between the looks on either side of the screen. (Mulvey, p 19) Seth Gordon’s 2017 film, ‘Baywatch’ exploits the idea of male gaze within the narrative. In the opening of the film, characters Ronnie Greenbaum and Dave the Tech, portrayed by Jon Bass and Hannibal Buress, are standing on the beach testing a drone. Ronnie glances over towards the ocean to see character C. J. Parker, played by actress Kelly Rohrbach, standing on duty as a life guard. When she spots Ronnie staring at her, she runs over to where the two characters are standing. Running in slow motion, the camera captures the slow movements of C.J.’s body rising and falling. Centring the frame are the actresses breasts which pulls focus of the spectator with the purpose of sexualising her character. The sequence cuts between the slow motion running and the facial expressions of Ronnie who is enthralled by the female character’s movements. The camera is controlled by Ronnie and his sexual attraction towards C. J. in which controls and directs what the audience sees and how they see it. Therefore, the idea of the male gaze can be depicted through the relationship between the camera, protagonist and the audience.
In cinema, woman become sexualised by the male gaze, pulling focus from the progression of the narrative and establishing unrealistic expectation of how woman are perceived in society. Described in Mulvey’s theory, ‘Visual and Other Pleasures’, “The presence of woman is an indispensable element of spectacle in normal narrative film, yet her visual presence tends to work against the development of a story-line, to freeze the flow of action in moments of erotic contemplation.”(Mulvey, p 19) This suggests that when a female character, whose purpose is to grasp the male’s gazed and distract from the action taking place, pulls focus through the altering of cinematic, thus slowing the rhythm of the narrative to draw attention to her presence. This notion is contextualised within the Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 film, ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’. Jessica Rabbit, wife to Roger Rabbit, is established as a voluptuous, erotic woman drawn as an over dramatized cartoon woman with long legs, a tight red revealing dress, large breasts, and sultry eyes. During the private investigators office sequence, Jessica Rabbit moves around his office slowly, swinging her hips back and forth, which sexualises her character. This action is met with a sexy saxophone compositing, which essentially contributes to the over-sexualised nature of Jessica’s character. Both the action and the score are directed from the private investigator’s character. As he sees Jessica Rabbit, the cinematic elements redirect to focus on Jessica Rabbits’ body and movements, thus altering the audience to see her character through his male gaze. Therefore, Zemeckis’ film embodies the conception of the male gaze, thus over-sexualising the character Jessica Rabbit and establishing a unrealistic idea surrounding women.
T. Elsaesser, M. Hagener, “Film Theory: An Introduction through the Senses”, 2010, p. 88
Laura Mulvey, ‘Visual and Other Pleasures’, Indiana University Press Bloomington and Indianapolis, 1989, p. 19
Lauren's film analysis 