Essay --

After Mulveys theory was published, during the 1980s numerous feminists who began to verbal expression for the meaning of fe virile luluship raised many debates about the male descry. (Stacey,1994, p24) As Rosemary Betterton enquires, what kinds of pleasure atomic number 18 offered to women spectators within the forms of representationwhich necessitate been mainly by men, for men? (Betterton, 1985 p4). Similarly, David Rodowick stated, Mulvey discusses the male star as an reject of look but denies him the function of an erotic object and asks So where is the browse of the feminine subject in this scenario? (Rodowick, 1982 p8) Many feminist film theories comport attempted to study Mulveys theory further. One way would be to look at the way film text produces different gendered spectator positions which goes against Mulveys and virile models of spectatorship (Stacey 1994, p 25). On the other hand accepting the masculinisation of the effeminate spectator but arguing that due to informal difference the spectator therefore volition get different visual pleasures from the text. I allow foring look at three main theorists who argue against the Mulvey male gaze theory of the 1970s. Firstly, Raymond Bellours work, as written in Psychosis, neurosis, perversion, from Camera Obscura, has taken a physiological understanding of sexual difference in Hollywood cinema claiming a space for female desire. (Stacey,1994, p24) By investigating the dialogue of Hitchcock films, Bellour discovered an analysis of the way the gaze is created. Bellour stated The mechanisms for eliminating the threat of sexual difference represented by the figure of a charr, are built into the apparatus of the cinema (Bellour, 1979, p97) Although, his version is a very pessimistic political orientation for the female desire, Bell... ...tic pleasure. (Stacey 1994 p29) The female spectator therefore takes on a ad hoc meaning in cultures where women are so constituently defined as some( prenominal) subject and object of the gaze. Thus wanting to be liked does non necessarily exclude an erotic component.(Stacey 1992, p30) Therefore, unlike Mulveys theory that all women are put in the masochists position in order to enjoy films where the woman is objectified, she states that there is potential homo-eroticism for all female spectators, whilst identifying with the woman-as-spectacle at the same time.(Stacey 1994 p 29) Using the theories I have discussed regarding feminist film theories , I will apply it to two of the most commercially popular Hollywood romanticist comedies, Pretty Woman and Bridesmaids. Since they both fall under this genre, I will be able to apply these theories and compare them accordingly.