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Abstract

Hollywood films are watched all over the world, and movies as we know them hold a significant relevance in our lives. Films are governed by a variety of themes, such as social, cultural, political, and economic aspects, and as a result, they have the ability to shape our thoughts and attitudes about life. Feminist film theory challenges misconceptions about femininity, women, men, and masculinity, and straightens out the cinematic construction of women as idealised images. Using Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) and vertigo (1958) this dissertation seeks to state and discuss how women have been portrayed in films and whether or not there has been change. These films will also be used to demonstrate the disparities in female roles, and quantitative data will be used to reinforce the gender disparities in key roles behind the camera. The argument in this dissertation also revolves around the feminist avant-garde being a tool for challenging mainstream conventions and breaking ideologies. Věra Chytilová’s Daisies (1966), and Peter Wollen and Laura Mulvey’s Riddles of the Sphinx (1977) will be discussed to demonstrate oppositions made towards mainstream cinema. Hollywood's notoriously destructive codes and conventions should be addressed and taken seriously by our society. Using feminist film theories developed by Laura Mulvey and Teressa de Lauretis as the methodology, this dissertation will demonstrate Hollywood's male bias, even among predominantly female crews

Course: Film Industries - BA - C2651S

Date Deposited: 2022-08-08

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13969.html