The Gaze is the cinematic apparatus constructed in the film theories such as the language structure, the unconscious involvement, all systems of symbols, and the social structures (Kaplan, 122). Hence, in general terms, "gaze" defines how viewers get engaged with the physical media, which originated from the 1970s film criticism and theory in regards to how the audience views visual representations.
The connection between the Gaze and power
In the film theories, Gaze and power are related in that the action that is received and returned must be followed by possession through acting on it. Besides, Gaze and power are two things that are related in a similar manner like objection and sexuality, where Gaze appeals to sexual politics and suggests through a way of viewing to empower men sexuality and object women. Hence, women are visually seen as a heterosexual “object” of the male desire. This means that woman’s thoughts, feelings, and sexual drives are not given essential considerations than being "visualized" by the desires of men. Generally, the relationship of Gaze and power has been involved in semiology and psychoanalysis demonstrating the dominant apparatus of cinema constructed by men to be viewed by male spectators, which is absent in women from the audience and the screen (Kaplan,122)
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A male gaze in contemporary film
During a 1979 roundtable discussion, a group of women brought arguments of the lack of pleasure with the theories that men initially devised. Besides, the women showed concern on their preoccupation based on their position, place, and view by the dominating male order. For example, LeSage claimed that the involvement of the criticism of Lacanian was destructive on the reification of women in a position similar to that of a child that was patriarchy to see them involved. About LeSage, the framework in Lacanian established a male discourse (Kaplan,123).
Notably, in this case, the Male Gaze was manifested in that the power asymmetry of gender became the leading force in the cinema, thus constructing pleasure for only the male audience, which had a deep background in patriarchal discourses and ideologies. This statement means that only the male audience was the audience of target therefore, their requirements were first met. This kind of a problem showed an old-fashioned society driven by men. The manifestation of the Male Gaze in this context left out the fact that women should be viewed as meaning bearers but not meaning makers. This suggests that women were not given a position where they were capable of taking control of an act. Instead, they are given a role to be seen from the point of objectified view. Additionally, form the case of LeSage, the manner of film watching was never alternated; thus, men were the only beings seen in such a way. Generally, this type of inequality enforced the outdated and ancient idea of “men should be involved in looking, while women should only be viewed” (Kaplan, 123).
Nonetheless, from psychoanalytic theory, the point of view of the work would have variations if the Gaze was not directed to men as the crucial view. This is because psychoanalytic theory provides individuals with an opportunity to see the more probability of women of changing themselves and even in other cases, the possibility of women to incite social change. The change would be possible since they would be involved in a process, similar to how little boys go through, hence women would be involved in clearly determined and eventually simple, psychic set stages. Most importantly, a social change is required in the relationship of a girl to a mother, which forever has remained incomplete, unresolved, and in heterosexuality. This change will impact the fact that a girl must reject the primary object of love, destined never to be experienced again. This is different in boys, whereby marrying someone the same as his mother, he regains his primary objective of love in a different but similar form. In this context, the girl is forced to transfer the desire for first love to her father, who never entirely will satisfy her. (Mulvey,132)
Noteworthy, in varying the male Gaze, patriarchal culture should not be monolithic and should be sealed. This means that fissures and gaps should not exist in the patriarchal culture whereby women will have the capacity to ask questions and introducing a social change. Equally, the patriarchal culture that represses mothering needs to be confronted. This is because women live in a community-led by a father, which suppresses the place of a mother. Remarkably, patriarchal culture has left out the reality that a colossal dilemma faces motherhood and the way of living it or not enjoying it. Thus, motherhood is the beginning point of reformulation of the position of women in society because of the failure of men in theoretically dealing with motherhood or dealing with it through the social realm (Mulvey,133). Overall, patriarchal culture has subjected motherhood to repression in different levels with exceptions of idealization, romanticizing, and hypostatization situations. This makes women struggle with motherhood in the community.
Works Cited
Kaplan, E. Ann. "Is the Gaze Male?" (2010).
Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema." Visual and other pleasures . Palgrave Macmillan, London, 1989. 14-26.
