The above image is a still from Drew Goter's groundbreaking directorial debut,
She's a Looker (2015).
She's a Looker is a taut psychological drama that follows Audrey Albrecht (Taylor Bosworth), a functioning paranoid schizophrenic whose symptoms worsen after she starts receiving attention from her male peers. Audrey combats this anxiety by planting surveillance cameras around her college campus and spending her nights observing the very people that she fears being observed by.
She's a Looker engages Linda Williams's theory of the female gaze by likening the female voyeur to the monster and by depicting Audrey's gaze as an act of self-punishment. However, the film also challenges both Williams's and Laura Mulvey's theory of visual pleasure in cinema by presenting a female who is quite capable of obtaining sadistic pleasure - albeit non-sexual pleasure - from voyeurism.
I really like the way you used the pictures of the eyes and arrows that are all drawing attention to the subject. You really went all out with the backstory behind your still and I think that is really neat as well. This sounds like a film I would wanna see and I think you incorporated all of the theories that we've learned in class perfectly in this specific case.
ReplyDeleteDrew, I enjoy how the arrows pointing at your female character is alerting the audience that she is breaking the norms of who is and isn't allowed to gaze, while she is completely ignoring the judgmental eyes around her. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that the background had all of the different eyes and arrows on her showing the spectator that she is the center of attention in this world and is breaking the line set of those who can and can not use the gaze like she is. I also like that she is ignoring them and is breaking a different set of norms by ignoring those judgmental looks from others around her. I also really liked the twist on the sadistic pleasure from voyeurism. Great job!
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ReplyDeleteI am impressed at your boldness in this image. I think that your use of the female gaze is interesting and accurate. I think the background was a very nice touch and reminds me of foregrounding as I cannot tell if these are diegetic or non-diegetic and I truly enjoy that. I also like how you somewhat modernized the gaze by using a computer. To me, today's use of facebook Instagram etc. really enables people to examine people they know and complete strangers from a somewhat voyueristic perspective. For you to epitomize that was very brilliant and I think that woman may be associated with this tendency in our society more then men and to use that concept for the female gaze worked excellently for you. Kudos my friend.
Very intense shot Drew. Love how the eyes force the viewer to focus in on Audrey. While all eyes are on her, I am still let wondering what she is looking at. Great job with your extremely detailed back story! I would definitely want to see this movie. Great work!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting piece. "She's a looker" has many different implications with it. SHe is looking while being looked at by the wall behind her implying there are many eyes watching her. Obviously this is a "gaze" piece but what stood out for me was the use of Film Noir. The light color of the still is shined upon the wall with the eyes and the face of the protagonist implying she is gazing upon a screen watching something. The darkness at the bottom of the screen has implications of "dark" themes and ideas making the audience curious and wanting more. Awesome job!
ReplyDeleteI love all the intricacies of this picture. The framing of it makes it seem super intense (and that was before I even read your synopsis!). I adore how you are playing with the idea of the gaze turning not only the male gaze on Audrey, but her own as well as she is both "damsel" and monster. I immediately thought about some aspects of New Queer Cinema that apply here too like giving a voice to the marginalized and dealing with mental illness. Not saying your movie is considered New Queer Cinema, but I did like the inclusion of a marginalized voice of mental illness. I would definitely see this movie!! Great job!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting idea for a movie and image. I really like how you incorporated multiple theories and especially how you changed the gaze to the female. The fact that the picture is so dark and that the female is barely in the frame makes her seem hidden behind her computer screen. Great job man
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