She's being watched and she can feel it. She doesn't know who or why but there is a slow creep that makes its way up her spine when ever she is alone. In this particular shot, a dream sequence manifest her fears of being watched. This shot's roots drip in the concepts of scopophilia, as well as the voyeuristic gaze, and its powerful hold over the subject. However the voyeurism is challenged here because the subject is confronting her watchers, and in doing so, leaves the audience to take her place as the voyeuristic 'object'. The gazers are depicted in animal masks to portray the metaphor of the primal love of "looking".
This turned out really well! I remember discussing it with you in class. I know it didn't turn out the way you initially decided (at least from what I remember) but I think the dream sequence works. Like a psychological thriller. If this is a POV shot where we are looking through the "subjects" eyes it directly challenges the idea of the gaze. Since she is not only returning the gaze but intimately aware of it she is no longer the passive subject. That creates all kinds of notion that renders Mulvey's gaze problematic. I like it.
ReplyDeleteThe dream function is intriguing in of itself even. Who is watching her? Is it a manifestation of her fear from her real life stalkers? Is it a memory she is using to try and rectify something? Or are the stalkers in her head and she is in fact gazing upon herself? hmmm...
ReplyDeleteShey,
ReplyDeleteThe questions you're bringing up are fantastic and are triggering all kinds of potential story lines. Thank you so much for bringing these to my attention. I am glad my mission statement is clear here, about the subject trying to discredit the gaze, if you would. I feel that Mulvey's arguments are pretty cut and dry, however I feel like there is a lot of grey area that goes unaccounted for and thats what I tried to prove with this image.
Great image. Spooky and dreamlike. I don't agree with Mulvey's arguments but this image illustrates the voyeurism concept very very well.
ReplyDeleteThis is right in line with Mulvey and I would have to agree with the others about the gaze. To me the discover of the voyeurism is potentially more disturbing than if it were to go unnoticed since the "creatures" have this hollow gaze that seems very inhuman. The angle of the shot is intriguing as well, it would almost suggest that the character who's view we are seeing is in a position of power, however it feels to me like that power is about to evaporate.
ReplyDelete