The 'Male Gaze' Theory

The Male Gaze Theory suggests that most films are shot from a male perspective. The concept was first developed by feminist film critic Laura Mulvey. Her analysis on this shows that mainstream cinema is patriarchal in nature, arguing that in films women exist to be looked at by both the male protagonist and the spectators in the audience.

The male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a heterosexual man e.g. lingering over the curves of a woman's body. The man is presented as the dominant power in the film and the woman is passive to the active gaze from the man. This emphasises a form of patriarchal authority and also suggests that the male gaze denies women their human identity, making them objects to be admired for physical appearance and male desire. Therefore the female actor is never meant to portray a character that directly affects the outcome of the plot but is instead inserted into the film to support the male role.

This means that the woman is passive to the active gaze from the man and can be linked to scopophilia (a pleasure derived from looking). Mulvey also states that the female gaze is the same as the male gaze, meaning that women look at themselves through the eyes of men.