Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema Laura Mulvey I Introduction A. A Political Use of Psychoanalysis This paper intends to use psychoanalysis discover where how the fascination film is reinforced by pre-existing patterns already at work within individual subject social formations that have moulded him. It takes as starting point way reflects reveals even plays on straight socially established interpretation sexual difference which controls images erotic ways looking spectacle. helpful understand what cinema has been its magic worked in past while attempting a theory practice will challenge this past. Psychoanalytic thus appropriated here political weapon demonstrating unconscious patriarchal society structured form. The paradox phallocentrism all manifestations it depends image castrated woman give order meaning world. An idea stands lynch pin system: her lack produces phallus symbolic presence desire make good signifies. Recent wrting Screen about not sufficiently brought out importance representation female form which last resort speaks castration nothing else. To summarise briefly: function forming two-fold she first symbolises threat real absence penis second thereby raises child into symbolic. Once been achieved process an end does world law language except memory oscillates between maternal Yale University June 29 2015 http://screen.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from plenitude lack. Both are posited nature (or 7 anatomy Freud's famoas phrase). Woman's subjected bearer bleeding wound can exist only ! relation cannot transcend it. She turns J signifier own possess (the condition imagines entry symbolic). Either must gracefully word Name Father Law or else struggle keep down with half-light imaginary. Woman then culture for male other bound man live his phantasies obsessions through linguistic command imposing them silent still tied place meaning maker meaning. There obvious interest analysis feminists beauty exact rendering frustration experienced under phallocentric order. gets us nearer roots our oppression brings articulation problem closer faces ultimate challenge: fight like (formed critically moment arrival language) caught patriarchy. no we produce alternative blue but begin break examining patriarchy tools provides important one. We separated great gap issues scarcely relevant theory: sexing infant relationship sexually mature non-mother maternity outside signification phallus vagina. . But point psychoanalytic now least advance understanding status quo caught. B. Destruction Radical Weapon As advanced system poses questions dominant order) structures seeing pleasure looking. changed over few decades. longer monolithic system based large capital investment exemplified best Hollywood 1930's 1940's 1950's. Technological advances (16mm etc) economic conditions cinematic production be artisanal well capitalist. Thus possible develop. However self-conscious ironic managed be always restricted itself formal mise-en-scene reflecting ideological concept cinema. provides space born radical both aesthetic sense challenges ti e basic assumptions mainstream film. reject latter moralistically highlight preoccupations reflect psychical produced it and further stress start specifically reacting against these assumptions. politically aesthetically avant-garde possible counterpoint. style (and fell sphere influence) arose exclusively one aspect skilled satisfying manipulation visual pleasure. Unchallenged coded In highly developed was codes alienated subject torn imaginary loss terror potential phantasy came near finding glimpse satisfaction: play formative obsessions. article discuss interweaving film particular central woman. said analysing pleasure beauty destroys That intention article. satisfaction reinforcement ego represent high history hitherto attacked. Not favour reconstructed new abstract nor intellectualised unpleasure total negation ease narrative fiction thrill comes leaving past behind without rejecting transcending outworn oppressive forms daring normal pleasurable expectations conceive desire. II Looking/Fascination Human Form offers number pleasures. One scopophilia. circumstances source just as reverse formation there being looked at. Originally Three Essays Sexuality Freud isolated scopophilia component instincts sexuality drives quite independently erotogenic zones. At he associated taking other people objects subjecting controlling curious gaze. His examples centie around voyeuristic activities children their see sure private forbidden (curiosity people's genital bodily functions presence retrospectively primal scene). essentially active. (Later Instincts Vicissitudes attaching initially pre-genital auto-eroticism after look transferred others analogy. close working active instinct further development narcissistic form.) Although modified factors constitution ego continues basis another person object. extreme become fixated perversion producing obsessive voyeurs Peeping Toms whose come watching sense objectified other. glance would seem remote undercover surreptitious observation unknowing unwilling victim. What seen screen so manifestly shown. But mass conventions consciously evolved portray hermetically sealed unwinds magically indifferent audience separation playing phantasy. Moreover extreme contrast darkness auditorium (which also isolates spectators another) brilliance shifting light shade helps promote illusion separation. really shown seen screening spectator Among things position rinema blatantly repression exhibitionism projection repressed performer. satisfies primordial wish looking goes developing aspect. focus attention human Scale space stories anthropomorphic. Here curiosity intermingle likeness recognition: face body surroundings visible Jacques Lacan described when lecognises mirror crucial ego. Several aspects here. phase occurs time child's physical ambitions outstrip motor capacity result recognition himself joyous imagines more complete perfect than experiences body. Recognition overlaid mis-recognition: recognised conceived io reflected body self misrecognition superior projects ideal re-introjected ideal gives rise future generation identification others. mirror-moment predates child. Important fact constitutes matrix imaginary recognition/misrecognition identification hence ' * subjectivity. older (at mother's example) collides initial inklings self-awareness. Hence birth long love affair/despair self-image found such intensity expression audience. Quite apart extraneous similarities framing instance) strong enough allow temporary loss simultaneously reinforcing forgetting subsequently perceive (I forgot who am was) nostalgically reminiscent pre-subjective recognition. same distinguished production ideals expressed star stars centring story they act complex glamorous impersonates ordinary). C. Sections II. B set two contradictory conventional situation. first scopophilic arises using object stimulation sight. second narcissism seen. Thus terms implies identity (active scopophilia) demands spectator's like. instincts libido. dichotomy Freud. saw interacting overlaying each tension instinctual self-preservation dramatic polarisation terms structures mechanisms themselves signification attached idealisation. pursue aims indifference perceptual reality creating imagised eroticised forms perception makes mockery empirical objectivity. During history seems evolved par- 11 ticular reality contradiction libido beautifully complementary phantasy it.. Sexual processes articulates Desire language allows possibility reference continually returns traumatic birth: complex. look form threatening content representation/image crystallises paradox. Ill Image Man Bearer Look ordered imbalance split active/male passive/female. determining gaze figure styled accordingly. traditional exhibitionist role women displayed appearance impact connote to-be-looked-at-ness. displayed leit-motif spectacle: pin-ups strip-tease Ziegfeld Busby Berkeley holds signifies Mainstream neatly combined spectacle narrative. (Note however musical songand-dance numbers flow diegesis.) indispensable element yet tends line freeze action moments contemplation. alien integrated cohesion Budd Boetticher put it: counts heroine provokes rather represents. one fear inspires hero concern feels her him does. herself slightest importance.' (A recent tendency dispense altogether Molly Haskell called 'buddy movie' homosexual eroticism figures carry distraction.) Traditionally functioned levels: characters story auditorium looks either side 12 screen. For instance device show-girl unified technically any apparent diegesis. performs narrative breaking verisimilitude. performing no-man's-land space. Marilyn Monroe's River No Return Lauren Bacall's songs Have Not. Similarly close-ups legs (Dietrich instance) face (Garbo) integrate different mode eroticism. part fragmented Renaissance depth demanded flatness quality cut-out icon verisimilitude active/passive heterosexual division labour similarly controlled structure. According principles ruling ideology back up bear burden objectification. reluctant supports man's forwarding making things happen. emerges representative power sense: spectator transferring neutralise extradiegetic tendencies represented made motion structuring main whom identify. identifies male1 protagonist like surrogate protagonist events coincides giving omnipotence. movie star's characteristics those gaze perfect powerful original front mirror. character happen control better subject/spectator coordination. icon process) three1. films course. analyse phenomenon seriously take me too far afield. Pam Cook Claire Johnston's study Revolt Mamie Stover Phil Hardy ed: Raoul Walsh Edinburgh 1974 shows striking case strength real. dimensional corresponding mirror-recognition internalised existence. He landscape. Here reproduce accurately socalled natural perception. Camera technology (as deep particular) camera movements (determined protagonist) invisible editing (demanded realism) tend blur limits free stage stage spatial creates action. C.i III. surrounding Each look: direct scopophilic contact enjoyment (connoting phantasy) fascinated gaining possession (This shift pole structure single text. Only Angels Wings Not opens protagonists isolated glamorous display sexualised. progresses falls becomes property losing outward characteristics generalised sexuality connotations alone. By means him participation power indirectly too.) deeper problem. connotes something circles disavows: penis implying unpleasure. Ultimately difference visually ascertainable material evidence essential organisation entrance father. men controllers threatens evoke anxiety originally signified. avenues escape anxiety: preoccupation re-enactment trauma (investigating woman demystifying mystery) counterbalanced devaluation punishment saving guilty (an avenue typified concerns noir) complete disavowal substitution 14 fetish turning reassuring dangerous (hence over-valuation cult star). avenue fetishistic scopophilia builds up object transforming itself. voyeurism contrary associations sadism: lies ascertaining guilt (immediately castration) asserting forgiveness. sadistic fits Sadism happen forcing change person battle strength victory/defeat occuring linear beginning end. Fetishistic hand focussed These contradictions ambiguities illustrated simply works Hitchcock Stemberg almost content matter many films. complex uses mechanisms. Sternberg's work pure C.2 known Stemberg once welcome projected upside involvement interfere undiluted appreciation image. statement revealing ingenuous. Ingenuous do demand cycle should identifiable. emphasises pictorial enclosed frame paramount processes. While investigative fetish (characteristic film) broken rapport spectator. coalesce product stylised close-ups recipient look. depth one-dimensional shade lace steam foliage net. streamers etc reduce field. little mediation eyes protagonist. On shadowy presences La Bessiere Morocco surrogates director detached audience identification. Despite insistence irrelevant significant concerned situation suspense cyclical thai time plot complications revolve 15 misunderstanding conflict. most scene. emotional drama typical Dietrich films supreme loves fiction. witnesses watching screen with standing for end Morocco Tom Brown disappeared desert Amy Jolly kicks off gold sandals walks Dishonoured. Kranau fate Magda. cases impact sanctified death hero misunderstands above all see. Hitchcock contrast precisely sees. However shall here cases portrays tensions Vertigo particular Rear Window plot oscillating voyeurism fascination. twist viewing some normally correctness morality perverted side. never concealed non-cinematic. heroes exemplary - policeman (Vertigo) possessing money (Mamie) — lead compromised situations. sadistically voyeuristically turned both. Power backed certainty legal right (evoking castration psychoanalytically speaking). True perversion barely shallow mask law wrong. Hitchcock's skilful liberal subjective view draw deeply position share uneasy absorbed situation scene diegesis parodies Douchet metaphor Jeffries apartment block opposite correspond watches dimension added drama. girlfriend Lisa had less drag remained When 16 crosses barrier room opposite re-born erotically. merely watch lens distant meaningful image sees intruder exposed punishment finally save her. Lisa's dress style passive perfection Jeffries' activity photo-journalist captor images. enforced inactivity binding seat puts squarely Vertigo predominates. Apart flash-back Judy's view woven Scottie fails follows growth obsession subsequent despair view. Scottie's blatant: spies speaking to. Its equally chosen freely chosen successful lawyer) policeman attendant possibilities pursuit investigation. result follows watches mystery. actually confronts drive force tell persistent crossquestioning. Then re-enacts loved secretly. reconstructs Judy Madeleine forces conform every detail actual fetish. Her exhibitionism masochism counterpart voyeurism. knows perform replaying interest. repetition succeeds exposing guilt. wins punished. disorientating: carries entwines exercising. firmly placed order terms. attributes partriachal super-ego. lulled false security legality finds complicit moral ambiguity Far aside police focuses implications active/looking passive/ looked-at encapsulated hero. Marnie too Mark Rutland's masquerades to-be-lookedat He until drawn guilt secret longs committing crime confess So he complicit acts power. words cake eat HI Summary background discussed unpleasure offered (pleasure object) contradistinction (forming processes) formations mechanisms played on. (passive) raw (active) argument step representation adding layer favourite illusionistic again inducing circumvent threat. None layers intrinsic reach beautiful contradiction thanks emphasis defines cinema varying from say striptease theatre shows etc. Going beyond highlighting woman's to-be-lopked-at-ness Playing (editing narrative) (changes distance editing) create world cut measure external before challenged. ending) voyeuristic-scopophilic filmic down. three cinema: records pro-filmic event final illusion. deny subordinate third conscious aim eliminate intrusive prevent distancing awareness Without absences existence recording 18 process critical reading spectator) fictional achieve obviousness truth. Nevertheless argued contains premises: constantly endangers unity bursts intrusive static one-dimensional materially present obsessively subordinated neurotic needs mechanism flowing compatible eye revolves subject camera's disavowed convincing surrogate perform Simultaneously denied force: soon spell illusion appears directly (without mediation) fetishisation concealing fear freezes fixates prevents achieving distance interaction specific blow accumulation (already undertaken film-makers) materiality dialectics passionate detachment. doubt satisfaction privilege guest' highlights depended Women stolen used decline anything much sentimental regret.2