Assignment Description
Write an individual research paper on one or more, but not more than 3, films (40% of overall course grade).
The paper may be based on the suggested areas below or you can come up with a topic of your choice, as long as that topic is related to the main issues of the course. If you choose to write a paper on a topic of your own choice you MUST come and see me and agree the title of your paper before you write it.
• Your paper MUST NOT cover the same material that you have used in previous assignments, that is, the Film Review.
• Your paper should employ one of the theoretical or formal approaches to film that we have discussed on the course.
• Remember this is a research paper, therefore, you must have a research question or thesis that you investigating and you must come to some conclusion about the film or films at the end of your paper.
Suggested Essay Topics:
(1) Give a psychoanalytic reading of a film of your choice. Explain the psychoanalytic concepts you draw upon and consider the problems of using psychoanalysis as a model for cinematic interpretation.
(2) The analogy between film spectatorship and dreaming is one of the founding metaphors of psychoanalytic film theory, how useful and persuasive do you find this analogy. Support your argument with reference to one or more (but not more than three) films.
(3) Christian Metz defined cinema as an “imaginary signifier,” what does Metz mean by this and how useful do you find Metz’s utilization of psychoanalysis to theorize cinema as an institution and an apparatus?
(4) Discuss the merits and pitfalls of using psychoanalysis as a model of film
spectatorship.
(5) Mary Ann Doane has criticised the use of Lacanian psychoanalytic theory to formulate a specifically cinematic theory of the gaze, furthermore she has questioned the whole notion that there is such a thing as a specifically cinematic gaze. What do you understand by the term cinematic gaze and do you find Doane’s criticisms valid.
(6) ‘gaze theory’s universal focus on questions of gender has been applied wholesale to the extent that it cannot begin to address or explain how other dynamics of identity, in addition to gender – such as race, class, and generation, and the complex ways these categories intersect – may influence representations.’
Evans & Gamman ‘The Gaze revisited, or Reviewing Queer Viewing’
Consider the above quotation in relation to one or more (but not more than
three) films.
(7) The psychoanalytic conception of the imaginary has been central to
development of contemporary film theory. Critically examine the different
ways in which this concept has been employed in film theory and for the
critique of representation.
(8) Constance Penley has described apparatus theory as a “bachelor machine” in
the sense that it has systematically disavowed the significance of sexual
difference within film in particular and representation in general. Examine the
feminist critique of apparatus theory and the subsequent development of a
more properly feminist critique of representation.
(9) Consider the significance of unconscious fantasy for a properly psychoanalytic account of film ideology.
(10) ‘In Vertigo in particular, but also in Marnie and Rear Window, the look is
central to the plot, oscillating between voyeurism and fetishistic fascination.’
Laura Mulvey, ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’
Is Mulvey’s approach helpful in theorizing a female gaze?
(10) The Lacanian notion of the objet petit a has been one of the most significant contributions of psychoanalysis to contemporary film theory. What do you understand by this concept and how does it help us to analyse films.
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The paper should be:
• Typed (font size 12) and double line spaced.
• Approximately 2,500 words including references (8-10 pages).
• Fully referenced with a recognized reference system (MLA, 8th edition); marks will be deducted for incorrect citation and referencing.
• Show evidence of independent research; marks will be awarded for the level of research in the paper (research is indicated through your source material).
• At a minimum it is expected that the Research Papers show a familiarity and understanding of: 1) the lecture notes, 2) the textbook and 3) the material placed on Canvas and on reserve in the library.
Here is my research proposal and 4 of the 8 sources required:
Research Paper Topic: The Male Gaze and the Subversion of Hollywood Tropes in David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive”
Research question: How does Lynch use the concept of the male gaze to subvert Hollywood tropes in “Mulholland Drive,” and what does this mean for the role of female representation in contemporary cinema?
Why this topic: This film is fascinating for a number of reasons. The male gaze is constantly challenged with the psychological complexities of the female characters. This creates a beautiful contrast between the traditional representation of women in Hollywood by adding more depth to the characters. I am interested in exploring this topic more.
Essay Outline:
I. Introduction
• Overview of the male gaze and its significance
• Introduction of “Mulholland Drive”
• Thesis statement
II. The Male Gaze in “Mulholland Drive”
• Analysis of the male gaze in scenes/characters
• Comparing the male gaze with other movies
• Discuss the impact on audience’s perception of the female characters
III.
Subversion of Hollywood Tropes
• Analyze the usage of familiar Hollywood tropes
• Examine how these tropes are deconstructed
• Discuss the significance of this deconstruction
Female Representation in Contemporary Cinema
• Current female representation in Hollywood
• Discuss how “Mulholland Drive” challenges traditional depictions of women
• Analyze how the deconstruction of the male gaze in the film contributes to a
larger discussion of female representation in contemporary cinema
Conclusion
• Summarize key points
• Reflect on the significance of the film in terms of the male gaze and
contemporary cinema
• Suggest future research on the topic
Annotated Bibliography:
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Screen, vol. 16, no. 3, Autumn 1975, pp. 6-18. In this article, Mulvey introduces the concept of the male gaze and how it impacts women representation in cinema.
IV.
V.
VI.
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• Proctor, William. “Mulholland Drive and Film Noir: Reframing the Femme Fatale.” Film Criticism, vol. 33, no. 2, 2008, pp. 1-20. This article analyzes “Mulholland Drive” as a deconstruction of film noir tropes, mostly the representation of the femme fatale.
• Rodowick, D.N. “The Difficulty of Difference: Psychoanalysis, Sexual Difference, and Film Theory.” Screen, vol. 38, no. 2, Summer 1997, pp. 126-145. This article explores psychoanalysis, sexual difference, and film theory, by focusing on the male gaze.
• Tasker, Yvonne. “Working Girls: Gender and Sexuality in Popular Cinema.” Routledge, 1998. This book provides an overview of gender and sexuality in cinema, with a focus on female representation.