Audience theory

Feminist film theory and film audiences- Cinema reflects society so therefore cinema reflects a patriarchal society.

Partriarchy and phallocentrism are linked and the pahllus is a symbol of power muc hlike how guns are used in films. Gun=phallus=power. This is similar to the male mid-life crisis where men buy a new car to help them and regian some of their youth and power suc has the jaguar e-type.

The gaze- The 'gaze' of the camera is the male gaze and the male gaze is active meaning the female gaze is passive. Within the narrative male characters direct their gaze towards female characters. The viewer is made to identify with the male look, because the camera films from the optical, as well as libidinal, point of view of the male character.

Thus three levels of cinematic gaze-camera, character and spectator-that objectify the female character (the triple gaze). Therefore the audience is constructed as though everyone is male.
Women are forced to look as thoug they were a male audience member.

Agency- In the classic Hollywood cinema the male protagonist has agency- he is active and powerful. He is the agent around whom the dramatic action unfolds. The female character is passive and powerless-she is the object of desire for the characters.

Laura Mulvey- Eroctic desires- Mulvey argues that women have tw oroles in film: As an object of erotic deisre for the characters and also as an object of erotic desire for the audience.