Vertigo - Male Gaze theory

The Male Gaze theory

Vertigo

In the first scene I am analysing from the film Vertigo, it is the scene in Ernies bar where Scottie and Madeleine see each other for the first time. Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze theory can be applied to this due to the different camera shots that are used in the scene. In the summary of Mulvey's theory, it is stated that "The woman is always the object of the gaze, not the bearer of it;" this can be applied to the scene as we are shown the character of Madeleine through the point of view of Scottie, who is gazing at Madeleine and at her beauty. Madeleine is also shown as the object due to her looks and the mise-en-scene within the scene, as she is the only blonde haired woman not in a black dress within the bar, and she also has her shoulders revealed, the only one again to do so. This helps to attract our gaze as she is seen as more attractive than the rest of the women in the bar. This also helps to support the quote that women are "an erotic object for the characters in the film, and as an erotic object for the spectator..." Madeleine is an erotic object for both Scottie as he falls instantly in love with her, and also for the spectators as they are shown her to be attractive and beautiful. 

In the second scene, there is support for the Male Gaze theory but also moments that can be used to appeal against it. One of the things that could be used to appeal against it is that the theory claims that men are "active" characters while females are "passive" characters. However in the scene the roles are reversed, as Madeleine is the active character within it and Scottie is the passive character. Madeleine is the character who is driving the narrative forward, and is forcing Scottie to act as he does.