Glenda - Male Gaze

Glenda

Poker Scene

There is a theory by Laura Mulvey, which is called Visual Pleasure and the Narrative Cinema. There is a scene in Get Carter where this is shown this is the scene where Glenda is introduced to the audience. In this scene Kinnear is playing a card game and Carter walks in. In this scene Glenda is sharing vital information with Carter but the diegetic voices of the men playing the card game is a higher level this shows that men have more power over women. This also enforces how women are seen and not heard. In this scene Glenda says something to Kinnear but Kinnear doesn’t hear, this shows how women are not heard by men at this time even when she is saying something very important. Laura Mulvey says that men fetishize women, this is represented in the film when Glenda’s only power is her sexuality this is shown when she asks Carter to put her glass down. But the men ultimately control this power Kinnear controls Glenda. Laura Mulvey states that the world is patriarchal this is shown in the film when Glenda is “showing the sights” to the Fletcher brothers, this shows that she is a literal object for sexual pleasure and Kinnear owns her as well as other men asserting their power over her. In the 1950s women are seen as domesticated, this is shown in the film where Glenda is a servant as well as being abused for bringing the wrong glass. This enforces that they have no power.

Car/Sex Scene

Women are shown as objects in this scene as they are denied a point of view. In this scene there are only two shots of Carter and he is not sexualised. On the other hand Glenda is sexualised because it is being viewed through a “male gaze” from Carter and heterosexual men in the audience. Glenda is viewed through many shots of her body for example legs, chest, hands, back. The reason for Carter not being sexualised is down to the majority of the audience being heterosexual males and they are not interested in men being sexualised and so this leads to Glenda being sexualised instead. In the scene Glenda shows no pleasure because she is not considered a person and is just considered another tool for men’s pleasure. Laura Mulvey states that men have an active role and the women have a passive role, this is emphasised in this scene as Glenda is used and a passive object. This pleasure is also passed to the people in the audience as and supports Laura Mulvey’s theory as during this time women were just used and have no power over societies hierarchy. The audience see the women being sexualised and gain pleasure from this.