Explore some of the ways in which you have gained fresh insights into your chosen film as a result applying Laura Melvey's 'Male Gaze' theory

Explore some of the ways in which you have gained fresh insights into your chosen film as a result applying Laura Melvey's 'Male Gaze' theory

In the scenes I have analysed it is clear that Laura Mulveys's male gaze theory is present. In the scenes were Scottie is following Madeline we are given a consistent POV from Scottie - Scottie is seen as the barer of the gaze and so making Madeline an object of the gaze, she is objectified by Scottie throughout the chosen scenes and so as the audience seeing through eyes of Scottie we objectify her as we consume the male gaze. Madeline is seen as the passive character as she is only there to be looked at and is under control of Scottie who is the active male gazer.

We receive several C/U shots of Scottie however, none of Madeline - this makes the audience align with Scotties character as we adapt to having his POV. Whenever we see a side profile of Madeline the music changes to more calm music using instruments such as harps - this makes us view Madeline as angelic, again adapting to the POV of Scottie viewing her in this light as well as accepting Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory as we are again forced to objectify her as an angelic beauty.

Scopophillia and the gaze are both key themes within Hitchcock's work, particularly in Vertigo. The main character who is Scottie is a detective - he watches others without their knowledge of it - and an actress who is Madeline/Judy who's role is to be watched by the protagonist.

Fetichism is also present in the analysed scenes as Scottie focuses on Madeline who he see's as an erotic object with sexual connotations -  this is shown in the scenes where we have the POV of Scottie and he looks at her hair, clothes, face and body.