Thursday 24 January 2019

Theoretical Perspectives: Mulvey Clip



In this scene from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, we see Jessica Rabbit performing seductively to a group of men. She wears a red dress with connotations of sexual desire, that includes a high leg cut and a low neck line. She also has large features and red lips, which we physically see all the men crave after as she walks down the stage to numerous dog calls and yelling. The men here are meant to be animalistic in this way, but the camera also focus on features like her legs and chest as she pays attention to the men, further showing the heterosexual male gaze.

Noticeable shots are the extreme close ups of her legs when she walks down the stage and the mid-two shot where the camera is focused on Jessica's figure. Though this is an animation, this a shot that would be scene in other action genres. These are no doubt shot through the male gaze, and i think the male protagonist's reaction is appropriate as he even forgets she is singing and throughout the entire performance can't keep his mouth closed. This makes it arguable that she is in control and in the active role, however she never lingers with the men and doesn't stop any of them from calling to her which makes her submissive.

The lyrics of the song even talk about running away and having the man feed into the luxury Jessica desires. She sings softly and almost breathes the words out. I think this effortlessness to be perfect that she portrays is desirable because of how stereotypically perfect she is; if you were to look at a woman from a magazine even now, she has the ideal proportions you would want to see; and these are ideals that can be related back to Lack as a male society has had a heavy influence too.

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