Laura Mulvey - Feminist film theory

This theory of audience by Laura Mulvey the cinema world reflects the real-life patriarchal society (Male dominated). This is manifested within the cinema world through various forms, mainly through phallocentrism (idea that the penis or phallus is the symbol of power). For example the use of guns or cars are phallic objects used to represent the masculinity of the character.

The Gaze - the "gaze" of the camera is meant to be from a male's point of view. The male's gaze is active while the female is passive. In the narratives the male characters direct their gaze towards the female characters.

Therefore the audience is made to identify with the male gaze as the camera films from both the optical (vision) and the libidinal (sex drive) perspective of the male character.

This means that there are 3 levels of the cinematic gaze - camera, character and spectator - that objectify the female character (the triple gaze)

Furthermore the audience is constructed as though everyone was male. Women are forced to look as though they were a male audience member.