Vertigo = Key Themes Flashcards
1
Q
Scopophilia =
A
- The pleasure or desire derived from looking or watching in a sexual or objectifying manner
- The idea of gazing as a form of sexual pleasure
- Works within the context of male gaze and objectification of women
- It also allows the observer to feel a sense of dominance or control over the subject of their gaze
- Hollywood cinema is structured around a male gaze which positions the audience as a voyeur
- Presents women as objects of desire which fulfils the sexual pleasure from a position of power. The camera lingers on female bodies which objectifies them and turns them into something to be looked at
- The way they watch women are examples of scopophilia pleasure without their knowledge and control what they see. Also seen in Rear Window
- It also shows themes of power dynamics and the unequal power relationship where observing can be dominating, passive and objectification
1
Q
Voyeurism =
A
- Scottie’s task of observing is inherently voyeuristic
- Intensifies as Scottie becomes more obsessed where it becomes personal obsession as her projects his desires onto her. She is essentially a projection of his fantasies
- She is constructed as an object for male desire and idealisation. Hitchcock frames Madeline as a mystery to be solved which heightens Scottie’s urge to watch and control her.
- She is the presence of objectification and their voyeuristic gaze
- Her role as a femme fatale plays into the idea of a mystery to be deciphered and consumer by the voyeur
- It reflects the male gaze and power dynamics of control and dominance wanting to transform her into a women he can control. It is not just an act of observation but to force her to fit the idealized image
- He wants to possess her identity and strip her from her autonomy which is a form of objectification
- The frequent use of POV shots from Scottie’s perspective reinforces the sense of voyeurism
- The dolly zoom emphasises the distortion of reality and how she solely exists for his gaze and desire
- Characters are framed by mirrors or reflection’s to highlight they are being watched and the inability to escape the gaze
- Leads to his psychological breakdown which shows the destructive nature of voyeurism
- Scottie attempts to reshape reality and clings to
1
Q
Obsession =
A
