Would you have guessed Female?

In class we discussed the theory of Essentialism. Do women directors create different films than men because of their gender? Is there a clear connection between gender and art? To me, the answer is no. People can argue both sides. To me it is not important to know the gender of the director before watching a film. If you know the gender you will be looking specifically for things to agree with your already preset assumptions.

After watching The Bigamist, I would not have imagined it was created by a female director. Throughout the film we followed a male lead who cheats on his wife. The audience at times, feels bad for this man who has been cheating on his wife and living a double life. Why was the female director not casting a negative shadow of this male lead? One would think that the female director would want to make this man appear as evil as she could. It is a way to send a message through a film that cheating is not accepted. At the conclusion of the film, when the man’s double life is revealed, neither of his two wives appeared to be that upset; an unexpected ending.

The Bigamist is a good example of showing that women directors can create a film that does not follow a stereotype. The film is shot in a way that the audience would no suspect a female director. I feel that the Essentialism theory does not apply to all films or any at all. Women can create films that are not connected to their gender. A female director does not have to create a feminist film. Female directors are few and far between in this male dominated career and it is important to recognize their success.

Cool Info-

http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue05/reviews/ida-bigamist.htm

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/L/htmlL/lupinoida/lupinoida.htm

Vertigo, Who do you like?

When watching Vertigo for the first time, it took me a while to become lost in the film. It wasn’t until the scene where Madeleine was tossed from the tower when I stepped back and was wowed by how the film was unfolding. At that point, the entire film changed for me. I realized that there was more than meets the eye, and the characters were much more developed than I first pictured.

As the plot continued to unfold, the characters become more complex. The audience was able to see the obsession that Scottie was dealing with. At times, I found myself sympathizing with him and the tragedies he had endured. While other times I was discussed with his behavior. When we were reintroduced to Judy, in the hotel room, we sympathized with her and the love that she truly had for Scottie. I find it very interesting that we were able to ignore the terrible things she had done, such as helping commit murder, and we over look it.

As Roger Ebert explains in his review, the development of two key characters adds to the overall success of the film. I continually found myself cheering on Scottie but at the same time feeling the pain Judy was going through. During the closing scenes of the movie, I was rooting for both characters. I wanted Scottie to make it to the top, but at the same time I wanted to see Judy escape. This confusion or involvement in the plot helped me to become lost in the film

Reviews-

http://movies.toptenreviews.com/reviews/mr2043.htm

Awards-

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800131906/awards