The phrase that impressed me the most in this reading material is “male gaze”. Similarly, the first two movies involved in this text all reflect the unfair situation between male and female, because the male protagonists always play a voyueristic role, while women are the ones to be controlled. Combine with a bunch of 1970s movies that Eunice mentioned in lecture 3, the images of working-class women in Hong Kong reflect the awakening of women. For example, females can also have a heroic position in the movie as men, or they can overcome challenges under very difficult circumstances. However, back to the reading, the way of “visually consume” becomes more high-tech and undetectable, which means that the abuse of women is still going on in a worse way.
I have deep sympathy for what these women have been through, and as a woman, I feel powerless for my situation.
Hu Junya 3035918086
I appreciated how you connected the male gaze to what was shared in a previous lecture, to discuss gender in films more broadly. While you mentioned that you feel powerless, you did mention that women could play heroic roles. Do you think that women taking up roles that men usually play can change the power relation? What are other factors affecting the way women are portrayed in films that may reflect the present state of gender equality in society?