Critical Theory: Audience Theory: Suture & Feminist Film Theory

Recently the class discussed the theory of Suture. We have been learning Critical Theory to best understand how our music video connects and influences the audience.


This is theory that suggests that the Classical Hollywood Narrative, editing, sound and mise en scene 'sutures' (positions) the audience into certain ways making ONLY ONE PREFERRED READING, however conscious the audience is of that position.

The audience HAVE to react to how the film creators WANT them to react.

Feminist Film Theory

In 1975 Laura Mulvey wrote the essay VISUAL PLEASURE AND NARRATIVE CINEMA. This essay composed a logical argument... If cinema reflects society, it must therefore reflect a patriarchal society ( MALE DOMINATED)

How does a Patriarchal Society manifest itself into Cinema?

According the Mulvey, it is through the Gaze

The Gaze

The gaze of the camera is predominately shot from the males gaze. The male gaze is said to be ACTIVE while the female gaze is PASSIVE. Within narrative media texts, the male characters direct their gaze towards female characters.

The speculator is made to identify within the male gaze as the camera films only the male gaze, which is the  point of view from the male character. This demonstrates the Three levels of the cinematix gaze , the camera , the character and then the speculator. All three are made to OBJECTIFY the female character

A classic example of this is effect is in the James Bond film Dr. NO.

In this scene the camera uses the male gaze. It begins by looking at Bonds face. It then zooms in ever so slightly to his eyes and then it jumps to her, because HE is looking at her. The shot causes the following chain reaction of events;



Audience ------->

Camera--------->













Sean Connery-------->









 Ursula Andress



Bond then says "No im just looking" which suggests how he sees Ursula as the OBJECT OF DESIRE, HIS LIBIDO

Through this theory of the Male Gaze, the audience is constructed as through everyone was male and women are forced to look at the text as through they were a male member of the audience.

This is SUTURE at work

Mulvey continues in her essay with this theory of AGENCY

According to Mulvey, in classical Hollywood cinema the male protagonist has the AGENCY - HE IS ACTIVE AND POWERFUL, IN CONTROL OF THE PLOTS DESTINY.

Her is the agent around whom the Dramatic action unfolds. The female character is passive and powerless, she is the OBJECT OF DESIRE for the protagonist and audience.

The Role Of Women

Mulvey argue that women have two roles in films,

1. As an object of Erotic Desire for the Characters
2. As an object of Erotic Desire for the Audience

This is evident in another bond movie Die Another Day



In this scene Halle Berry is the Erotic desire of Bond and us, the audience. The way the frames were slowed down when Bond was looking at her through his binoculars, portrays Berry in a seductive and attractive way. Her role in the film is further strengthen when Bond says, "What a spectacular view" clearly referring to Berry's body.