Feminist film theory - Definition and Overview

Feminists have taken many different approaches to the analysis of cinema. These include discussions of the function of women characters in particular film narratives or in particular genres, such as film noir, where a woman character can often be seen to embody a subversive sexuality that is dangerous to men and is ultimately punished with death.

In considering the way that films are put together, many feminist film critics have pointed to the "male gaze" that predominates in classical Hollywood filmmaking. Through the use of various film techniques, such as shot reverse shot, the viewer is led to align herself with the point of view of the (male) protagonist. Notably, women function as objects of this gaze far more often than as proxies for the spectator.

See Laura Mulvey's essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, which can be found here (http://www.panix.com/~squigle/vcs/mulvey-vpnc.html).