Free Essay Example: Owning the Female Gaze in Film Production

Thesis statement: Use of formal elements in film production to establish a female gaze and avert male dominance

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In a world engrained with toxic masculinity, it is easy to note that both movies aim at subverting this norm, and in exchange, setting the stage for feminism. Both films barely feature any males, and when they do, it’s either to depict some form of entitlement they do hold over females, or in a somewhat subdued manner.

In contrast, Celine Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is based on the connection, both eccentric and erotic, that women have in the desire to have the fulfilments quenched by each other; whilst Agnes Varda’s Cleo from 5 to 7, points towards women seeking to have such fulfillment derived from the other gender. Celine Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a love story that tells the intrigues of Helioise, a female lesbian, who is forcefully betrothed to a wealthy Italian gentleman, with whom she obviously harbors no intention to walk down the aisle. The freedom in delving into the unknown as a woman, and getting what you want, in a world where such is almost non-existent, is captured all over both films.

Both films depict art in its very essence. The way the directors proceed about their storytelling captures emotions, bears a meaning, and carries along with a message in each scene. From Portrait of a Lady on Fire, we get the sense of art bearing the power to bring calm, restore, and satisfy when going through hurt and pain, particularly after a broken romance. On the other hand, Cleo from 5 to 7, every scene bears intense emotions owing to the unknown, perhaps, the expected. Cleo would appear happy, stuck in a haze, but everything about her surrounding would remind us of the cancer test results she was expecting. Somehow still, she got an ounce of satisfaction from her surroundings.

It is not lost to us that both directors opted to have the background of both movies set up in Paris, France- the city of love. Both movies are based on love. It would seem somewhat ridiculous that Cleo would set out to find love between 5 pm to 7 pm. Either way, she did. Heloise in Portrait of a Lady on Fire, on the other hand, depicts the hopeless romantic. She’d go as far as falsifying an abortion, just to spend time with the woman she loved. Every heartbeat in both movies is drawn towards love and romance. Women are characters that love fiercely. It fitted that both tales be based in France.

Both films make expressive use of costumes. In Cleo from 5 to 7, we see her settling on a black fur hat while at a hat shop, despite it being a hot summer day. This is to perhaps signify her impending doom. In Portrait of a lady on Fire, throughout, the women are dressed in a single, simple dress. Perhaps to signify, a greatly subdued gender, that had to appear simple, respectful rather than dominant, threatening and imposing.

In Portrait of a Lady on Fire, we witness the faces of women illuminated by candlelight. At times, the harsh white sun from the beach. At times, the illumination is from mirrored surfaces. While watching, you can’t help but get the imagination of the cruelty that is being subjected to them. Everything they are going through gets mirrored back in a somewhat artistic manner. A tale of women who are subdued. In contrast, albeit similarly by the use of art, we witness an ounce of dominance portrayed by Cleo as she lay in bed awaiting her man. The picture painted in this particular scene is that of a woman seated in a throne, in control of her fate, awaiting her servant.

In essence, the former film grapples with the position women are in, while the latter depicts the position they ought to be in, that of which they are in free and in control of their own fate.

Both directors of the films ought to be credited for their astuteness in the use of mise-en-scene, as it strikes the viewer from the moment they hit the play button. The costumes are well-thought-out and carefully chosen. The setting, the lighting, and the behavior demanded of the characters barely set a foot wrong.