The Gaze: Power and Resistance in Flim

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Area: Art, Film
Grade Level: High School & Beyond
Topics: conventional gaze, critical theory, feminist film theory, film studies, imperial gaze, oppositional gaze, the gaze
Estimated Time Necessary: 2 lessons of 45 minutes

Lesson Plan

Objectives:
Understanding Implied Perspective in Film
The reading and film explore different views of The Gaze (implied perspective) through both camera perspective, implied audience and also visual art history.

The Gaze: Power and Resistance in Film

Read “The Oppositional Gaze” for homework the day before class.  It’s fairly long and challenging.  Watch the 19 minute film.  This material explores the way what Sartre calls “The Gaze” operates in films, how the perspective of the camera and of the implied audience affect the meaning.  This material refers to work of Laura Mulvey, bell hooks and Edward Said.  The questions below will help guide the discussion.

bell hooks “The Oppositional Gaze”

EXPAND TOOL TEXTCOLLAPSE TOOL TEXT

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdV1F4f7jSo

Discussion Questions

  • What does the term Implied Perspective mean?
  • What is an Implied Audience?
  • How does hooks understand the concept of The Gaze?
  • How does this question affect the meaning of a film?
  • Distinguish between the Imperial, the Male and the Conventional Gaze.
  • How is the Oppositional Gaze meant to combat this? Does it work?
  • How does the idea of the Gaze relate to the meaning of novels, TV, websites, and other media forms? How are they similar and different?
  • How does the idea of the Gaze relate to the meaning of novels, TV, websites, and other media forms? How are they similar and different?
This lesson plan was created for PLATO by: Stephen Miller, Oakwood Friends School and Marist College.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

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