An Analysis Of Laura Mulvey’s Feminist Film Theory

Feminist film theory originates from the late1960s and early1970s. With theupheaval of the second wave of women s movement, feminists see the significance ofideological impact on people. Film, as an important cultural product, plays anessential role in reflecting and shaping people s ideology. As a result, feministsstepped into the field of film, hoping to reveal women s suppression by analyzingwomen s role in film and film theories.Feminist film theory first started in the United States and Great Britain. Theoriesdeveloped in two countries were not quite the same. Nowadays, feminist film theorywas already well-developed in western countries but in China the research was at theprimary stage. This thesis aims to introduce British feminist film theorist LauraMulvey s film theory under the background of western feminist film theorydevelopment.The thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter reviews the source offeminist film theory: the second wave of women s movement in Britain. It tries toanalyze the cultural and social background in the late1970s. The second chapterintroduces the development of feminist film theory and brings out Laura Mulvey stheory. Laura Mulvey is the leading role in feminist film theory. She combines filmcriticism with psychoanalysis and brings film theory to a new era. The last chapterevaluates Laura Mulvey s theory and introduces the new development inpsychoanalytical film theory.