Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema by Laura Mulvey

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from Laura Mulvey's essay, focusing on psychoanalysis, gaze theory, and the representation of women in cinema.

Scopophilia

Pleasure in looking at another person as an erotic object.

Phallocentrism

A social structure where male dominance is maintained through the image of the castrated woman.

Castration Anxiety

Fear stemming from the perception of loss or lack, often symbolized by the absence of the penis in women.

Voyeurism

The practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity.

Fetishistic Scopophilia

Pleasure derived from the physical beauty of a female figure, turning her into a reassuring rather than a threatening object.

Narcissism

A psychological condition where a person derives pleasure from their own self-image or reflection.

Active/Passive Gaze

The division of looking pleasure where the male gaze is active, while the female figure is passively looked at.

Cinematic Codes

The conventions and techniques used in film to shape the viewer's perception and understanding of the narrative.

Symbolic Order

A social structure defined by the laws and norms of language, particularly regarding sexual difference.

Alternative Cinema

A form of cinema that emerges as a challenge to mainstream ideologies and aesthetics, often incorporating political and social critiques.