The Female Gaze and The Whale Rider

1. How is Paikea a female counter-stereotype? Use the “female gaze” theory to describe how the film and the character fit this model of the female perspective and female “voice”. Use the web link provided in Week 11 module on the Female Gaze (the Rubaiyat Hossain article, “Female Directors, Female Gaze”).


In Rubaiyat Hossain’s article she indicates that “there is no ‘one’ type of feminist films, rather there are films made by different women, representing diverse women, depicting ranges of experiences, feelings and senses women feel — elements that never make into the main/male stream currency of images and desire.” (Hossain 2011)

This is the female gaze, the portrayal of female experiences exposed by females. The female gaze allows for proper execution and “real” accounts for female experiences. If a male director were to attempt to tell a female story, that experience is more likely to be blurred by the male gaze. Hossain’s article reads “Men and women don’t live the same reality. They belong to different plains of power and are meant to see different versions of the same images as they both stare at one single object, or truth, or reality.”

Niki Caro, a female director, directs the movie Whale Rider. Through her directing this film the viewer is able to see the story of Paikea told through a female perspective. Caro portrays Paikea as a female counter stereotype, throughout the film her character resists fitting into any of the common Hollywood feminine stereotypes. Rather than being an obedient young girl who plays with dolls and other girls her age, we are shown a girl who is quite the opposite. Examples of these traits are mentioned below.

The film in its entirety is an example of the female perspective and the female voice, simply because it is a story about a girl’s struggle in world where men take precedence over women. Throughout this film we are able to experience these struggles alongside Paikea and we are able to view this particular world through the eyes of a young girl who has grown up there. As a result we are exposed to the issues that arise when being born a girl instead of a boy, as well as the difference in how a girl is expected to act versus how a boy of the same age is allowed to act.

Through this perspective the replaceability of women is also highlighted. Although not seen through Paikea’s eyes the viewer is shown how directly after Paikea’s mother dies during labour, Koro tells his son “What’s done is done…Come Home, start again.” Koro immediately encourages Porourangi to go and find a new wife so that he can try having a son again. Later in the film we see that when Porourangi comes and visits home, Koro’s first business is to try and set his son up with Paikea’s teacher in order to make another attempt at having a grandson. Through these actions we see through the female perspective the awareness that these men see women as replaceable.

2. How is Whale Rider a statement of empowerment for women and girls? How does Paikea challenge gendered expectations? Use scenes/characterization/dialogue from the film to give examples. 
 

Caro’s Whale Rider as a film is a statement of empowerment for women and girls through the actions of Paikea. As a character, this young aboriginal girl is able to challenge gender specific expectations. As I mentioned earlier, Paikea does not fall into the stereotypical Hollywood heroine mold. Instead she does her best to resist what is expected of her character in the film and what is expected of her by Hollywood.

This is most evident in the way she continually fights to be included amongst the boys her age and as a part of the community for that matter. It is not portrayed that she is trying to separate herself from the girls and through the female gaze of the film the viewer is able to see just that. We see this fight of Paikea in the following scenes:

• when she refuses to not sit with the boys at the school
• when she goes against Koro’s instruction and asks her uncle to teach her to fight with the staff
• when she swims into the ocean and obtains Koro’s necklace when none of the boys could

Paikea is her own person and refuses to be told what do, she has her morals and she doesn’t think twice about voicing them. For example when she tries to sit with the boys at the school Koro tells her that she doesn’t belong there because she is a girl. After being yelled at and told several times to remove herself from that spot, she chooses to leave instead of sitting in a designated spot for girls. This showcases how strong her will is to push against the expectations of her as a girl.

In these scenes Paikea is able to display that women and girls are equally capable to men and that there should be no gender separation. In her actions she is able to show Koro and the community that it shouldn’t matter whether you are a girl or a boy, everyone should be included. This message is empowering for girls and women, because it emphasizes what feminism is all about: Equality.

 3. How is Whale Rider an example of “counter-cinema” and the “female gaze”? Use the 1990’s Lecture notes in Week 11 Module to help with this answer and the “Hollywood” article by Kord and Krimmer in the course package. 

Whale rider is an example of “counter-cinema” because it is a story told through the female gaze. In Kord and Krimmer’s article it states that in Hollywood “ the average blockbuster caters to a predominantly male audience.” (Kord, Krimmer 2005) Due to its use of the female gaze, whale rider does not assume the audience of the film is male. Instead it tells a story about a girl, through a feminine perspective.

Kord and Krimmer’s Hollywood reads “Hollywood must strive to present ‘mixed messages,’ that is ideologies flexible enough to appeal to a large audience ‘mostly’ consisting of ‘negotiating’ viewers.” (Kord, Krimmer 2005) According to the article, Stuart Hall’s theory of the negotiated reader means that the viewer will take what is presented to them and adapt to their own life situations.

In Goldberg’s article, “Where are the female directors?” when discussing female directors we learn that “the mostly male faculty there (NYU) still discourage female students in unconscious ways— largely because its members don’t relate to their work.” (Goldberg) This demonstrates that by not being able to provide a negotiated reading, films like Whale rider are considered counter-cinema.

Although there are sub-stories in Whale Rider that the male audience could potentially relate to. The fact that the main protagonist is a female and that the plot is about her journey as a young female in an aboriginal community does not allow enough leeway for a male viewer to be captured and relate to the film.

Works Cited

Hossain, R. (2011, June 13). Female Directors, Female Gaze. Retrieved from http://rubaiyat-hossain.com/2011/06/13/265/

IMDB Whale Rider. (2003, July 4). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298228/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Kord, S., & Krimmer, E. (2005). Hollywood Divas, Indie Queens & TV Heroines. Rowman and Littlefieldl Publishers.

Goldberg, M. (n.d.). Where Are The Female Directors?. Retrieved from http//dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/feature/2002/08/27/women_directors/index.html

An Analysis of Mildred Pierce as a Woman’s film & a Film Noir

1. In her article, “The Genre”, Jeanine Basinger says there are 3 main purposes of the Woman’s Film. Which purpose (choose one) do you think best describes the messages in Mildred Pierce? Explain why.

In Jeanine Basinger’s “The Genre” she describes three main purposes of a woman’s film:

• To place a woman at the centre of the universe
• To reaffirm in the end the concept that a woman’s true job is that of just being a woman,
• To provide temporary visual liberation of some sort, however small (Basinger, pg 13)

The one that I felt best describes the messages of Mildred Pierce would be the third purpose.

In Basinger’s article, she talks about how in a woman’s film the main female character is always faced with a choice, the gender stereotypical norm vs. the other. This holds true in the case of Mildred Pierce in which throughout the film, she is faced with decision after decision.

Some decisions Mildred Pierce must face during the film are:
• Staying in an unfaithful marriage vs. attempting single motherhood
• Marrying Wally vs. staying a single mom
• Staying a waitress vs. opening up her own business
• Working vs. playing hooky with Mr. Beragon
• Having a loveless marriage with Mr. Beragon vs. losing Veda forever.

Basinger’s emphasizes that the liberation these female characters normally feel when they make a decision is temporary, since they usually succumb to regret after the initial decision. All situations seem to be a no-win situation for the leading lady, which is evident for Mildred Pierce from the examples provided above.

In the end, after all the challenges she faces and seemingly overcomes (giving in to romantic love, becoming a successful business woman, and living a luxurious lifestyle) she ends up losing everything, coming to the realization that she should have just stayed married to her first husband.
After all the grief that she has gone through, the apparent resolution would be to stay married to the unfaithful Bert.

Therefore, a woman’s film squashes any hope for “the other” and reminds women (the viewers) that the rightful and happy place for them is within the expectations that is laid upon them, just as Basinger’s indicated.

2. Into which Women’s Film category (Molly Haskell’s four categories) would you place Mildred Pierce? Why? (Use the Woman’s Film Lecture notes for this question).

Of the four categories of Woman’s film that Molly Haskell outlines, I would place Mildred Pierce under the “sacrifice” section. Haskell’s “sacrifice” category claims that the female lead sacrifices:
• Herself for her children,
• Her own children for their own welfare
• Her marriage for her lover
• Her career for love, and /or love for career

In regards to the film, Mildred constantly transition from sacrifice to sacrifice, giving up her time for the well being of others. For example, during the beginning of the film, Mildred must work twice as hard at home, making baked goods for neighbors, in order to make enough money to provide for her daughters.
Likewise, in the end of the film, Mildred sacrifices herself into a loveless marriage for Veda’s happiness.

Even though Mildred is sacrificing herself for others, Mildred’s most substantial sacrifices are all made for her daughter Veda:
• Mildred argues with Bert because of Veda which triggers their separation
• Mildred goes to find work as a waitress for Veda,
• She bakes pies at home and starts a new business to support Veda’s lifestyle
• Mildred marries Mr. Beragon to give Veda her desired lifestyle
• Mildred frames herself of murder to protect the real murderer, Veda.

Mildred sacrifices almost everything for her daughter, which is why of Haskell’s four categories, Mildred Pierce belongs under “sacrifice.”

3. Robin Morrison contends that Mildred cannot be seen as a “good mother” because she’s working outside the home – in what ways is she shown to be a “bad mother”? Please differentiate here between YOUR personal opinion and critical analysis; you want to employ critical analysis and situate Mildred Pierce as a representative icon of patriarchal structures and sexist ideologies. Try to disengage here from what your personal beliefs are on this matter.

The patriarchal structure of a good mother according to Robin Morrison’s “Mildred Pierce and His Girl Friday” include:
• A woman who stays married to a man even if her is unfaithful
• A woman who stays home and properly takes care of her children
• A woman who relies on her husband to support her and their family
• A woman who stays in her place (i.e. at home) (Morrison, 1998)

If these examples are traits of a good mother, then in the case of Mildred Pierce, she appears to be a bad mother. Firstly, Mildred chooses to leave her unfaithful husband Bert, in which she has taken away a traditional solid household from her children. Along with her decision to leave, she no longer relies on her husband for financial support, which goes against what Morrion outlines as a “good mother”, even though she already bakes pies to support her family due to Bert’s unemployment. She then chooses to work in the service industry and leave her children in the care of Lottie. From there she prospers and spends even less time at home, where she should be caring for her children.

With the success of her business, Mildred’s absence as a mother becomes more and more detrimental to her children. With all of her focus on her success, Mildred doesn’t notice Kay’s cough, which ultimately led to her illness and untimely death.

After losing Kay, one would think that Mildred would focus on being a mother at home to Veda, conversely, she becomes even more motivated to succeed in her business. This of course was to provide for Veda’s lifestyle, but according to the stereotype, Mildred was still being a “bad mother” as she wasn’t staying at home and raising Veda.

All in all, Mildred was portrayed as a “bad mother” because of her desire to succeed in her business, which overtook the necessity to have her in her home with her children. Due to her decision to leave Bert, having to provide for her family was “her fault” since staying with Bert would have helped financially, giving her the opportunity to fit the “good mother” role.

4. Kathryn D’Alessandro describes how many of the visual images (cinematography, lighting) in Mildred Pierce are reminiscent of film noir. Explain how. (You can also refer to notes from 1940’s FILM NOIR Lecture notes).

In “Linking Styles: Mildred Pierce”, Kathryn D’Alessandro indicates that the film contains theatrical images that are reminiscent of film noir, using examples such as an opening murder scene, a suicide contemplation, and the use of flashbacks.

In reference to our lecture notes, D’Alassandro (2002) comes to the conclusion that Mildred Pierce is indeed a Film Noir. Characteristics include:
• Light falling into odd shapes
• Throughout the movie, we witness dramatic lighting and shadows, such as the close ups to the individual character faces and the shadows of the murderer. As well as the shadows of Wally and Mildred when they leave to meet with Mr. Beragon.
• Flashback & Voice-Overs
• At the police station Mildred begins a flashback that also triggers the voice-over narration
• Themes such as murder
• The existence of detectives and a femme fatale
• Characters such as the detective who tries to solve the murder of Mr.Beragon, as well as Veda who represents the femme fatale are indications of film noir.
• Bleak ending
• After all her sacrifice for her last living child, Mildred realizes that she cannot save her baby again. Her daughter will never have the life that Mildred had sacrificed so much to provide for her.

5. Sybil DelGaudio defines the racial stereotype of the “Mammy” role in the “Mammy in Hollywood” article in your course reader (also available online). What character is shown as a racial stereotype in Mildred Pierce? How does she fit the Mammy role?

In the film Mildred Pierce, the Pierce family maid, Lottie, is shown as a racial stereotype who played the stereotypical “Mammy” role

In the article, “The Mammy in Hollywood Film”, Sybil DelGaudio describes some key characteristics of the Mammy. Some of these include:
• Dark skin
• Large physique
• Loyal and warm-hearted. (DelGaudio, 2005)

Played by Butterfly Mcqueen (“Mildred Pierce” 1945), Lottie is portrayed as a dark skinned maid to a white family. Although Lottie isn’t necessarily of obvious large physique, the scene in which her and Mildred are in the kitchen and Mildred says that working so hard is what keeps her skinny; the camera then focuses on Lottie and she lifts her arms, looks at them and says “Don’t do nothin’ for me.” This in turn plants the idea that Lottie is indeed large in the viewer’s mind.

Even through the handful of scenes that Lottie appears in, we can conclude that Lottie is quite loyal to the Pierce family. She stays behind Mildred’s decision of becoming a workingwoman, all through to the end from being a single mother to marrying Mr. Beragon and living in his family home.

We also are a witness to her warm-heartedness in the film. An example of this would be when she wears Mildred’s uniform simply to please Veda. We also see how hard she tries to remain positive and tries to interact with the whites even though she is considered the “other.”

Bibliography

Jeanine Basinger. (n.d.). The Genre. A Woman’s View,
The Woman’s Film. In (2013). L. Brockest (Ed.), Course package: Women in Film GHUM 1024 Toronto: George Brown Bookstore.
Morrison, R. (1998). Mildred Pierce and His Girl Friday: Portrait of Working Women in The Pre- and Post-World War Period.
D’Alessandro, K. (2002). Noir#2 Linking Styles: “Mildred Pierce”
DelGaudio, S. (2005). The mammy in Hollywood film I’d walk a million miles- for one of her smiles. Jump Cut.
Mildred Pierce [Web]. (1945). Retrieved from http://media.georgebrown.ca/media/film/Mildred_Pierce_a/Mildred_Pierce.html