It's interesting for me to think about how we perceive certain words and assume that their gender is male. When I told some of my co-workers that I had gotten to meet the director of "Humpday", every single one of them responded with, "Wow! Who is HE?". Or, "What was HE like?". Even some of my female friends asked this, assuming that only men make movies. Of course the word, director, has been genderized in such a way that, when used we, as Americans, automatically think of a man.
According to history, women have had a large role in film making. In our textbook, America on Film, by Harry M. Benshoff and Sean Griffin, it reads, "film historians credit Alice Guy- Blache as the first to tell a fictional narrative on film." (pg. 224) Funny how the first person to set the standard for most modern Hollywood films would be a women.During the early 1900's there were many other women involved not only in directing film but also in other parts of the business. Lois Weber, Anita Loos and Frances Marion are just a few of the women behind the scenes in classical Hollywood. America on Film states, "many researchers now estimate about half of all the films made in the United States during the 1910s and 1920s were written by women." Quite an impressive number seeing as women were treated quite differently then.
This year, 2010, we have seen yet another huge step toward women becoming famous behind the camera and not just in front of it. Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director Oscar this year for her film, "The Hurt Locker." She is indeed the first women to win Best Director, and only the fourth women to be nominated. It's a really small number seeing as the Oscars have been going on for 82 years! When asked in an interview with The Wrap, whether she was ready for this historical moment, Bigelow replied, "First of all, I hope I’m the first of many."
So why has this career as a director taken on a male persona? The answer to that is easy, patriarchy. But will we ever be able to break away from these ideologies so ingrained in our minds? What would this mean for us?
Sources: America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies by Harry M. Benshoff and Sean Griffin
Patriarchy by Allan G. Johnson
Picture of Alice Guy- Blache from BBC.co.uk
I loved your blog and your analysis. Also I am glad you have noticed people's bias toward female directors. I was excited at the Kathryn Biglow's winning in the Oscar as well. In my opinion, it was a very important turning point for all of us not only because she was a female director but also because breaking the one of people's prejudices too. I really liked your way of thinking and a point of view. Good luck ~
ReplyDeleteFrank -
ReplyDeleteGood job tying together the academic side of the class with your real-life experiences. However, I wish your analysis would have been deeper in this case; the one paragraph that really added to the discussion of female directors was the second one. The rest of the blog is a rehash of facts. Make sure to stay critical.
On a side note it is also important to note that Alice Guy-Blache was not only a woman, but a FRENCH woman.
- Ruth
Frank
ReplyDeleteLoved this blog. You did a great job addressing a gender stereotype in a very modern day field.
-kelli