Guns and Monsters

The representation of violence exacted upon women in cinema is inextricable from being projected upon all women. To provide a scene that objectifies the female is to reduce the feminine form to its non-dual state, e.g., a sexual object providing a vessel for male gratification (hubris and sexual) rather then being defined by its duality of sentient and physical forms. Those who construct scenes of violence against women are bound to a moral responsibility to subjectify the woman’s perspective, thus reestablishing the female as a victim rather then an object and rendering the act of violence intelligible (deplorable, open to interpretation).

The cast of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Volume 1 is predominantly female, the main character (“The Bride”) is a fearless heroine who battles other savage villainesses. However, this film’s revenge plot is based on acts of sexual and physical violence (The Bride’s is intended to be murdered, raped, and believes her unborn child was killed) which do not objectify The Bride. Rather then being objectified, she is depicted as a woman who’s honor was forcibly removed. She is reduced to a coma state (an object) by those who victimized her; when she awakens she seeks vengeance. The men responsible for sexually abusing her are objectified by the object they objectified, rendering her superior.

Requiem For A Dream establishes the means one will go to in order to serve an addiction. Marion Silver (played by Jennifer Connelly) becomes addicted to drugs and subsequently subjects herself to prostitution so that she may continue to fulfill this habit. In a climactic sequence, she is a reluctant participant in a lesbian orgy as viewed by well-paying male on-lookers. Though I condede Daren Aronofsky may have felt he was justified in objectifying his female characters in such a graphically promiscuous manner because they voluntarily subjected themselves into prostitution, his extensive visual depiction of male gratification at the expense of female integrity is not cathartic and serves no purpose other then providing some alluring eye candy for male watchers.

However, not all depictions of violence against women are as easily defined by a just or deplorable representation. In Full Metal Jacket, Stanley Kubrick creates a climax in a moment that reveals the main antagonist as being a woman. This establishes the female as a form that is unremittingly expected to be weak and powerless, however she is killed by a male protagonist without consideration to her gender.

As I consider these representations of violence from a male perspective, I experienced the most drastic male-female perspective shift from Alien. Sigourney Weaver’s character is objectified to instill the notion of her being as a sexual creature. Thus when the hideous creature takes her by surprise, the viewer is transported into a perspective which views the violent threat through the perspective of a sexual object. I believe this is how females view sexual perpetrators, as something foreign, monstrous, and alien.

The use of Narrative & Cinematography in the first scene of Natural Born Killers act as vehicles to convey character background and social commentary. As a mockery of sensationalism in the news media and the glorification of violence in entertainment, the opening scene is significantly accomplished. To establish a sense of ludicrousness with regard to the integration of malicious action, Oliver Stone introduces the use of black & white cut scenes with symbolic intent. In my opinion, these are meant to place the viewer into the minds of Mickey and Mallory (a satire of Mickey & Minnie?), who clearly do not internalize responsibility for the pain they cause others. As the bullet fired at the female cook and the knife thrown at the man outside of the diner are seen in slow motion black & white cut scenes, opera music plays in the background as would play during a climactic battle in a motion picture. This “motion picture” 1st person effect (seen in black & white) is also seen when Mabel asks if Mickey would like a piece of key-lime pie (Mickey senses “acquired taste” to be a flirtatious remark), as Mallory envisions a man reading a news story about their serial killings (Death 666), and when Mallory chooses who will be left alive to tell the press about their horrific conduct. On a side note, I enjoyed subtle way Mallory intentionally counted the cowboy twice in the end to result in Mickey murdering Mabel, as he would have technically been chosen to die using her decision making nursery rhyme.

Oliver Stone uses the camera as a means of conveying perspective rather then using film as a representation of reality. His use of angled, diagonal, and off-centered shots are a means of implying the off-balance views of Mickey, Mallory, and the culture they live in. I also noticed a sequence in which a close-up