Site link: Glitch in Hitch
Introduction: Created an interactive website that analyzes how the “ideal women” of the 1950’s has been portrayed in Hitchcock’s films. I go into detail about the “middle class white” look Hitchcock loved to put on screen. I tied this back to Lauren Mulveys “male gaze” and how Hitchcock uses the camera to inspire the viewers image. I analyzed the film Rear Window and broke down each scene where there is significant examples of the gaze. Specifically, I discussed Grace Kelly and how she has supported the idealization of 1950’s femininity. What is necessary to know before diving into the project is Alfred Hitchock is notorious for casting blonde leads for his films. A lot of his story line in films have portrayed the ideal image of women in the 1950’s.
Medium and/or Methodology: I chose to make a website because there were numerous visual components of my theory that were difficult to explain in a written blog post. I wanted more creative freedom with the placement of images. Also, I want visitors of the website to have the freedom to visit every page in any order they choose. Not only do I want Film buffs to enjoy the site, I want all types of people who might be curious in Lauren Mulvey’s theory to understand as well. My theory involving the ideal women in the 1950’s would be better portrayed as a visual comparison.
Research: I started my research by looking at scholarly articles regarding Hitchcock and his portrayal of women on the screen. I knew I would not have trouble with he amount of resources available, it was just a matter of picking the sources that best depicted my goal. My backbone source I used was Laura Mulveys “Visual Pleasure of Narrative Cinema”. I ran through a lot of databanks using key words such as “Rear Window” and “women”.
Bibliography
Collins, Lorna. “Mulvey, Patriarchy and Gender: Expression and Disruption in Visual Art.” New Review of Film & Television Studies, vol. 15, no. 4, Dec. 2017, pp. 415–420. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/17400309.2017.1376878.
Courtney & Lockeretz.. A Woman’s Place: An Analysis of Roles Portrayed by Women in Print Advertising, 1967.
Evans, Everett. “Hitchcock Had Obsession with Blondes, on and off Screen.” Houston Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, 30 July 2011, http://www.chron.com/entertainment/movies/article/Hitchcock-had-obsession-with-blondes-on-and-off-1647095.php.
Fawell, John. “Torturing Women and Mocking Men: Hitchcock’s Rear Window.” Midwest
Hinton, Laura. “A ‘Woman’s’ View: The Vertigo Frame-Up.” Film Criticism, vol. 19, Winter94/95 1994, p. 2. EBSCOhost,
Modleski, Tania. The Women Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock and Feminist Theory. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016.
Modleski, Tania. “Remastering the Master: Hitchcock after Feminism.” New Literary History: A Journal of Theory and Interpretation, vol. 47, no. 1, 2016, pp. 135–158. EBSCOhost,
Myers, Scott. “Francois Truffaut Interviews Alfred Hitchcock.” Go Into The Story, 15 July 2018, gointothestory.blcklst.com/francois-truffaut-interviews-alfred-hitchcock-82624f1fda4c.
Renzetti, C. & Curran, D. Women, Men and Society, 5th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2004.
Vanessa Martins Lamb. “The 1950’s and the 1960’s and the American Woman : the transition from the ”housewife” to the feminist.” History. 2011.
Film:
Hitchcock, Alfred “Rear Window”, 1954, Paramount Pictures
Pictures
Better Homes & Gardens, Recipe for Holding a Husband 1956
Family Circle, Women Buying Car Article, 1956
Historic UK, Women Cooking in Kitchen, 2012
Housekeeping Monthly, The Good Wife’s Guide, 1955
Huffington Post, Grace Kelly by Poolside, 2012
Silver Screen Collection, Grace Kelly Head Shot, Entity Mag.com, 2017
Virginia Nicholson, Perfect Wives In Ideal Homes, virginianicholson.co.uk, 2015
Gender and Diversity in Film 