Original scientific paper
The Influence of the Male Gaze on Women in Prison Movies: A Case Study of Chained Heat (1983) and Orange Is the New Black (2013)
Lara Braun
Abstract
This paper examines the influence of the male gaze on the representation of women in prison films, focusing on the two examples Chained Heat (1983) and Orange Is the New Black (2013). It explores how the male gaze, a concept first introduced by Laura Mulvey, shapes the representation of incarcerated women, particularly prison lesbians. This representation primarily relies on women’s hyper-sexualization and objectification on screen. The exploitation movie Chained Heat exemplifies the genre of women in prison (WIP) films by portraying female prisoners through voyeuristic techniques solely designed for male pleasure. In contrast, Orange Is the New Black depicts women behind bars and their relationships as diverse and transcending outdated sexual binaries. Despite OITNB including certain exploitative elements found in Chained Heat, the show introduces a feminist perspective that challenges the male gaze by depicting sexual diversity and an unprecedented degree of female agency. Through a comparative analysis, this paper highlights the development of representations within the women-in-prison film genre, emphasizing the cinematic shift in portraying lesbianism and female sexuality beyond heteronormativity.
Keywords
male gaze; women in prison (WIP) films; lesbian representation; heteronormativity; feminist perspective
Hrčak ID:
322703
URI
Publication date:
30.11.2023.
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