Anneke Smelik's Feminist Film Theory: Analysis of Sally Potter's Orlando

This essay explores Anneke Smelik's feminist film theory and its application to Sally Potter's Orlando. It discusses the representation of women in cinema, the concept of the male gaze, and the need for a counter-cinema that challenges traditional narratives. The essay also highlights the feminist themes in Orlando and the empowerment of the female protagonist.

FINAL RESEARCH
ESSAY

Topic → Anneke Smelik's describing about the feminist film theory : claims formulated with
respect to Sally Potter's Orlando
Introduction
The film theory along with criticism have had an enormous impact of the social
movement regarding feminism. According to opinions given by Anneke Smelik, cinema is
regarded as a cultural practice that represents myths in accordance with femininity & women as
well (Goodnow, 2010). This also has an inclusion of masculinity & men. Most of the Hollywood
films have been directing feminist criticism within women stereotypes. The continuous and
repeating image of women displayed in films were started to be considered as an objectionable
distortion. Since decades, psychoanalysis has proven to be dominant fact in the feminist theory
of Anneke Smelik. Referring to the current time, diversified perspectives, spectatorships &
identities have been taken into consideration. This has proven to be a step away from sexual
difference understanding. This essay clearly depicts the femininity & women myths by aid of
Sally Potter's Orlando. The film hovers around its protagonist Orlando which is played by Tilda
Swinton. The film has strongly depicted that women instead of being recognised by wealth and
power of husbands, fathers; they shall be known from their individual identities instead of
possession.
One of the very first feminist critics Claire Johnston through a semiotic viewpoint offered
a sustained stereotype critic. Also, she investigated the myth in accordance with the 'woman'.
The analysation of woman is done as code or structure. The image of women in films is usually
displayed in negative manner and are instead depicted as 'not man' (Railo, 2014). The classical
cinema is usually characterized by the ideal construction. In these constructed images women
have been represented as attractive, realistic and natural as well. This is regarded as the illusion
of classical-cinema. Orlando initially is depicted to be a nobleman who is a strong feminine.
Through his poetry he tries to every member within the society. One day suddenly he wakes up
as a woman. As a woman, Orlando gets mocked and humiliated from other poets because of
being a misfit in society. The film has depicted that society only sees women on the basis of their
attractiveness and they are meant to satisfy men. Many women are not able to differentiate this
gender criticism and usually get shunned by the criticism of society. But the feminine nature of
Orlando provided her an illumination and empowerment as well to criticize this disrespect shown

to a woman. This proved to be an effective transformation from the male Orlando who was
indeed clueless.
The fascination in Hollywood cinema is also depicted clearly by the psychoanalysis
utilised by Laura Mulvey in article of 'Visual-Pleasure and Narrative-cinema'. The desire for
looking is stimulated by classical cinema. This is attained by integration of narcissism &
voyeurism within the storyline. When one person looks at another as their object, voyeuristic
visual-pleasure is produced. On the other hand, identifying oneself within the image provides a
narcissistic visual-pleasure. Also, male character is usually classified as powerful and active. He
is depicted as the centre of attraction around which the whole melodramatic story unfolds. On the
other hand female-character is treated as a desirable object for men who is powerless & passive.
Voyeurism has been made towards prerogative male-oriented. In theatres, when a narration of
film is done, male leads direct heir gaze towards the female ones. The male-look is treated as the
identification indicative for the spectator. This happens because the viewpoints of male character
are the basis of the camera-rolling to make film (Slobodian, 2012).
This concepts of voyeurism and narcissism have proven that the cinema is tailored in
order for desires of men. Henceforth, these traditional narratives should be shunned down and
formulation of a counter-cinema should be done in accordance with women. Referring to
Orlando, when he was transformed into a female body, she has to face a lot of critical response
and harsh comments of society. Being a feminine personality she gathered enough courage to
deal with such entities. Also, she also depicted those women who had the potential of deciding
their own fate.
The creation of female counter cinema should lead towards having an practice of making
avant grade films. This would further make the camera roll on the basis of materiality within
time & space. Also, the audience will be able to look upon passion-able detachments along with
dialectics. This will lead towards the declining of the classical cinematic viewpoint and in
addition destroy visual pleasures of the spectators. In Sally Potter's Orlando, the feminist
approach towards cinema was depicted (Smelik and Lykke, 2010). When Orlando gives birth to
a beautiful daughter, her character gets transformed into a mindful, daring & caring mother who
follows her own principles. She was also clearly depicted as an free minded character
independent of the indeterminate blessings from noble-category titles and other things as well
which do not defin e her at all.

The structure of male gaze logic within the visual-culture of Western led to the
formulation of many controversies. The reason for this was that there was no inclusion of female
spectators nor even female-gaze. In fact, Mulvey was being highly criticized for not indulging
the main question of female spectatorship. To this Mulvey provided a suggestion that besides
identification of feminine passiveness, the female spectators could also adopt the masculine
viewpoint. As per Mulvey, the transexual identifying and spectatorship is regarded to be active
both for girls & boys in an equal manner. And in order to do so, women have to omit active
aspects regarding sexuality in early stage. So, to rediscover the pleasure of their lost sexual
identity female spectators might have to negotiate their spectator's position's masculinisation.
Female spectators are considered to have more fluency in their capacity of identifying the
other gender. This is considered as the general assumption regarding the feminist film -theory.
The feminine position of the Orlando character emerged out to be a centre of attraction to all the
female spectators.
The image of women over the screen relates their relation with masquerade notion.
Masquerade is usually regarded as a mask of femininity. This can be more clearly understood.
When women find themselves at a position regarding males, they place a mask of femininity
over their face. Usually this assists in the functioning in accordance with compensating
masculine-position of them (Feminist Film Theory, 2017). The female spectators are found out to
be highly consumed by their image. This could further be avoided only by identifying as a
transsexual perspective along with the effective role of masquerade. It allows the existence of
distance from image for female spectators. When a women is effectively able to wear the mask
of femininity, a necessary difference would be established between the screen's femininity and
the one possessed within her. When Orlando was a feminine as a male, he was often found
depicting his viewpoints by aid of poetry. But as a female when she tries to enter the poetry line,
she was criticized for not staying in the boundaries. But, the feminine position of the earlier male
Orlando provided her the necessary illumination in relation to criticizing all such mock
comments. Also, in addition to this, as a feminist she tries to establish herself as an independent
women which is definitely opposing the society limits. Though being a feminine as male
Orlando, he was a bit over-sensitive and always found himself in the position of not being
helping. In fact he was treated as love casualty.

Although there are many critics in relation with feminist films that have formulated
darkest possible scenarios. These scenarios have been written on the basis of female looks
towards depicting themselves as male, masochist or male oriented. Phallic women have often
been considered as the one who represent contradicting femininity image that have expanded on
the far side gaze which is reifying-nature. The ambiguousness of vamp can prove to provide
visual pleasures to female spectators. Focus has also been laid upon mother being considered as
an object of love. This could also emerge out be another potential source providing visual
pleasures. Also, masochism is as well regarded as the visual pleasure source which depicts
enhancement in the power of father over mother. But the evoking done from cinema has finally
made return possible towards unity's phase with mother. Henceforth, female spectators could
possibly draw visualised pleasures from cinema of strong femme fatale. In the film Orlando, the
high degree of feminism was shown towards the spectators.
This was strongly justified when the the female Orlando was allowed to gather immense
pleasure when she was gifted the motherhood. She was depicted as an independent women riding
a motorbike which is symbol of masculinity. She was depicted as a free minded mother who
possess control of their own life and suitably depicts herself as a perfect fit within the era of
modern world. The film Orlando is centred upon desires of female-Orlando to depict herself as a
mother. The film was subjective towards female viewpoints and also showcases the passionate
relationship between the mother & daughter.
The existence of sexual differences have led to the rising of contrast in psychoanalytic
film theory. It has failed to lay their focus upon other existing differences as well which include
race, class, age & sexual-preferences. The Orlando film hovers around the female protagonist
Orlando who after being transformed from male body gets illuminated by her feminist
viewpoints (Orlando as a feminist film, 2011). This illumination proves as a basis of motivation
through which she fights the criticism faced from male poets and other members of society.
Women are only meant to provide pleasures to men, cook food for them. This was totally
contrasted when Orlando gets to become a mother. This shuns all the criticism faced by her till
now as a female. In addition to this she clearly passes all the barriers of limits & boundations
made for women.
There also occurs sexual differences in feminism. This is in accordance with exclusion of
black women from the diversified representation forms. The occurrence of sexual differences

along with their preferences will lead towards making other representable forms more thinkable.
Despite many efforts, there has been a convincing argument. Black and white film-makers find it
very difficult to deal the highly criticized stereotyped images of black women.
The studies on the basis of masculinity were later established in feminist film theory. In
accordance to them, diversified images of masculinity as contemporary one are often found
hovering around masochism as well as hysteria. A questionable condition was depicted by
hysteria. But in contrast with the modern technology, men are found to be equally subjective
towards trauma & shock.
Referring to the matter published in Sophie Mayer's Introduction :Girls to the Front,
positive comments have been established upon the inclusion of female-centric films. Hollywood
as in present has stated to make films which critically appraise the importance of women centric
films. One such film is Disney's Frozen which was made by taking the centre of attraction to be
Elsa who was depicted as lovely, vigorously-courageous and brave as well. Such films have led
the change in the perceptions of society. The icy powers of the character Elsa depicted that she is
confident and very brave to carry those powers. Also, Sophie has further corrected the imbalance
by placing female characters on centre-screen. This has overall led towards an evolution in the
misconceptions formulated by the men-oriented classical cinema.
Conclusion
Overall it can be concluded that a level of diversity has been introduced in the feminist
film theory. The Hollywood has now been increasingly conquered by young and talented women
film makers. They have successfully established themselves in various genres of action,
comedy, horror, adventure and many more. Also, the gender differentiation has also been
omitted by the increase in homosexual & transgender film-makers. Also the already built image
of women of classical cinema as an object of pleasure, has been broken by the independent
nature of modern women. The films are now being more oriented towards depicting women as
independent entities.
Also, the film Orlando clearly led to the formulation a women can be caring, daring,
mindful and modern at the same time. She definitely posses the authority to have a control of
their own life. The film also led to the formulation of theory that women cannot be categorised
on the basis of their husband's or father's wealth status. The values of women get formulated
from the identity established on their own despite the possessions inbuilt within her. The

diversified viewpoints as well as cinematic styles & genres have depicted the struggle of women
for representing themselves over silver-screen. So there should be no sort of gender
discrimination and female film makers shall be offered equal opportunities of establishing
themselves within the modern era. They should thrive the stereotypes and always try going
beyond any limits.

REFERENCES
BOOKS AND JOURNALS
Goodnow, K. J., 2010. Kristeva in focus: From theory to film analysis. Berghahn Books.
Railo, E., 2014. Women's Magazines, the Female Body, and Political Participation. NORA-
Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research. 22(1). pp.48-62.
Slobodian, J., 2012. Analyzing the woman auteur: the female/feminist gazes of Isabel Coixet and
Lucrecia Martel. The Comparatist. 36(1). pp.160-177.
Smelik, A. M. and Lykke, N. eds., 2010. Bits of life: Feminism at the intersections of media,
bioscience, and technology. University of Washington Press.
Mayer, S., 2015. Political Animals: The New Feminist Cinema, I.B.Tauris.
ONLINE
Feminist Film Theory, Anneke Smelik. 2017. [Online]. Available
through :<http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/anneke/filmtheory.html>. [Accessed On :
6th June 2017].
Orlando as a feminist film, Jazzhsu. 2011. [Online]. Available
through :<http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/anneke/filmtheory.html>. [Accessed On :
6th June 2017].