Sociological Analysis: The History of Women's Roles in American Film

This report provides a sociological analysis of the history of women in American film, examining gender roles, race, class, and sexuality. It discusses the portrayal of women in silent films and later productions, highlighting issues of discrimination, domestic violence, and the challenges faced by fe...Read More

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Women in films
History of American film
2/14/2020

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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Gender, race, class, and sexuality in the video montage.................................................................2
Who is shown and not shown in the video and Images which are included and images which are
not included.....................................................................................................................................2
Stories which matters.......................................................................................................................3
History of American Movies...........................................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................4
References........................................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
The report is prepared in regard to the history of the American film and how the women played a
role in those movies. There were mostly silent films and the quality of the image is very lesser.
The first American Hollywood movie was named in Old California in 1910 and it was the short
film (Farrimond, 2012). The silent films are created by the women Lois Weber and she is the
director which was inspired by Guy-Blaché. In this report the gender, race, sexuality will be
explained in regards to the American film.
Gender, race, class, and sexuality in the video montage
There are certain issues that have been seen in the American cinemas related to class, race,
gender, and sexuality (Smelik, 2016). The discrimination regarding the resistance of the culture
has been done. Race means identification of the person which is the major discrimination in
America. The discrimination regarding White and Black, American Indian and African
American, etc. are done. In American Film 51, the concept of the movie is based on Whiteness
so there are certain issues. There was the contemporary film Femme Fatale Film which is based
on bisexual activity. The frequency of the female characters seduces the women as well the men
and they are in bisexual relationships in the movies. In the movie Juno, Juno MacGuff becomes
pregnant and in jeopardy, the adoption of the child by Mark who is the prospective father
becomes the case (Willis, 2008).

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Who is shown and not shown in the video and Images which are included and images
which are not included
In the video of the history of American films, the images were shown which is not clear and the
movie was going on in silence. The things which were not shown were the clear image and the
volume of the people who are talking. The images the color and the black-white images are there
are images in which no technical things are included (Tasker, 2013).
Stories which matters
Women in Film Noir: This movie is based on the feminist film critic. In the film the role played
by the women are normative. This was the harsh and dark reality which the female faced after
World War second that they have to put themselves back into the home through the workforce
even after they have found independence. The social values are dominated in this film and film
has attacked on the oppressive social relationships (Everson, 2018). The women's position in
society has shown in the film and how they go through domestic violence. The mounds of the
females have been rebelled due to the disruption in the domestic space. In this film, the strong
character has been shown in which the breed of femme Fatale and the sexual appeal of the
women have been adored.
History of American Movies
The American movies only give birth to the cinemas in starting they have recorded the
photographs and capture the motions. The kinescope is the device that the filmmakers use to
make the films. There are American films where the film genre is the female protagonist and
they portray the female concern only. The certain films are only concerns and portrayed for the
women issues such as motherhood, domestic life, romance, self-sacrifice, etc. the film was

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generally produced in the era of 1950 to 1960s in the silent era but issues were popular during
the World War II (Griffin, 2016). The work of women film director and editor are not considered
appropriate and justified and they are deceived by men which is the major fear in the cinema of
controversy and marginalization.
Conclusion
After World War II, Women has started taking actions towards their domestic violence,
sexualization, romance, self-sacrifice, motherhood, etc. In the cinemas of the women, there were
many controversies and critics on raising certain issues but this has been done to eliminate the
gap between the men and women. The discrimination has been done between the White and
Black Americans which has also stated in this report and due to this race and gender
discrimination continues. The women have to go through with much domestic violence and there
are the women are who are put inside by the men force. The description of movies like
Contemporary Femme Fatale Film, Women in Film Noir, Film Juno has explained in this report.

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References
Everson, W. K., & Everson, W. K. (2018). American silent film (pp. 161-162). New York:
Oxford University Press.
Farrimond, K. (2012). ‘Stay still so we can see who you are’: anxiety and bisexual activity in the
contemporary femme fatale film. Journal of Bisexuality, 12(1), 138-154.
Griffin, S. (2016). Queer images: A history of gay and lesbian film in America. Rowman &
Littlefield Pub..
History of American Films. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/KxXZaJNF0dk
Smelik, A. (2016). Feminist film theory. The Wiley Blackwell encyclopedia of gender and
sexuality studies, 1-5.
Tasker, Y. (2013). Women in film noir. A companion to film Noir, 353-368.
Willis, J. L. (2008). Sexual subjectivity: A semiotic analysis of girlhood, sex, and sexuality in the
film Juno. Sexuality & culture, 12(4), 240-256.