Film, like other arts, has long been male dominated, and that fact has an impact on how women are depicted. Sexualized, conning, hysterical, and vulnerable -- the most common traits of female film personas. Art-house films depart from cinematic conventions in many respects, but not these. Here, however, I want to explore a motif that crops up in various art films and departs from the one central aspect of how women are depicted: the obscured face. Film has a love affair with beautiful female faces, but in some cinematic moments, these are hidden from view. This can be a form of objectification (beauty tantalizingly deferred or, even worse, a visual decapitation leaving a willing body freed from the inconvenience of the mind the would normally control it). But facial concealment can also serve other functions.
Beginning with surrealist cinema, consider this still from Man Ray's Etoile de Mer, a film that uses multiple visual metaphors to convey the mystery and inaccessibility of a female object of desire. In this frame, eyes emerge coquettishly from behind an upside down newspaper.
Another case of surrealist occlusion can be seen in this frame from Cocteau's Blood of a Poet. The male lead in the film is afflicted by the unwelcome appearance of a mouth on the his palm, transferred from a work of art. Here we see the poet attempting to silence a classical statue--a silencing that will not succeed.
On the objectification end if the spectrum, consider this frame from Vladimir Moty's White Sun of the Desert. The Islamic veil is, for many Western audiences, a symbol of oppression, but it can also be used as a tool of orientalist exoticism. That is the function it serves here in this Russian classic. It is not so much an erasure as as an envoy to forbidden love. Moty plays with tropes of powerlessness and powerful women. There is strength behind those veils.
Power and powerlessness are also a theme in the hypergraphic art-house flesh films of novelist Alain Robbe-Grillet. The above still does not reflect the sadomasachistic iconography that abounds in his work, but it illustrates the present theme. It is from The Man Who Lies.
Or consider this still from Marco Ferreri's The Ape Woman, a tragicomedy about a woman who facial hair. Here she is taken by her boyfriend, fully veiled, to a zoo, where so she can learn some movements for her sideshow act.
Another approach to occlusion can be seen in this still from Yoshishige Yoshida's Flame and Woman. Yoshida is one of the most inventive and relentless formalist in film history, and here we a bird's eye view of obstructed love.
This next series if frames comes from Georges Franju's art-house horror classic, Eyes Without a Face. Franju uses multiple tactics for obscuring the female face. Here we see three: bandages, shadow, and an uncanny mask. The film itself concerns the question of facelessness. To be without a face would be a nightmare for anyone, but for a woman, the face is even more linked to one's worth. In that context, one can ask whether a face is ever anything other than a mask.
More fanciful concealments are presented in the above series from Sergei Parajanov's extraordinary film poem, The Color of Pomegranates. The first two are variations of a theme: actress Sofiko Chiaureli covers her face with lace. In the final two, we see the same actress in her role as the male poet who is the protagonist of the film. Cross-dressed and covered, there are cases of double concealment.
For a more disturbing use of facial occlusion, consider this sequence from Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain. Here two interchangeable blondes have the faces covered by the gloves hands of a menacing priest-like figure, himself concealed. They are then shaved, stripped, and ensnared under the rim of his black hat.
Antonioni exploits the occlusion motif in the opening part of L'Avventura, his magnum opus. In this sequence, we see lead actress, Monica Vitti, exploring a barren island with wind whiipping her hair over her face. Shot after shot, Vitti's features are occluded, and the inhospitable landscape becomes a metaphor for a lost soul.
The examples so far are all from films by male directors. For contrast, it can be illuminating to look at facial occlusion in films made by women. The above example comes from Maya Derren's celebrated short, Meshes in the Afternoon. The image is a cinematic cliche. A women blocks her face when confronted by a threatening assailant. But notice the eyes. We don't see fear here, but a kind of confidence.
This next image comes from a feminist film by a male director: Alexander Kluge's The Indomitable Leni Peickert. It is one of the most entertaining art-house films I know. Here concealment turns into a form of power.
The use of concealment as a tool for empowerment has cropped up in other arts as well. It has been used masterfully by the Guerrilla Girls, as in the poster above, and more recently by Pussy Riot, pictured below.
These examples illustrate the ambiguity of facial concealment in the language of film and art. Concealment can be a manifestation of objectification, or a comment on it. It can even be an empowering mask. In these cases, the unseen face is more visible than the seen.
Happy International Women's Day.
wonderful wonderful--you made me think
ReplyDeleteObserve the pictures type of your shooter. The φωτογράφος γάμων actual account of the shooter will let you determine his or her type of acquiring photographs.
ReplyDeleteVHS tapes degrade in as little as five years. DVD's last over one-hundred years with no degradation. Your video footage is priceless. So do VHS to DVD transfer. Ensure your movies will last for the next generation. Don't let time erase your memories.
ReplyDeleteIt was very useful for me. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well. This was actually what I was looking for, and I am glad to...
ReplyDeleteOnline Shopping In Pakistan
nice post
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYes, all photographer needs to know about the camera obscure. I think that this is exactly need to make best photography. I have liked this content to know. Security Camera Reviews
ReplyDeletezhengjx20160816
ReplyDeletemichael kors outlet online
jordan retro 8
cheap toms
burberry outlet online
fitflops
coach factory outlet online
louis vuitton outlet stores
michael kors
christian louboutin shoes
jordan concords
jordan 3 powder blue
coach outlet
uggs outlet
retro 11
abercrombie outlet
michael kors outlet clearance
christian louboutin sneakers
coach outlet online
ray ban sunglasses
red bottom shoes
michael kors purses
hermes birkin handbags
ralph lauren outlet
oakley vault
the north face jackets
louis vuitton handbags
louis vuitton outlet stores
kate spade outlet
moncler coat
kobe 8 shoes
kate spade outlet
tory burch outlet online
ugg boots
cheap oakley sunglasses
nike air max
cheap oakleys
coach outlet
toms shoes uk
washington wizards jerseys
uggs sale
timberland outlet
ReplyDeletelouis vuitton outlet online
steelers jerseys
ugg boots on sale
pandora jewelry
adidas outlet
uggs italia
uggs outlet
christian louboutin
kate spade outlet
2016.10.17xukaimin
mlb jerseys cheap
ReplyDeleterolex watches
ugg outlet
canada goose jackets
air max uk
louboutin shoes
oakley sunglasses wholesale
moncler uk
ugg boots outlet
kate spade
hzx20170209
This is truly a great read for me. I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles. Keep up the good work!. Vehicle Mounted Surveillance Cameras
ReplyDeletebirkenstock outlet
ReplyDeletelongchamp pliage
christian louboutin shoes
michael kors
tommy hilfiger windbreaker
nike outlet
air max 90
mbt
coach factory outlet online
ralph lauren outlet online
20170512yuanyuan
Brilliant showed data. I thank you about that. Most likely it will be exceptionally valuable for my future ventures. Might want to see some different posts on the same subject! commercial security camera system installation
ReplyDeleteHi dear, I like your post so much, and it is very good. Hope that we can communicate with each other. I want to introduce an aso services, I try it and I feel it is so good to us beginners.
ReplyDeleteThe blog is exceptionally splendid. Just love the way how all the writing has been put.
ReplyDeleteholm law group san diego
Symbios.pk is the pioneer Online Shopping in Pakistan, a well known brand in the e-commerce industry. We are the first e-commerce portal, when there was no one to serve the audience and we bought convenience in the lives of our countrymen. We are working as a team for more than five years to provide you the best quality goods at your door step. small appliances
ReplyDeletenike polo shirts
ReplyDeletemoncler outlet
roshe shoes
adidas shoes
russell westbrook shoes
lebron 15
chrome hearts
Enthralled by the writer’s ability to write in this magnificent way.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.123movieshub.it
This is exceptionally instructive substance and composed well for a change. It's pleasant to see that a few individuals still see how to compose a quality post! vlogging camera review
ReplyDeleteSetup in a screenplay should establishe World, Characters, and Theme leading to the call section with small revelations, foreseen new situations and a glimpse of living a full life.
ReplyDeleteThe conflict should be established in the first 10 pages.
All the main players should bet revealed early enough.
Setup should show a place, a time, a mood or the point of view.
Setup should be built with small revelations, foreseen new situations and a glimpse of living a full life. hero opening
Antagonist moving forward too, aware of what hero should be doing and overcoming antagonist’s own flaws, weaknesses, and obstacles. all is lost
ReplyDeleteA couple of decades ago, the television show Candid Camera popularized the hidden camera by tricking people into acting ridiculous, and then informing them they were being taped. Even in the 21st century, people who suspect they're being tricked may ask, "Am I on Candid Camera?" But in the intervening years, cameras have evolved into a very powerful tool for protecting businesses, and most people are captured on camera several times a day. Dashcam Accessories
ReplyDeleteI am unable to read articles online very often, but I’m glad I did today. This is very well written and your points are well-expressed. Please, don’t ever stop writing. mini led projector
ReplyDeletethey offer in-store coupons to monthly subscribers, which indicates they mean to keep traffic through the physical store also http://www4.123movieson.com/
ReplyDeletethis probably did not even make the movie theaters at all and went straight to video crime movie
ReplyDeleteWatching movies online seems to be a more practical way to go to the movies. Watching movies at home also lends to favorite snacks without paying an enormous price 123movies
ReplyDeleteA revolution in home security, home security kits offer home owners many advantages over 'wired' systems. To name a few Hikvision Melbourne, they are easy to install and they cost substantially less and they are portable which means you can take them with you if you decide to move.
ReplyDeleteHome and small business Sydney Serious CCTV systems that you can fit yourself are becoming increasingly popular. Buying CCTV systms and equipment for your home can be confusing so here are a few pointers to get you started.
ReplyDeleteMartin Scorsese was born into a family of Sicilian immigrants, in an area of New York dominated by the Mafia. As a child he witnessed a lot of crime and brutality, which he later portrayed in his films.free movies online stream on watch4hd.com
ReplyDeleteBest work you have done, this online website is cool with great facts and looks. I have stopped at this blog after viewing the excellent content. I will be back for more qualitative work. One Piece tube HDfilme
ReplyDeleteThis was really an interesting topic and I kinda agree with what you have mentioned here!
ReplyDeletejadwal film bioskop
that has a long and long history in this field, and compete to be the best among its competitors have won that many international awards M Around the world and won the trust of its customers in a short time and became many users prefer for other companies and can cooperate with them with ease, when contacted its team comes immediately in order to provide all its services are unique and wonderful.شركة نقل عفش
ReplyDeleteشركة نقل اثاث من الرياض الى قطر
شركة نقل عفش من الرياض الى قطر
شركة نقل عفش بالقطيف
Very efficiently written information. It will be beneficial to anybody who utilizes it, including me. Keep up the good work. For sure i will check out more posts. This site seems to get a good amount of visitors. HDfilme
ReplyDelete