Violent Women in Film and the Sociological Relevance of The
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2006 Violent women in film and the sociological eler vance of the contemporary action heroine Kathryn A Gilpatric University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Gilpatric, Kathryn A, "Violent women in film and the sociological eler vance of the contemporary action heroine" (2006). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 2701. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/eg0x-pezy This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VIOLENT WOMEN IN FILM AND THE SOCIOLOGICAL RELEVANCE OF THE CONTEMPORARY ACTION HEROINE by Kathryn A. Gilpatric Bachelor of Arts University of Nevada, Las Vegas 1999 Master of Arts University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2002 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Soeiology Department of Soeiology College of Liberal Arts Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 2006 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3256288 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 3256288 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dissertation Approval The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas NOVEMBER 13 20_QÉ_ The Dissertation prepared by KATHRYN GILPATRIC Entitled VIOLENT WOMEN IN FILM AND THE SOCIOLOGICAL RELEVANCE OF THE CONTEMPORARY ACTION HEROINE is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SOCIOLOGY ExaiinnatJjiiii Committee Chair Dean of the Graduate Goileye Exniiunatipii Coinmiftcc Mcnihcr Exn\iiiiation CoiiiiiiUtcc Member Graduale College Faculty Representative Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Violent Women in Film and the Sociological Relevance of the Contemporary Action Heroine by Kathryn A. Gilpatric Dr. Kate Hausbeck, Examination Committee Chair Associate Dean of Graduate College Associate Professor of Sociology University of Nevada, Las Vegas This research examines mainstream representations and imagery of violent women in American cinema in a broad sense, and looks more speci fically at the sociological relevance of the contemporary filmic action heroine. This research is not interpretive in nature but instead draws upon original data gained from an extensive content analysis spanning a 15-year period from 1991 to 2005. In addition, the research includes secondary source data gathered from movie industry statistics and industry reports in order to provide an empirically descriptive analysis of violent female action characters in contemporary American film. While many feminist film theorists argue that female action characters arc empowering representations who breakdown traditional gender barriers by exhibiting both masculine and feminine characteristics, this research argues that upon closer inspection these representations and images actually reinforce traditional gender norms. III Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. roles, and values by subseribing to dominant social codes in order to be successful at the box office. The data derived from the content analysis and secondary sources point toward shifting business strategies, evolving production processes, and technological advances of the movie industry itself that have played a major part in the formation of contemporary female action characters produced for mass consumption. IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT............................................................................................ ’................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................................viii LIST OF IMAGES...................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................1 Research Questions .................................................................................................................4 Theoretical Orientation .......................................................................................................... 4 M ethods ....................................................................................................................................5 Organization ............................................................................................................................6 Representation and Imagery ..................................................................................................7 Sociological Relevance ...........................................................................................................8 CHAPTER 2 FEMINIST FILM THEORY: THE EARLY YEARS TO PRESENT....10 Early Feminist Film Criticism .............................................................................................11 Psychoanalysis: The Male Gaze and the Spectator ..........................................................14 Debates on the Female Spectator ........................................................................................ 17 British Cultural Studies and the Agency of the Audience ...............................................19 Shifting Imagery and Diverse Theories .............................................................................25 Spectator Positions and Violent Women in F ilm .............................................................30 New Female Imagery and Violent Action Heroines .......................................................35 Summary................................................................................................................................ 40 CHAPTER 3 METHODS......................................................................................................42 Content Analysis ...................................................................................................................44 Foci of Observation, Units of Analysis, and Definitions ............................................... 45 Sampling ................................................................................................................................ 46 Codebook and Coding Instructions ....................................................................................50 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................... 52 Reliability and Validity ....................................................................................................... 53 Problems with Content Analysis Data Collection ........................................................... 56 Movie Industry Data .............................................................................................................57 Summary................................................................................................................................ 58 CHAPTER 4 THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN CINEMA 60 Early Cinema and Audience Reception .............................................................................61 The Rise and Fall of Classical Hollywood ....................................................................... 62 The Progressive Era and the Hays Code ...........................................................................64 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Jewish Movie Moguls and the Hollywood Studio Systems ........................................... 66 New Hollywood Cinema .....................................................................................................69 Economics and the Preference of Form .............................................................................73