Movies are the most influential pop culture item
as they are viewed by millions of people across the globe in theaters, on
television, electronic media, etc. Movies these days are meant only for
entertainment purposes more than anything and most of them fail to deliver a
social message. The sad part however, is the way women are being depicted in
films. They are given less and unimportant screen space, wears skimpy clothes, are
sexually objectified and scrutinized through the 'male gaze’. Budd Boetticher summarizes his
view as: "What counts is what the heroine provokes, or rather what she
represents. She is the one, or rather the love or fear she inspires in the
hero, or else the concern he feels for her, who makes him act the way he does.
In herself the woman has not the slightest importance." Male gaze denies
any sexuality of the women other than the male construction and it is also
applicable to females. Andi Ziesler
explains in her book, ‘Feminism and Pop
Culture’ that “The surveyor of women in herself is male: the surveyed
female. Thus she turns herself into an object – and most particularly an object
of vision: a sight.”
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| Most famous Bond cinematography |
An example of this phenomenon is very prominent in almost
all of the 'Bond' films. Bond girls
are considered "ubiquitous symbols of glamour and sophistication”. Bond girls are often victims rescued by Bond,
fellow agents or allies, villainesses, or members of an enemy organisation
(most typically the villain's accomplice, assistant or mistress). Some are mere eye
candy and have no direct involvement in Bond's mission; other Bond girls
play a pivotal role in the success of the mission. Other female characters such
as Judi Dench's M and Miss Moneypenny, who have a significant
role to play are usually old and are not Bond girls. With the exception of ‘doomed’
bond girls, the love interest of Bond is gone by the next film and is never
mentioned or alluded to again. This fact shows that women fall prey to wealthy,
powerful and handsome men and finally get nothing out of it as they are shown
to be incapable of gaining Bond’s love.
There are many other ‘bikini-clad’ girls in Bond films. The only role they serve is that of a ‘piece
of meat’ (pardon the language) used and thrown away by James Bond. This truly
demeans the value of women and in fact feminism. When 'Sir
Sean Connery' or 'Daniel Craig'
look at the women in the films and the camera turns to focus just on the women
we too unknowingly 'gaze' through their eyes and construe the image of a
perfect woman. These women are shown to be the ideal ones with straight hair,
lots of make - up and a perfect body. When a woman watches these films her view
too is restricted by the 'male gaze' and she fantasizes to be like those women.
This creates a stereotype of a woman being the sex-object of a man. Most of
these films also have the lead actresses uttering some very cheesy and cheeky
lines which are unacceptable in most societies.
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| Moore as Bond |
Moore’s Bond is truly the basis of feminist criticism for
being “a world class misogynist—the poster boy for male chauvinist pigs”. His relationships with women in these films
are not only non-romantic but often bordering on abusive. In Live and Let Die he deceives Jane
Seymore’s Solitaire in order to steal her virginity and pulls a gun on Gloria Hendry’s
Rosie Carver immediately after a sexual encounter, stating that “I certainly wouldn’t
have killed you before!” Bond girls in
these instances are not only objectified but almost victimized by the hero.
On the other hand, there are a few positive things depicted about
women through these films. Bond, as a British Agent, along with a few
Bond girls is increasingly involved in preventing schemes involving world domination
achieved through the auspices of technology.
This connects gender roles and relations to the technological
innovations of post digital-divide Western civilization. In this sense, the
films also expose our notions of masculinity and femininity in a post-feminist,
post-Xena, post-Buffy world. “Bond Girls”
fight as well as the next Warrior Princess or Slayer and can also program
software or manipulate networks to rival Bill Gates.
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| Pussy Galore |
Pussy Galore( a very inappropriate name), is a female character in one of the films is a confirmed
lesbian and self-proclaimed “damn good pilot,” she is independent and
allegedly, by sexual preference and by assertion, immune to Bond’s charm. This
asserts the role of women as independent beings and also sends out a message
that a woman’s sexuality should not affect her position in the society.
3. Pictures in the order of appearance:
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