Article review: < Feminist film thory > by Anneke Smelik

In this article Anneke retrospect the rudimentary stage of the feminist concept of films. “Early feminist criticism was directed at stereotype of women, mostly in Hollywood’s films (Haskell 1973; Rosen1973) such fixed and endlessly repeated image of women were considered to be objectionable distortions that would have a negative impact on the female spectator.” She then gave further explanations by citing standpoints of famous feminist theorists such as Laura Mulvey’s ‘male gaze’ from her book < Visual pleasure and narrative cinema>, the early “counter-cinema” feminist point of views from Chental Akerman, Peter Wollen and Sally Porter.

“A feminist critic who also approached the question of female desire within psychoanalytic discourse was Kaja Silverman(1988).Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalyses, Silverman argued that each subject is structured by lack or symbolic castration. In western culture it is, however, the female subject who is made to bear the burden of that lack in order to provide the male subject with the illusion of wholeness and unity.” Anneke described the “ woman desire” from feminist subject.  As an important part of my research I believe that only when there is a fully understanding of “women” and respect the natural distinctions can it be raised to the level of gender equality. Women have their special need, particularly on sentiments. In Chinese cinema it became a history of battle that women’s desire and liberation against traditional paternity and feudalism. In contemporary Chinese films humanistic concern is the major point. Although the tough time of wars and revolution have gone, the unique situation and the one child policy changes people’s life style and family structure completely. Woman nowadays are undertaking the arduous task of jobs, social responsibility and still, taking care of the family. In the film <Gone is the one> the female leading is the representative of modern women. she takes care of her sick mother and keep working hard as a writer, however, she could not get any support from her husband. The women’s desire of two generations are well set in this film.