And the Mirror Cracked : Feminist Cinema and Film Theory

And The Mirror Cracked explores the politics and pleasures of contemporary feminist cinema. Tracing the productive ways in which feminist directors create alternative film forms, Anneke Smelik highlights cinematic issues which are central to feminist films: authorship, point of view, metaphor, montage, and the excessive image. In a continuous mirror game between theory and cinema, this study explains how these cinematic techniques are used to represent female subjectivity positively and affirmatively. Among the films considered are A Question of Silence, Bagdad Caf?, and Sweetie and the Virgin Machine.

Explores the politics and pleasures of contemporary feminist cinema.

Booknews

This revision of the author's doctoral thesis (Universiteit van Amsterdam, 1995) considers contemporary feminist films such as , , and in an exploration of the way feminist directors create alternative film forms. Giving a priority to the films themselves, the author examines the ways in which film and feminist theory interconnect in the feminist project to subvert the dominant male culture. Six chapters explore such issues as authorship, point of view, the use of metaphors, the rhetoric of the image itself, and treatments of lesbian desire. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

And The Mirror Cracked Explores The Politics And Pleasures Of Contemporary Feminist Cinema. Tracing The Highly Productive Ways In Which Feminist Directors Create Alternative Film Forms, Anneke Smelik Highlights Cinematic Issues Which Are Central To Feminist Films: Authorship, Point Of View, Metaphor, Montage And The Excessive Image. In A Continuous Mirror Game Between Theory And Cinema, This Study Explains How These Cinematic Techniques Are Used To Represent Female Subjectivity Positively And Affirmatively. Among The Films Considered Are A Question Of Silence , Bagdad Cafe , Sweetie And The Virgin Machine . And The Mirror Cracked explores the politics and pleasures of contemporary feminist cinema. Tracing the productive ways in which feminist directors create alternative film forms, Anneke Smelik highlights cinematic issues which are central to feminist films: authorship, point of view, metaphor, montage, and the excessive image. In a continuous mirror game between theory and cinema, this study explains how these cinematic techniques are used to represent female subjectivity positively and affirmatively. Among the films considered are A Question of Silence, Bagdad Café, and Sweetie and the Virgin Machine. Cinema is a cultural practice where myths about women and femininity, and men and masculinity, in short, myths about sexual difference are produced, reproduced, and represented.