Feminism In Celluloid Gender

The film seems to be critiquing men’s need for power over women and the male ego, but it does so by recreating those problems. The film is centered on two women in captivity for the pleasure of two men and finally one man, Caleb, orchestrates an entire plan to save the damsel in distress. The plot is extremely male centric with the protagonist and antagonist both being male. The female lead, Ava, is passively being watched and her one plan of escape is to depend on Caleb. The only deviation from traditional female representation is at the very end of the film, when Ava lets Kyoko die, kills Nathan, and leaves Caleb trapped in the house to eventually die. In some ways the ending is progressive, because Ava departs from the majority of female roles, which follow “pro-social goals including supporting and helping others” (Lauzen, “It’s A Man’s
Her and Ex Machina revolve around the idea of artificial intelligence, but vary wildly in both form and content, from genre to lighting, cinematography, and production design. All of these artistic choices show the style and distinctiveness of each director, however, both directors chose male protagonists and weak female supporting characters. Patriarchal society transcends into the subconscious of male writers and affects the characters interaction in each film. (Mulvey 1) According to Lauzen, in 2014 “38% of films employed 0 or 1 woman in [all] the roles considered” (“The Celluloid Ceiling” 2). The lack of women behind the scenes is directly affecting the women represented on the screen. The male gaze cannot be escaped with a male behind the camera and a male protagonist. To achieve a strong empowering female character, the story has to be told from her point of view and the best way to create an authentic female protagonist is with a woman behind the