Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory from 1975 suggests that films typically adopt a male point of view for the assumed male audience and objectify women as sexual objects to gratify men. Tucker and Dale vs Evil is cited as an example that follows this through its camerawork and central male characters viewing passive female characters. However, the theory has been challenged by films that portray women in heroic roles rather than passive objects, such as Sucker Punch through its strong female leads.

1. Mulvey’s Male gaze
Applying Mulvey’s male gaze

2. Theory
• This theory was suggested by Laura Mulvey
in 1975, she suggested the male point of
view is adopted by the camera for the benefit
of an assumed male audience.
• The practise of the camera lingering on
female bodies is evidence to this- thus
women are viewed as sexual objects to
gratify men. She argues that the central
active characters are male in which the male
audience identifies with them in their viewing
of females as passive.

3. Applying Mulvey’s male gaze
This is a film I previously studied called Tucker and Dale vs evil is a
good practice of Mulvey’s Male theory as it incorporated many of the
elements she suggests in her theory such as; the camera adopts the
male point of view for the benefit of the male characters (see images
taken from T&D below) T & D Vs Evil also employs male characters
as the two central active characters (Tucker
and Dale) who view the female characters
as passive objects of desire who are there to
gratify their needs.

4. Challenging this theory
However, this theory can be challenged as not all central heroic characters in films are male. For
example Suckerpunch portrays females in a positive light, challenging the stereotypical view,
through female heroins employed in the film (such as 'Babydoll') that only men can fight and
be heroes ect. Furthermore, since Mulvey suggested the theory there have been changes
towards the representation of women, which has resulted in challenges to stereotypical
gender roles- for example Kill Bill Volume 2.