2. Concept
• The male gaze represents how the audience views
gender it can be how men view women, how women
view themselves, how women view other women and
now how women view men.
• This is to help the audience view gender in a particular
way and is often a view of a heterosexual males
perspective.
• I will be looking at whether there is a balance of
women and men being objectified in horror movie
trailers.
• I will be looking at how this is done through mise en
scene, camera and sound: dialogue.
3. Jonathan Schroeder – ‘to gaze implies more than
to look at – it signifies a psychological
relationship of power. In which the gazer is
superior to the object of gaze.’
4. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
This shot at the beginning of the trailer, straight
away proves the theory of the male gaze as the
camera shows three girls which reveal one of the
girls lower body and cuts off her upper body.
This objectifies the girls, and straight away makes
them seem more vulnerable than the men in the
film who are looking and talking about them.
This is done so that the audience perceives
women as a sexual object in the film.
Sound is also used in the trailer to support the theory of the
‘male gaze.’ the dialogue of the girls is ‘did you see the way
those guys looked at us?!’ when two, clearly older men drive
past and look at them. This shows that the women feel
vulnerable because of the way men are treating them. This
reflects on the audience as they will feel as though the female
characters are being objectified further supporting the theory.
5. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
In this film the women are represented as sexual objects
through the use of the camera. In the scene the camera
lings on the female body as if it is being filmed from the
male characters point of view. This backs up the theory
of the ‘male gaze’ as it is filmed as though it is from a
heterosexual males point of view. This makes the gaze
superior to the point of view which is the girl,
marginalizing her and making her feel vulnerable which
is how the audience will feel.
The fact that the two men in the film are shown looking at
the young girl also backs up the concept of the ‘male gaze’
as they are staring at a girl in her underwear. Sound is also
used here to represent the male gaze as one of the men
says ‘when you see a college girl prancing around in front
of you half naked you do not….’ this shows that they are
men who are intentionally looking at a younger girl ‘half
naked’ which further backs up the concept of the male
gaze.
6. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
The theory of the male gaze does not get backed up in this
part of the film when the man is caring for the young girl and
is trying to give her pancakes. Sound is used here when he
says ‘oh, it’s the pancakes, you hate pancakes!’ when she is
screaming. This represents the male in a caring way rather
than in a predatory way and shows the audience that the
female character has got the wrong impression.
The theory of the male gaze is then further supported through
the use of mise en scene. The costume of the young girl is
quite revealing which shows that she is being sexualised. This
makes the audience view women in a sexual way making them
objectified.
7. Tucker and Dale vs Evil
Conclusion
• Overall, the trailer for Tucker and Dale vs Evil
supports the theory of the ‘male gaze’ this is
through the use of camera, mise en scene and
sound. They have chosen to objectify the females
and marginalise them so that the audience sees
them as vulnerable characters. However, the
trailer does not do the same for men suggesting
that the male is more powerful and does not get
marginalised. This makes the audience believe
that men are superior to women in the film.
