Semiotics, Part IV-Images, modernism and postmodernism
This week we will study the concept of 'modernity' and explore its connections with the concepts of spectatorship and gaze (the act of looking), in particular as presented by the French philosopher Michael Foucault.
Task 5
Reading
Sturken, Marita and Cartwright, Lisa (2001) Chapter 3: "Spectatorship Power and Knowledge". In Practices of looking. An introduction to visual culture; Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 93-139.
Read this text and answer the question below.
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Viewing
Gilda (1946) is a black and white movie of the film noir genre. Film noir is a Hollywood film category that focuses on a crime and usually features a femme fatale, a sexy yet dangerous woman.
In this film, Rita Hayworth plays the character Gilda and in a famous "striptease" scene she both sings and dances to the shock, amusement and anger of the various characters in the film. The camera plays an important part in constructing the scene. Watch the Gilda clip (03:43 min) (opens in a new window) and think about how the camera objectifies Gilda.
Reading
Sturken, Marita and Cartwright, Lisa (2001) Chapter 7: "Postmodernism and Popular Culture". In Practices of looking. An introduction to visual culture; Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 237-277.
Read this text and answer the questions below.
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