Classical Hollywood Cinema, Sexuality, and the Politics of the Face

The representation of iconic female faces in the golden age of Hollywood, such as Greta Garbo, Gloria Swanson, and Elizabeth Taylor, is explored in Classical Hollywood Cinema, Sexuality, and the Politics of the Face. It examines the gay male fetishization of these faces and the disciplinary society that privileges a hermeneutics of gaze. The study includes an analysis of D. W. Griffith and blackface, the Stonewall riots, and the emergence of rival standards of beauty, both female and male, in figures such as Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Rock Hudson, and James Dean.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The representation of iconic female faces in the golden age of Hollywood, such as Greta Garbo, Gloria Swanson, and Elizabeth Taylor, has been the subject of much scrutiny in the field of film studies. Classical Hollywood cinema is characterized by an aesthetic and ideological struggle between rival scopic economies, with one emphasizing the erotics of "to-be-looked-at-ness" and the other promoting a hermeneutics of "to-be-seen-through-ness." While the latter ultimately prevails, the legendary female faces of Hollywood resist, in their distinct ways, a coercive and normalizing knowledge that fuels the gay male investment in them.

A disciplinary society privileges a hermeneutics of gaze, which tends to objectify and normalize the female body. In contrast, the iconomic female faces of classical Hollywood cinema demand an erotics that goes beyond mere visual pleasure. This study aims to explore this tension through detailed readings of films such as Ninotchka, Sunset Boulevard, and Suddenly, Last Summer, in the context of early and mid-century cinema and culture.

One of the key aspects of this analysis is the examination of D. W. Griffith and blackface, which played a significant role in shaping the representation of African Americans in early cinema. Griffith's use of blackface in films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915) was widely criticized for perpetuating harmful stereotypes and promoting white supremacy. However, the study also highlights the ways in which some African American actors and filmmakers responded to these representations, challenging the dominant narrative and advocating for greater inclusivity and representation.

Another important theme explored in the study is the Stonewall riots and the emergence of the modern gay subject. The riots, which took place in New York City in 1969, marked a significant turning point in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and representation. The study examines how these events were depicted in films such as The Boys in the Band (1970) and Milk (2008), and how they contributed to the growing visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in mainstream culture.

In addition to these historical and cultural themes, the study also includes an analysis of several major films by Hitchcock, Citizen Kane, and the emergence of rival standards of beauty, both female and male, in figures such as Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. These films not only showcase the iconic female faces of Hollywood but also explore the complex relationships between sexuality, gender, and power.

This study is of significant importance to students of queer theory, film theory, history, and gender and sexuality studies. It provides a comprehensive and nuanced analysis of the representation of iconic female faces in classical Hollywood cinema and the complex interplay between sexuality, gender, and power that shapes their reception. By examining these films in the context of early and mid-century cinema and culture, the study offers valuable insights into the ways in which cinema has contributed to the construction of gender and sexuality norms and the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights and representation.

Weight: 360g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367561796