Sexual Disturbance: Gilda 1946

1
Sexual Disturbance Gilda (1946)

• Directed Charles Vidor.
• Starring Rita Hayworth as Gilda. Also Glenn
  Ford.
• In terms of sexuality and gender relations, one
  of the oddest films of its time.
• Gilda as the fascinating but apparently
  disturbing object of the male gaze (both the
  protagonist and the audience).

2
Quiz

• Dyer, in "Resistance Through Charisma," points
  out that in Gilda, Hayworth is not a typical noir
  ____________ character.
• Besides Gilda, who else in the film is described
  as "pretty"?
• Glenn Ford was aware that Gilda included
  suggestions of ___________ between his character
  and Ballin.
• Martin points out that the producer of Gilda was
  ____________.
• Martin also points out that many stories and a
  number of scripts for certain films noirs were
  written ______________.

3
The Question(ing) of the Femme Fatale

• Gilda unusual portrayal of gender and sexual
  relations.
• Relatively open suggestions of male
  homosexuality.
• On the one hand, portrayal of female sexuality
  and desire that disturbs male order, control.
  Typical of "femme fatale" portrayals of sexual
  women as dangerous, as threat to men.
• On the other hand, Gilda in a number of ways
  resists this typical representation of women's
  sexuality desire as disturbing, etc.

4
The Question(ing) of the Femme Fatale

• Gilda brings a number of contradictions about
  "women's representation" within film noir to the
  surface.
• In particular, although film noir has always
  been--and probably still is--a male-dominated
  phenomenon
• One can find a kind of resistance to stereotyped
  portrayals of women as either good or bad,
  depending on whether they are deferential to men
  or have their own desires (and sexuality).

5
Visual Pleasure, Again

• Worth thinking about Gilda (and film noir) in
  terms of Mulvey's famous argument
• Women's sexuality must be controlled either
  through
• (1) (sadistic) punishment by male protagonist or
  (2) through making her the object of voyeuristic
  male look (usually shared by both the male
  protagonist and audience).
• Certainly, can argue that both occur in Gilda.
• But in certain ways, Gilda also defies these
  attempts at control.

6
You Can't Put the Blame on Mame?

• Film is narrated by Johnny supposedly "his"
  story and point-of-view, as in many films noirs.
• But Johnny's increasingly sadistic efforts to
  "blame" and "tame" Gilda make him seem "insane"
  and make her more sympathetic.
• And the voyeuristic aspect?
• Observe how the male gaze is positioned in the
  famed "Put the Blame on Mame" sequence.
• No question that she (her sexuality) excites and
  disturbs. Nearly a riot.

7
You Can't Put the Blame on Mame?

• But here, female sexuality seems to exceed
  attempts to "blame" and control it.
• As the song's lyrics ironically imply putting
  the blame on Mame (women) is problematic.
• Woman is looked at, but not simply objectified.
• Perhaps because of Hayworth's charisma, as Dyer
  argues, or because the film elicits audience
  sympathy and identification with woman's
  situation, as Martin suggests.
• But to-be-looked-at quality and sexuality is not
  limited to Hayworth in this film.

8
Why is Johnny so pretty?

• Curious that strong and strongly sexual female
  characters often seem to occur in combination
  with overtones of male homosexuality.
• Gilda, Double Indemnity, Out of the Past, Laura,
  Mildred Pierce?
• In Gilda, Johnny is also given glamour shots,
  called "pretty," seen from Gilda's perspective.
• Johnny's relationship with Ballin parallels
  Gilda's.
• And then, the strange triangles toast to
  Johnny, Ballin, Ballin's other little friend
  becomes toast to Johnny, Ballin, Gilda.