Group items tagged

The Accused, 1988, Jonathan Kaplan, dir. I am using this film to illustrate the use of rape and its consequences as depicted in film. This film is unique as it shows rape in a non-normative light, differing from how rape is typically depicted within film. Rather than from the perspective majorly of men, this film shows rape through the eyes of the victim and the defender, both women. However, ultimately (as Projansky predicts), it is a man who (in all honesty unrealistically) "saves the day," and the honor of the victim (played by Jodi Foster). While this film is innovative in its brutal truth about rape and all that it entails (physical harm, emotional/mental harm, economic harm, and the difficulty of court trials), it is also in a sense, a fairy tale for raped women - certain aspects of the film, such as the conclusion, depict a more optimistic world. Still, this film has many positive qualities in exhibiting topics in relation to rape, such as the instilled patriarchic views within court and government systems, and among fraternities of men. I would not say that this film desensitizes rape, but rather that it magnifies the horrors of rape; however, this perception could differ between men and women. These are some of the topics I will explore of rape and its consequences as portrayed through this film and its relation to viewers and what they do with such images and information.

Projansky, Sarah. Autumn, 2001. "The Elusive/Ubiquitous Representation of Rape: A Historical Survey of Rape in U.S. Film, 1903 - 1972. Cinema Journal 41: 63 - 90. This article was a wonderful article for me to begin my research with because it led me into many of the topics I wish to discuss within my research paper. In fact, the article was a main instigator in my changing my research topic solely to film and its relation to rape, rather than film and pornography and their relation to rape. This article argues "that rape is a central theme in American cinema… [That] not a year has gone by since the beginning of cinema when rape, attempted rape, or other forms of sexual violence were not represented or alluded to in films" (63). Many of the topics that surface throughout this article will be key in explaining my own film selections and how they promote patriarchic ideals, the submission of women, and the desensitization of rape that film presents historically and globally to its viewers. Topics I will touch upon include Production Code regulations (from the beginning of film to present), rape in relation to women's vulnerability, independence and the family, rape in relation to economic and social class ambivalence, and finally, rape in relation to race. All these subtopics arise in differing aspects of each film I have chosen to consider in relation to my research topic. Overall, this article is the perfect push I needed to get my research started, and it will continue to be valuable as the holder of the bedrock ideas and topics I wish to present within my paper.

Projansky, Sarah. 1995. Watching Rape: Film and Television in Postfeminist Culture. New York: New York University Press. This book is very useful in further legitimizing and supporting many of the points I wish to make throughout this paper. What I found valuable and helpful was the film index in the back of the book. I can easily find most of what I need from this film index, and this book discusses two of the likely three films that I will use throughout this paper. This book is also important in my research because it discusses the often neglected issue of race, specifically that of black women, in film rape. This will be key in my critique of the usage or neglect of race within the film Showgirls. Also, this book does a thorough job in explaining key terms in relation to my paper (such as postfeminism), therefore I better understand and can look at much more within each film. Overall, this is the perfect book to turn to for most any question I could have in relation to my paper.

Johnny Belinda, 1948, John Negulesco, dir. This film is key to my research mostly in part to its date. Many people believe that rape has only recently been shown explicitly in more recent films, however this is a film that invalidates this thought. While Gone with the Wind does deal with rape in film, it does not explicitly mention or show the rape; Johnny Belinda, on the other hand, overtly deals with rape and its repercussions. Also helpful in this movie selection is the ample discourse found in relation to it, from Sarah Projansky. It deals with many topics the other films deal with, but also has differing aspects to consider, in relation to rape in film, such as the consequences of rape and how one copes with them. While it is important to, in a sense, keep a period eye when watching this film, the film too has many still valid points, which I am interested to further develop and question while writing this paper.

Gone with the Wind, 1939, Victor Fleming, dir. Dox, Donnalee. 1996. "Constructions of Rape: Two American Musicals." Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 17: 210-238. Retrieved April 12 2010. (http://www.jstor.org/stable.3346888). I felt it was important that I use Gone with the Wind in my paper, as it is one of the most highly cited films in relation to my topic (rape in film). The most cited aspect of the film is found within the scene in which Rhett Butler carries an angry and reluctant Scarlett O'Hara up the expansive staircase to her bedroom. The next scene the audience is shown is Scarlett awakening the morning after, seemingly happy. Many critics take issue with these scenes as they seem to promote the ideal that no means yes. Donnalee Dox touches on this idea in the opening to her article, "Constructions of Rape…" Dox mentions others, such as Tom Kuntz and Christina Hoff Sommers, who also debate over the subliminal messages found within these specific clips from the film. Dox notes the taboos in addressing this film as "many women continue to enjoy the sight of Rhett Butler carrying Scarlett O'Hara up the stairs in a fate undreamt of in feminist philosophy." If many women still enjoy this scene, it makes it difficult for other (perhaps more feministic) women to condemn this scene as a bad representation of rape and women. This article is helpful in addressing the multiple perspectives on reading rape in film, and will be useful in challenging my own thoughts regarding rape and film.

Two sources here... but I assumed the JSTOR would be more important to add as the URL.

Showgirls, 1995, Paul Verhoeven, dir. Crenshaw, K 1991. "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics and Violence Against Women of Color." Stanford Law Review v43:1241-1299 Williams, Linda. Spring, 2003. "Showgirls & Sex Acts." Film Quarterly, 56: 40-41. Retrieved April 11, 2010 (http://www.jstor.org/stable/1213965). This was a debatable film for me to use, however I ultimately decided to use it for three specific reasons. The first, I believe it shows important ideals of female support, as similar to the Bonobo primates that Sylverstein discusses. Yet I was more drawn to this female compassion - of Nomi seeking revenge for her raped friend Molly - due to its fantasy and lack of realism. Nomi seeks Molly's assaulter and fiercely kicks his face in multiple times. While this is an oddly heroic scene of just revenge, it is not realistic in its culminating consequences. For this point, Linda Williams's article is helpful in further realizing this idea. Williams discusses the vengeful Nomi as a new heroine for post-feminist film, as different from the original innocent female heroine - Nomi is not innocent and sexually naïve, quiet the opposite! Nomi is sexually literate and knows how to use her body to her best advantage, whether for violent vengeance or her own survival. However, the second issue raised is the relation of hidden powers, here as presented through fame and fortune. It is due to the rapist's elite social standing that no investigation or authorities are begun or brought in (hence the vengeance of Nomi). I will explore how this instills ideas of impunity, as discussed in many of the readings this semester (therefore I will most likely additionally use such readings as the Carey and Torres reading, etc.). One final (third) topic I will explore within the film is the fact that Molly is a woman of color. I will explore this topic in relation to topics raised by Crenshaw in her "Mapping the Margins…" Some of these to

Three sources here, but I assumed as Crenshaw was a class reading and the third source has a highlighted link I would simply put the film link as the URL.

Donnerstein, Edward., Berkowitz, Leonard. 1981. "Victim Reactions in Aggressive Erotic Films as a Factor in Violence Against Women." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 41(4): 710-724 * This article addresses a follow-up study by Donnerstein and a colleague to his previous study on aggressive-erotic films. This study went further to test whether the outcomes would be the same with male vs. female confederates, and aggressive-erotic films with positive vs. negative outcomes. This article is important as it provides further evidence and controls for more outside influences. Donnerstein also provides extensive background on both the theoretical and applied aspects of erotica which is extremely helpful in my research.

Horeck, Tanya. 2004. Public Rape: Representing Violation in Fiction and Film. New York, New York: Routledge. This is important for all the above reasons listed in source 11, however this book is not as expansive in information as Projansky's book. Still, this book is more advantageous in supplying me with more information about the film The Accused, relating an entire section to this subject. The first part (of three) deals with the ideas of fantasy and origin stories of rape. This chapter deals precisely with the issue of where one can draw the line between fantasy and reality - key to my research paper. This book is very interesting in its dealing with this topic. It is one of the first to actually mention how exactly all this perhaps originated. Again, this book will be very useful as a grounding reference to my paper with its broad yet concise discussion of rape in film.

Lehman, Peter. 2006. Pornography: Film and Culture. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press. * This book is one of the most helpful for my research. Within it are 13 articles written by various scholars discussing the phenomenon of pornography. They address pornography culturally, sexually, and economically, and while they touch on religious and feminist views of pornography they attempt to remain neutral throughout their discussions. I think that when doing any research regarding pornography its important to understand it as a genre and from as many perspectives as possible. In that I find this to be one of my most valuable sources. Having sections written by various scholars that address pornography from all angles provides an enormous amount of background information without creating a bias.

For the paper on Human Trafficking- a somewhat related source

Donnerstein, Edward. 1980. "Aggressive Erotica and Violence Against Women." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 39(2): 269-277 * This article was written to describe a study conducted by Edward Donnerstein on whether or not aggressive-erotic stimuli would make males more aggressive towards females. In this study males were shown either neutral, erotic, or aggressive erotic stimuli and then given an opportunity to deliver electric shock to a female confederate. Out of the 120 males subjects who participated in the study it was shown than even non-angered males showed an increase in aggression towards the female after viewing the aggressive-erotic film. I think that this article will be extremely useful in my research as it provides evidence of the effect of aggressive-erotic films on men, even when those men had in no other way been angered.

Sylverstein, L. 1999. "The Evolutionary Origins of Male Violence Against Women" in Haraway & O'Neil (eds) What Causes Men's Violence Against Women? Sage Publications. This chapter is important, however in a secondary way. I will use this article to further supplant the points I wish to convey from the films I am using, most specifically with The Accused, and in part with Showgirls. I will use Sylverstein's points of the female/matriarchic oriented Bonobos in relation to the women of both films. I will discuss the parallels found between these bonding primates and their counterparts found within The Accused as portrayed in the unified fight for justice between Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) and Sarah Tobias (Jodi Foster). From Showgirls I will discuss the similarities of the primates violent tendencies as they relate to a slur against one of their own, as Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) defends and seeks vengeance for her friend Molly Abrams (Gina Ravera) - although this ideal of one woman protecting another is more fantasy than realism, especially in relation to the consequences. Again, this chapter will be more valuable to me in supplementing, rather than instigating, my ideas in relation to rape and how it affects the relationships amongst women.

Squires, Catherine. June, 2002. "Review: Mixed Messages" The Women's Review of Books, 19: 25-26. Retrieved April 11, 2010 (http://www.jstor.org/stable4023945). Although this is only a review of two key books, it is helpful in summarizing key information necessary to supplement my research for this paper. It allows me to note the overarching/key issues within each book, and then consider how they relate to the bigger picture of rape in film and how it affects culture and society. This was especially helpful in allowing me to narrow my search within one of the reviewed books, Watching Rape, by Sarah Projansky (of whom I found another article to use, as cited above). This review also makes observations that relate back to other sources and films I am using, such as Showgirls - discussing the foci of rape as related to the actions of white male and female characters, even when the victim herself is of color. Rather than specifically considering gender, this article questions other factors, such as race and class. Also important from this article is its consideration of perspectives and viewpoints as differing over time and through different lenses. The article overall was a helpful find in summarizing pivotal points in concise yet amazingly detailed format.

Unaware before taking this class of reality, I too, like the majority of society, was influenced by the misconception that rape was a stereotypical image. I have come to find through taking this class that the majority of rape and physical assaults are experienced by females from a male perpetrator who is an intimate partner, including spouses, boyfriends, or dates. When searching ways in which the violence against women has been an issue under which proactive means have been taken toward awareness or even a solution, I came across the website for the Bahamas Crisis Center. This page offers a direct introduction to the issue with the poster that states, "When we got married, I promised to love, honour and obey him and he promised the same to me. I gave him my love, respect and my heart, but last night he betrayed that love and broke my heart. He RAPED me." This page seeks to directly address marital rape as an eminent threat to the well-being of women and the society at large by taking a problem that ordinarily occurs within the home and places it in people's faces. The video "Silent Pain" is a collage of images, words, songs, and interviews. It begins with a description of the emotions felt by women whom are betrayed and raped by their husbands. When asked if they were aware of what marital rape was, those interviewed replied "no" and of those who were female, they remarked that it is indeed, unacceptable while the males depicted it as "a condoned act of marriage". Fortunately, the video also attempted to show how the issue has become increasingly apparent in the media to raise social acknowledgment. The video ends with a detailed personal account of a woman who was raped by her husband. I believe this is a positive step toward making a private issue a public one that needs to urgently be addressed.

This was an amazingly difficult video for me to watch. The explicit images from films, reenactments, etc. were incredibly jarring. However, I think that this was a good thing because it really sent the message through to me, even more so than the readings we have been doing in this course, especially those from last week. I think it is great that you found this. Is this also implemented in the US or only in the UK? This might be something really good to place within the symposium!

I found this article/sound bite to be very interesting. Women in Baghdad are beginning to reclaim femininity (although a more western view of what femininity is) in fashion and appearance. Women describe their ability to wear western clothing as freedom; many say it is more about the freedom than the fashion itself. One has to wonder though, will the violence specifically against women be provoked by these women who are contradicting the male ideal of what a woman should wear and act like? I certainly hope not, but it does make me nervous. Woman have drastically come from abaya's and hijab's to low rise jeans and snug shirts. At times even, if a woman was seen without one of these (hijab or abaya), she may be kidnapped or even killed. However, we should hope that this freedom continues for these women, in more ways than one. Relates to past readings like Narayan and Sylverstein, or the film "Killers Paradise."

This site does a great job at educating in hopes to eliminate the existence and growth of sex trafficking around the world but specifically in the United States. The short clip emphasizes that this is a growing problem and that if it doesn't stop expanding that it will eventually hit home.

Powerful clip, a sure slap of reality. This does an amazing job of eliciting the desire to change society, in particular human trafficking but on a broader scale violence against women. I wish this clip could be more broad casted in every day life as it hits all the "high points" of the issue in a very effective way.

Sex trafficking is one of the other issues that should be spoken about more often, like the website informs "if it is not stopped you will be effected". I feel like this is effective because of the films that this organization has created. They have documented these stories so that people can get upset and do something about it. I agree with them because we don't get uncomfortable enough which leads us to look the other way and pay little attention to problems like sex trafficking.