3TH070 Women, Theology and Film - Week 4 Lecture

INTERSECTION OF FEMINIST FILM THEORY & FEMINIST THEOLOGY

 

    
   

 

 

INTERSECTION OF FEMINIST FILM THEORY & FEMINIST THEOLOGY

This lecture will identify parallels in the feminist critiques of theology and film theory, with a view to asking whether women's increased 'ownership' of theology and film, through scholarship and professional craft, has been enough to begin a reconstruction of the theological and filmmaking processes, or whether to use the famous phrase of Audre Lord, 'the master's tools will not destroy the master's house' - rather, are both theology and the film industry inherently /patriarchally / hopelessly flawed? Although these two disciplines are very different, they have been affected by the feminist movement of the past forty years in many similar ways.

Gerda Lerner says that the origins of patriarchy are less significant than the questions about the historical process by which it became established and institutionalised. Her study of ancient Mesopotamian culture, in which over a period of 2500 years there were gradual and almost imperceptible changes in social kinship patterns and cosmological hierarchies, concludes that the two founding metaphors of Western civilisation are
1) the symbolic devaluing of women in relation to the divine and
2) that women are incomplete and damaged human beings of an entirely different order to men (Lerner, 1986).


In Western civilisation, she claims, the subordination of women comes to be seen as natural, and therefore becomes invisible.

 

    
   

There are several theories about the establishment of patriarchy as the norm, some dramatically involving rampant hordes of nomadic warriors sweeping across the plains to invade and subjugate Goddess-loving, peaceful agricultural societies of the world. Whatever the origins, Rosalind Miles states that the patriarchal systems of religion were at first quite attractive to women, and the irony is that women 'embraced and furthered the systems which would all too soon attack their autonomy, crush their individuality and undermine the very reason for their existence' (Miles, 1988, p 91).

The rise in the perception of and reaction against patriarchy and sexism within social institutions in the last four decades has been defined as feminist consciousness at work. Feminist consciousness - which can be experienced by both women and men - can be described as a blinding flash of light: 'it blinds in that it disorients and disturbs the viewers; it is light in the way it vividly illumines the whole landscape', as Catherine Lacugna says (1993, p 9).

The realisation, in feminist theological terms, is that men have formulated beliefs, written and transmitted sacred writings, and have been the sole interpreters, have created and controlled institutions, worship and rituals. This insight is followed rapidly by another, which is simply the principle of contemporary hermeneutics: that all interpretation is conditioned by the presuppositions and prejudgements of the interpreter.

The revelation for budding feminist thinkers is, 'It's not all carved in stone after all! They (the male-dominated powers that be) only say that it is!' This startling realisation spurred on the woman's movement through the 1960s and 70s.

 

    
   

Parallels

It is useful to summarise the parallel paths that film theory and theology have taken in their evolution as areas of feminist critique:

  • Feminist theology and feminist film theory primarily both arise out of the women's liberation movement
  • They stimulate an awareness of male authorship of narratives and control of structures, contributing to the debate over whether to remain within the 'mainstream'
  • They provoke a critical examination of the portrayal of women's roles within texts
  • They witness to a profusion of research and writings focussed on and aimed at women
  • They encourage the recovery of women's contributions to tradition and history
  • They offer opportunities for women to study and research, critique and interpret in a traditionally male-dominated discipline
  • They have increased women's influence in and setting of the mainstream agenda of film studies and theology
  • They have made it easier for the spread and application of feminist perspectives to other areas within and allied to theology (ethics) and film (fine art, media)
  • They have been affected by the organic pluralism of movements within feminism that move it away from homogeneity, recognising differences among women

Even with the changes to the theological and filmic landscapes through which these parallel paths have led, some would say that there has still not been enough evidence of transformation of patriarchal power into a gender-inclusive or even gender-neutral vision of the future. The creation of women-only communities, projects and initiatives seems to many nowadays to be as lop-sided and restricted in its potential as the old ways of doing things. Where feminism goes from here is not a question that can be addressed within these pages, but Charlene Spretnak urges women to avoid being overwhelmed by the work that is still ahead by understanding that '(the) feminist process…involves living the new possibilities now, as we struggle' (Spretnak, 1992, p 539).

    
   

Conclusion


We can find it useful to integrate the two disciplines of feminist film theory and feminist theology in our exploration of the themes in this module: when we analyse the ways in which women are subject to stereotyping in Western art (including film), we can trace influences and attitudes back to teachings of Christianity and Judaism on women.

Margaret Miles in Carnal Knowing examines the story of Adam and Eve and how the 'sin' of eating the forbidden fruit affected the artistic portrayal of nakedness down the ages. Readings and misreadings of sexuality and gender througout Western history are based upon what was communicated by the authority of the Christian tradition: as Miles says, 'gender difference was thought to be biologically based, scripturally attested, God ordained and unquestionable' ( preface).

So the images of women we see on the screen today are affected by and replete with religious and theological meanings of sexual identity and difference; some are more explicit than others. When we apply feminist film theory and feminist theology to these images, we can create a rich intertextual analysis. Such an intersection of images and meanings will provide ample material for a discussion of the filmic texts chosen for this module.

 

    
 

© Gaye Ortiz

 York St John