Halting the Male Gaze: Revenge cineTREK

Revenge, a gory action film directed by Coralie Fargeat, follows a female protagonist named Jen as she attempts to kill the men who left her to die. A few minutes into the opening of the film, our protagonist is brutally raped as another man stands by and does nothing to intervene. While this film explores many themes, there are two in particular at the heart of the film. The film attempts to destroy the idea of a male gaze by making the protagonist go against the typical image of women in cinema by using gore and violence; and women should fight back against their oppressors and abusers, no matter how difficult.

In the beginning of the film, we are shown Jen as an overly sexual symbol, typical of films that have objectified women for a man's viewing pleasure. At first, this may seem contradictory to a goal of upending the male gaze, but Fargeat carefully chooses every scene with precision, so that she may later shatter this introductory image. The male gaze is an idea that means women are to be seen primarily as objects in films. The women in films do not have any agency or power for themselves. They do not normally drive the plot. Laura Mulvey, a film theorist and filmmaker, first originated this idea of the male gaze. Here, she explains her theory in great detail.

There are repeated instances where Jen is shown in her underwear and having her body exposed. She is heavily objectified by the men in the film, and this is taken to the extreme when she is raped. After being raped, she flees not knowing what else to do. Her boyfriend pushes her off a cliff to fall to her death. The men think she is insignificant and can be killed without a second thought. Following this point in the film, Fargeat now forgoes the male gaze in a direction radically different. Our protagonist is no longer an object for desire. Jen seems to do the impossible as she survives from impaling through her abdomen.

Blood—lots of blood—covers Jen's body. She is grossly drenched as she attempts to bandage her wound, and there are images of intestines running through her fingers. Fargeat has moved away from the sensual shots of Jen's body; instead, she is now focusing on the female characters power and determination. This change in direction is only the beginning of subverting the male gaze.

The copious amounts of gore throughout the film may seem excessive for some, but just like everything else in the film, it is carefully used to illustrate a purpose. Each and every instance of gore and blood throughout the film represents an immense struggle for women in society. They are continually objectified through various mediums, and they constantly have to fight against it. This film suggests that, while it may seem impossible, fighting against it can and should be done. Jen has gory wound after gory wound; yet, she prevails through it all. The body horror aspect is an approach that allows this specific theme to be explored with moving power. At the end of the film, we are left with the female lead defeating the male. She is bloody, tired, and scared—And she fought through it all. 

Revenge is a timely film in a year riddled with sexual abuse accounts from women all around the world. Jen fought back against her abusers. It is time for women in society to fight back against theirs.