To what extent does a
woman relate to the female on screen when she sits in front of it? Who
establishes her image in the public eye and what misogynistic roles suppress
her individuality both on and off screen? Many feminist cinema theorists have
written extensively about the evolution of the female spectator throughout the
years, including Diana Anselmo, Laura Mulvey, and bell hooks. However, a
recurring issue in this lengthy discussion is the junction of multiple
identities. This investigation is made more complex by intersectional feminism,
which acknowledges that racial, class, and gender intersections all influence
how women watch. This study uses intersectionality theory to conduct a critical
analysis of movies such as La Souriante Mme Beudet (1923), Stella
Dallas (1937), Imitation of Life (1959), La Noire de... (1966), and Thelma
and Louise (1991) through the lenses of psychoanalysis, feminist theory,
post-colonialist theory, and critical race theory. This theoretical framework
challenges and examines the ways in which films uphold or question societal
injustices in addition to illuminating the ways in which women from diverse
backgrounds interact with the medium.
