Laura Mulvey 'The Male Gaze' Examples/Applied

James Bond

During the scenes shown from the video above we see what Bond sees, almost a Point of View shot but this can also be combined with closeups to long shots. In this case it's a long shot, even though the audiences sees her face, Therefore, she isn't fragmented the shot reverse shot implies that Bond is looking longingly at her. The way that the way the camera is positioned that the audience is well aware of what he's looking at. In the second clip, the woman has been fragmented as we do not see her face. "As Mulvey has stated about how in films female characters are purely present to keep the heterosexual male audience satisfied and give no real substance to the plot". As she lifts her leg and shot from behind this gives off sexual a connotation through the mise-en-scene by alluring to the idea that she is an object and has no real value. Throughout the whole clip the woman either starts or ends up wearing less as they're wearing a bikini. Again letting the audience see more of her as the camera is aimed more towards her more revealing areas it shows that this is only being done to please men to contribute to the entertainment. Also with combining the idea of voyeurism, this topic is an easy target. Mulvey's perspective would argue that "in film the women is the one looked at, not the one who looks. Thus, the female audience has only two options: either to assume a masculine viewing position or to understand the ideologies of a dominant male".  

Around the middle of the clip, the women takes off her top to change into a bikini. The next shot is an over-the-shoulder shot of the girl and the camera is aimed at the men. The men are shocked and trying to be serious at their job but just can't help themselves look and let their guard down.

Mulvey's perspective would argue that this has been done on purpose, almost to show what the men or homosexual women in the audience would also be doing. This aspect is completely derivative of the theory as the mise-en-scene is edited in a way to really show that the male gaze is being used.

With in the opening credits of the film, a belly dancer is seen as she has "starring Sean Connery" projected on her. This gives alluring connotations and sexualises whatever the audience is looking at. In this case, it's a name, but it's still sexualised for the sake of men watching.
Later on, a slow zoom shot shows Bond as he begins to look through a pair of binoculars. The shot after this is a POV of Bond looking through the binoculars at the sexualised female as she emerges from the water. So that the audience can admire her for longer this shot is slightly slowed down. This almost drifts into fantasy as real life doesn't slow down just to look at a girl. This objectifies her immediately as a character. For Mulvey this abides to the theory and as Mulvey disagrees with this.

Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire

Recommended time code 2:00 - 2:30.
As Dumbledore introduces the visiting schools the second the main doors begin to open the close up/mid shot of the Hogwarts students revert their attention to them. The following shot tilts up as the camera moves down from above their heads and tracks backwards as the girls walk forwards. Lighthearted and fairly happy non-diegetic music begins to play. The following shot is angled stationary behind the girls and then quickly cuts to a mid shot from the side. This shot would look similar to an onlooking student eager to see who has entered the hall. As the girls moan they gently move their arm out towards the Hogwarts students. After doing this action twice they begin to skip forward quickly. The shot of Ron shows how surprised he is. His voice carrying over into the next shot as a close up shot on the girls bums, fragmenting them and taking away all of their identity. Cutting back to the boys, this clearly shows what Harry and Ron are looking at with Hermione looking disgusted in the background.
Thus clip quite clearly implementing the male gaze.