Multiple Voices in Feminist Film Criticism

Rating:
Summary: Multiple Voices helpful to those "in the know"
Review: Multiple Voices is a great complilation of developmental feminist film theory. Interesting and diverse essays are included: Christine Gledhill (one of my personal favorites), B. Ruby Rich, bell hooks, Teresa de Lauretis, Linda Williams and more. The anthology is broken into three parts: "perspectives", which gives a brief histoical and general overview of American feminist film criticism; "practice", which is a series of essays that apply the theory to various films/film genres; and finally, "course files" which are course outline suggestions for teaching theory to students.

This is a great book for someone well-versed in feminist theory. However, there are a few drawbacks to it which makes it a little less accessible to a novice. Namely, Laura Mulvey's theory is talked about in many of the essays, but her historic essay, "Visual Pleasure and the Narrative Cinema," is not included. Also missing from this collection is a good representation of French feminist theory.

Rating:
Summary: Multiple Voices helpful to those "in the know"
Review: Multiple Voices is a great complilation of developmental feminist film theory. Interesting and diverse essays are included: Christine Gledhill (one of my personal favorites), B. Ruby Rich, bell hooks, Teresa de Lauretis, Linda Williams and more. The anthology is broken into three parts: "perspectives", which gives a brief histoical and general overview of American feminist film criticism; "practice", which is a series of essays that apply the theory to various films/film genres; and finally, "course files" which are course outline suggestions for teaching theory to students.

This is a great book for someone well-versed in feminist theory. However, there are a few drawbacks to it which makes it a little less accessible to a novice. Namely, Laura Mulvey's theory is talked about in many of the essays, but her historic essay, "Visual Pleasure and the Narrative Cinema," is not included. Also missing from this collection is a good representation of French feminist theory.