Natalie Portman Challenges Notion of ‘Female Gaze’

Natalie Portman, a prominent advocate for gender equality and one of the founders of the Time’s Up movement, has sparked discussion with her recent comments about the “female gaze.” In an interview with Vanity Fair France, she expressed her belief that attributing a specific perspective to female directors is overly simplistic and reductive. Natalie Portman argued that suggesting female directors possess a distinct “gaze” overlooks the diversity of women’s individual viewpoints.

The concept of the “female gaze” emerged as a response to Laura Mulvey’s 1973 theory of the “male gaze” in media. Mulvey’s theory posited that traditional Hollywood films compelled viewers, regardless of their gender, to identify with the male lead while objectifying female characters. The “female gaze,” in its essence, rejects this paradigm rather than prescribing a specific narrative or perspective.

Portman emphasized that her choice of projects is independent of the director’s gender, advocating for equal opportunities for female directors. She believes that the collaborative experience with a director is shaped by their individual qualities and not their gender.

Portman’s latest project, “May December,” directed by Todd Haynes, premiered at Cannes and portrays a story loosely inspired by Mary Kay Letourneau. Portman praised Haynes for his profound understanding of human behavior and his portrayal of complex, multidimensional female characters. The film will have a limited U.S. theater release on November 17, followed by its Netflix premiere on December 1. Portman’s comments underscore her commitment to championing gender equality in the film industry.

Re-reported from the article originally published in AVClub