Shot/countershot : film tradition and women's cinema

361 Pages·1989·38.019 MB·English

by  Fischer, Lucy

Shot/Countershot

Shot/C ountershot
Film Tradition
and Women's Cinema
Lucy Fischer
Princeton University Press
Princeton, New Jersey
Copyright © 1989 by Princeton University Press
Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street,
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
All Rights Reserved
Publication of this book has been aided by the Whitney
Darrow Fund of Princeton University Press
This book has been composed in Linotron Sabon type
Clothbound editions of Princeton University Press books
are printed on acid-free paper, and binding materials
are chosen for strength and durability. Paperbacks, although
satisfactory for personal collections, are not usually
suitable for library rebinding
Printed in the United States of America by Princeton
University Press, Princeton, New Jersey
Library of Congress Catalogmg-in-Publication Data
Fischer, Lucy.
Shot/countershot: film tradition and women's cinema / Lucy
Fischer.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-691-04756-1 (alk. paper)
ISBN 0-691-00605-9 (pbk. : alk. paper)
i. Feminist motion pictures. 2. Feminism and motion pictures.
3. Feminist criticism. 4. Film criticism. 5. Intertextuality. I.
Title. II. Title: Film tradition and women's cinema.
PN1995.9.W6F57 1989
791.43^9^9352.0—dci9 88-25581
For my aunt, Frances Levine

Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
1. Pre/Texts: An Introduction 3
Films discussed: Fatima and Take Off
2. Mythic Discourse 32
Films discussed: The Lady from Shanghai
and Riddles of the Sphinx
3. The Lives of Performers: The Actress as Signifier 63
Films discussed: Persona and The Girls
4. Kiss Me Deadly: Heterosexual Romance 89
Films discussed: Letter from an Unknown Woman;
Straight through the Heart; Recital
5. Shall We Dance? Woman and the Musical 132
Films discussed: Dames; Dance, Girl, Dance; Strange Ditties;
Primitive Movers; The Eighties
6. Sisters: The Divided Self 172
Films discussed: A Stolen Life; Dark Mirror; Cobra Woman;
The Bad Sister; Sisters, or The Balance of Happiness
7. Girl Groups: Female Friendship 216
Films discussed: Rich and Famous and Girlfriends
8. Women in Love: The Theme of Lesbianism 250
Films discussed: Sotto, Sotto and Lianna
9. Murder, She Wrote: Women Who Kill 269
Films discussed: Violette and A Question of Silence
10. The Dialogic Text: An Epilogue 301
Film discussed: The Man Who Envied Women
Appendix 330
List of Additional Films and Topics for Teaching
Index 335

Illustrations
Ø. Fatima [uncensored] (1897). The Museum of Modern Art/Film Stills
Archive. 28
2. Fatima [censored] (1897). The Museum of Modern Art/Film Stills
Archive. 29
3. Take Off (1973). Courtesy of Gunvor Nelson. 30
4. The Lady from Shanghai (1948). The Museum of Modern ArtIFilm
Stills Archive. 45
5. Riddles of the Sphinx (1977). The Museum of Modern Art/Film
Stills Archive. 59
6. Persona (1966). The Museum of Modern Art/Film Stills Archive. 72
7. The Girls (1969). National Film Archive, London. 85
8. Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948). The Museum of Modern
Art/Film Stills Archive. 99
9. Straight through the Heart (1983). Courtesy of New Ltne Cinema. 122
10. Dames (1934). The Museum of Modern ArtIFilm Stills Archive. 142
11. Dance, Girl, Dance (1940). The Museum of Modern Art/Film Stills
Archive. 150
12. Primitive Movers (1983). Courtesy of Kathy Rose. 158
13. The Golden Eighties (1983). The Museum of Modern ArtIFilm
Stills Archive. 167
14. A Stolen Life (1946). The Museum of Modern Art/Film Stills
Archive. 175
15. Cobra Woman (1944). The Museum of Modern Art/Film Stills
Archive. 182
16. The Dark Mirror (1946). The Museum of Modern Art/Film Stills
Archive. 183
17. Sisters, or The Balance of Happiness (1979). The Museum of
Modern ArtIFilm Stills Archive. 207
18. Rich and Famous (1981). The Museum of Modern Art/Film Stills
Archive. 230
19. Girlfriends (1978). The Museum of Modern ArtIFilm Stills Archive. 237
20. Sotto, Sotto (1984). Courtesy of RCAIColumbia Pictures Home
Video. 255
21. Lianna (1983). The Museum of Modern ArtIFilm Stills Archive. 264