Acoustic Mirror: The Female Voice in Psychoanalysis and Cinema (Theories of Representation and Difference)

Rating:
Summary: Feminist Film Theory
Review: Silverman's observations regarding classical Hollywood cinema constantly drive the reader beyond the complacency of a male-centered interpretation of film. Make no mistake about it, her prose is thick, but the rewards of contemplating her thoughts are there for the picking. She extends the thought of Laura Mulvey, and does so by also using the psychoanalytic method. If the reader has questions about the validity of this particular method, then he/she may question some of the ideas that are put forth. However, Mulvey's acknowledges that the psychoanalytic method itself has traditionaly bowed to the father-figure. Her intention is to raise the reader's awareness of this tendency before she begins to explore the ramifications of patriarchal society on the filmic medium. Incredibly interesting are remarks on the "disembodied voice" and its relationship to female characters that can be found in Hollywood cinema. This is the essence of what makes film an "acoustic mirror."