Alfred Hitchcock's gender representation of females is unique and instantly recognisable. Hitchcock's choice of making his protagonist female emphasises his fascination with women and how powerful they appear to him. The opening scene of 'Psycho' demonstrates a stereotypical representation of the female protagonist, Marion, laying on a bed in a submissive position with Sam looming above her as a dominant male. Power is soon switched between the pair however in a exchange of dialogue which is understood by the audience to be Marion remaining strong in her views and opinions and not letting anyone change them.
Hitchcock's leading ladies all have a similar 'blonde and beautiful' trait. This is played on in 'Psycho' by Hitchcock through the wardrobe choices of the protagonist. Before stealing the money, Marion is shown wearing white and a white bra, however after she has stolen the money, her dress changes to black and so does her bra. This is a representation of how females begin to break stereotypes and challenge expectations as all Hitchcock's female characters do. They reject the submissive expectations of females and create powerful, dominating characters to fulfil the roles given to them by Hitchock.
No comments:
Post a Comment