Trajektorie podnoszenia świadomości w amerykańskich dokumentach drugiej fali feminizmu

Dzięki obserwacji współczesnego ruchu feministycznego można dostrzec zaskakujące nieraz połączenia z dokonaniami poprzednich pokoleń działaczek kobiecych, ujawniające się w reinterpretowanych wciąż od nowa strategiach działania, jak sięganie do osobistego doświadczenia. Podnoszenie świadomości, ukształtowane w czasie drugiej fali zachodniego feminizmu, wpłynęło na realizacje artystyczne, w tym na feministyczny film dokumentalny lat 70. Celem artykułu jest scharakteryzowanie różnych sposobów realizowania strategii podnoszenia świadomości w Janie’s Janie Geri Ashur (we współpracy z Peterem Bartonem, Marilyn Mulford i Stephanie Palewski, 1970), The Woman’s Film San Francisco Newsreel (1971) i Rape JoAnn Elam (1975). Przybliżywszy samą kwestię podnoszenia świadomości, autorka demonstruje, jak struktura grup podejmujących tę aktywność przekłada się na analizowane prace dzięki m.in. „opowieściom pestkom”, niehierarchicznym relacjom między filmowczyniami a bohaterkami czy chwytom naruszającym strukturę rzeczywistości.

Chapter 15

In 1938 and 1939, Cary Grant enjoyed a close, romantic relationship with the actress Phyllis Brooks. They travelled together through Europe in the summer of 1939 and they very nearly married on their return to the USA. Brooks’ mother, however, disliked Grant, and this proved fatal to their relationship. Professionally, Grant continued to branch out as an actor, making the tough aviation drama Only Angels Have Wings (1939). Howard Hawks directed Grant alongside co-stars Jean Arthur and Rita Hayworth, both of whom found the director difficult to work with. Grant branched out further by making the melodramatic “woman’s film” In Name Only (1939) with co-star Carole Lombard. These films were well received by critics and the public, but his next film, His Girl Friday (1940), was a much more significant hit. In this quintessential screwball comedy, director Howard Hawks encouraged Grant and co-star Rosalind Russell to adlib lines, speaking over one another to build a frenzied comic atmosphere. Although critical reviews were mixed in 1940, the film’s reputation has grown over the years, and His Girl Friday now stands among his very best films.

The Mad Housewives of the Neo-Woman’s Film

In this chapter Molly Haskell revisits her landmark book, From Reverence to Rape, which argued that the star system of the classical studio period offered leading actresses power, autonomy and even a subversive feminism that was, ironically, undermined by the freedoms offered by the New Hollywood. In retrospect, however, and with a close consideration of specific films and their interesting, idiosyncratic portrayals, Haskell here considers whether in fact these wayward and searching women, characters unglued and actresses without conventional star personae, can be seen as part of the general sense of rebellion against old norms and social strictures.