Study on Gender Ideology Evolution in the "Star Wars" Film Series
Abstract
With the progression of time, female roles in science fiction movies have become increasingly significant, showcasing notable changes in both their quantity and character traits. Spanning 42 years, the "Star Wars" film series of 11 movies exhibits marked differences in female character portrayal. Over several years of development, female roles have gradually moved away from the singular identity of being "objects of gaze," no longer solely passive "desires of objects" or mere carriers for the flat representation of male characters in the audience's eyes and within the films. In the current narrative mechanism of Star Wars movies, the patriarchal center has been significantly challenged, and the "female discourse subject" with agency and independent will is gradually emerging. This study aims to explore the relevant connections between these female characters and the feminist trends of the time. By decoding the imagery of women in mainstream commercial films under the patriarchal framework, it analyzes the underlying gender ideologies and attempts to explore the future trajectory of constructing female discourse.
References
- Mohajan, H. (2022). An Overview on Feminism and Its Categories.
- Mohajan, H. (2022). Four Waves of Feminism: A Blessing for Global Humanity.
- Luan, L. (Doctoral dissertation, East China University of Political Science and Law). The "Equal Rights Amendment" in the History of American Constitutional Amendments and Its Failure.
- Li, J. (2006). Female Image and Post-Feminism in Almodovar's Films. Film Literature (14), 4.
- Wang, X. (2009). Language Coding of Gender Mechanisms in Films. Journal of Beijing Film Academy (2), 3.
- Yao, X., & Xiang, T. (2021). Feminism, Women's Rights, and "Pastoral Feminism" - A Hundred Years' Evolution and Derivation of the Chinese Translation of "Feminism". Chongqing Social Sciences.
- Laura Mulvey, Anna Beckman Rogers, Anne Van den Oever, & Wang, K. (2022). 40 Years of "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema": A Discussion on Feminist Film Studies. Journal of Beijing Film Academy (3), 8.
- Chen, Y. (2017). The New Form of De-gendering in "Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens". Journal of Kaifeng Education Institute, 37(5).