Movie Essays - Jane Campion's Film of Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady

Unconscious sexual drives are the most powerful behaviours of mankind. Libido, colloquially known as sex drive, drastically affects one’s thoughts and actions and leads to abnormal behavioural consequences. Guy de Maupassant’s “Was It a Dream?” is about a man who spends all his spare time mourning over his lover’s grave. The story reveals the adverse psychological relationship to sexuality, as the man’s actions are molded by his affection towards his lover. Hence, sexual drives lead to an unconscious mind and results in displacement of love as it is a powerful and pleasurable tool that all human beings desire.

Women’s roles in movies have changed dramatically throughout the years. As a result of the changing societal norms, women have experienced more transition in their roles than any other class. During the period of classical Hollywood cinema, both society and the film industry preached that women should be dependent on men and remain in home in order to guarantee stability in the community and the family. Women did not have predominated roles in movies such as being the heroin. The 1940’s film Gilda wasn’t an exception. In Gilda, the female character mainly had two different stereotypes. The female character was first stereotyped as a sex object and the second stereotyped as a scorned woman who has to be punished.

Angela Carter’s ‘The Bloody Chamber’ attempts to change this ideal by re-establishing the feminine narrative through her story. Although the view of female as a commodity is far older than psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic theory has consistently re-enforced the ideals of women as objects and of a lower status than men (Loftus). In ‘The Bloody Chamber’ Carter works to discredit the concept of the female as a commodity. When reflecting on the Marquis’ previous wives, the narrator of ‘The Bloody Chamber’ references the portrait model saying “her face was common property” (pg. 5). From the surface, this is an allusion to the fact that she allowed herself to be painted,

For example, the text says” I hold Isaac’s hand as we cross the street.” Just a small action like that proves that James doesn’t want Isaac to be in danger or, in hazards of going out, even though being there is dangerous already. Now, I think James has more care for his brother, seeing that he put himself and Isaac at risk. He probably knew that this would be dangerous from the start, but still did it because he wants to be cool. I think James is also regretting his decision of being attractive , and wishing that he just followed the rules and stayed home with

Carla experiences her first kiss with Daniel. Their relationship is sweet and very innocent in its development. Carla has many questions about sex. She refers to The New Joy of Sex book for some answers. Carla loses her virginity with Daniel.

There is an absence of men in the novel. James is one of the few men seen throughout the story and because of this, the story suggests that he holds a lot of power. He is a difficult character to understand because his true intentions and feelings are hidden beneath what is being portrayed on the outside. James begins as someone who is displayed as positive, respectful and loving of women, but as the story progresses, it is revealed that he views women more as a sexual object or a slave to men. He tricks the reader into believing that he values and considers women as equals to

In the beginning of the novel, I can’t help but be confused about Herculine’s sexual identity. She

Sex in literature is often included to represent something metaphysical. Sex often is included due to the author's freedom. The French Lieutenant's Woman is an example of using sex to demonstrate the characteristics of both characters and setting.

Other than sexuality the idea of personal growth is intertwined throughout these stories. Eva, in “The Found Boat” experiences this idea of growth when Clayton tells her to heat up the tar. “But Eva could see now, and she picked up the lid with the stove-lifter, and took the poker and poked up a flame. She stirred the tar as it softened. She felt privileged” (p357). Eva becomes a “women” at this time – she is allowed to use the stove alone, which to any girl (real and fiction) sees and understands that it is and always will be a sign of growth from a child to a young woman. When Sammy not only quits but also defends the girls to Lengel, “You didn’t have to embarrass them.” (p373), he grows as a man – he is able to understand the idea of lust, sex and the idea of following his heart.

James appears to be using limited cross-checking behaviours. Self-correction behaviour is nil, at least in this instance. Evidence shows he is using mostly meaning and visual cues and not drawing on structural cues. As a result of not utilising all the sources of information afforded by the text his understanding and comprehension of the text is quite limited and there is no evidence he has really connected with the text. In recent years there has been much research on reading

To do so, Levy turns to the experiences of several young women whom she interviews. From her interpretations of these experiences, Levy reaches the conclusion that these women’s sexual nature revolves around their need

Sexy represents a world where sex and love do not correlate. “He propped her feet on top of his shoulders and pressed her knees to her chest and said he couldn’t get enough of her” (Lahiri 85).The intimate setting suggest that sex may be the root of all evil. The whole story revolves around the idea of sex as a nature of need and not want. Dev throughout the entire story gives the reader a sense of discomfort because he needs Miranda but he doesn’t want her. He already has someone who he wants, his wife. Miranda wants to be loved so bad that the slightest attention from the opposite sex can alter someone’s actions. Miranda’s whole world revolves around the thought of her and Dev’s next sexcapade. Within days of being together Miranda is dependent on Dev and his culture becomes her culture.

Soon after her own arrival in Bath, Catherine is followed by her brother James and Isabella’s brother John Thorpe. At the initial meeting with the boys, Catherine is mistaken on two different points, still being ignorant in her perceptions of other people. Although slightly thrown off by John’s manners, Catherine is unable to formulate her own negative opinion of him, too affected by the opinions of Isabella and James, and “her judgment was further brought off by Isabella’s assuring her…that John thought her the most charming girl in the world” (Austen 48). For Catherine, it is easier and more natural to accept the opinions of someone like Isabella, a mentor figure. Also, in the same scene, Catherine makes the assumption that her brother James has journeyed “so far on purpose to see me” (49). Catherine hastily jumps to this false conclusion, not having the experience to detect James’ continuous questions and compliments of Isabella as a sign of his true motives for coming to town: to visit the “prettiest girl in Bath” (49).

Furthermore, sexual agency is portrayed very strongly in the film. Sexual agency is the concept used to express how women are now capable of demonstrating and expressing their own sexual desires just like men (Kimmel 421). Many scenes in the film display the concept of sexual agency, for example the way Clair’s mother and Gloria display their sexuality needs just like many other women in the film. Gloria, revealing herself desires to Jeremy in the restroom by seducing him order to attract him and meet her sexual desires. Also, how Clair’s mother who was married to her father displayed herself nude to John and tried to seduce him into sleeping with her exposes the sexual agency she felt for John despite of being married. She displayed her needs

Abraham de Vries’ Double Portrait depicts a man and a woman sitting at a table. The woman looks up from her reading while the man turns in his chair. Both of them look out of the frame into the viewer’s space. There is a calm, unified axis of the head and the body for both