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The Power of the Image: Essays on Representation and Sexuality by Annette Kuhn
Analyses a wide range of film and still photographs to explore culturally dominant images and how they work. Extensively illustrated, this challenging collection is essential reading for all students of film and womens studies.
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First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 29, 2023
+ offers some basics on how to understand sexuality in images and movies: who's looking and whom, who knows they're looked at, what 'representation' means
+ I'm not too familiar with film techniques so I learned new things from this book
+ the essays don't only concentrate on general narratives or discourses, but also on many different aspects of film industry: pornography, gender expression (or 'crossdressing' in the book; the book is old), gender identity, class, STDs, educational film. I felt I learned both about general ideas and discourses as well as about more specific film types etc
- the writing of some essays is a bit repetitive and complex: I felt some things could have been said easier and more compact. Honestly some essays get a bit boring and laborious, you have to search for the good parts
The book is from the 1980's and understandably not fully up to date, but it's still interesting. It's fun to read how these themes were explored back then. There are some good, basic feminist/critical takes on picture and film industry that are easy to grasp.
+ I'm not too familiar with film techniques so I learned new things from this book
+ the essays don't only concentrate on general narratives or discourses, but also on many different aspects of film industry: pornography, gender expression (or 'crossdressing' in the book; the book is old), gender identity, class, STDs, educational film. I felt I learned both about general ideas and discourses as well as about more specific film types etc
- the writing of some essays is a bit repetitive and complex: I felt some things could have been said easier and more compact. Honestly some essays get a bit boring and laborious, you have to search for the good parts
The book is from the 1980's and understandably not fully up to date, but it's still interesting. It's fun to read how these themes were explored back then. There are some good, basic feminist/critical takes on picture and film industry that are easy to grasp.
December 31, 2020
Essay is what the title says!!
Typically an essay begins by defining the topic/subject and then goes on to describe the course of its growth or evolution, then a constructive argument weighing the pros and cons and probably a, (self) opinionated conclusion.
Then book goes on like masculinity, femininity, men , woman, seeing/being seen, adds values/does not ,images, gender bias, old movies , blah, blah blah.....
Done and dusted!
Typically an essay begins by defining the topic/subject and then goes on to describe the course of its growth or evolution, then a constructive argument weighing the pros and cons and probably a, (self) opinionated conclusion.
Then book goes on like masculinity, femininity, men , woman, seeing/being seen, adds values/does not ,images, gender bias, old movies , blah, blah blah.....
Done and dusted!
October 26, 2024
3.5 - Yes, it’s dated a tad but it’s still relevant and was way ahead of its time when it was written. As an anthropologist, I enjoy reading essays in this style. It’s not for everyone (pretentious) but it is for me.
March 12, 2025
“photography’s more general project of privileging the visible, of equating visibility with truth” beautifully said annette
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews