The Female Gaze: Essential Movies Made By Women

by Alicia Malone, Jamie Broadnax (contributor), Monica Castillo (contributor)

With the success of Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman and the rise of the MeToo movement, women creators in film are more important than ever.

Movies with a female perspective: You may have heard the term “male gaze,” coined in the 1970s to talk about what happens to viewers when the majority of art and entertainment has been made by the one gender perspective. So, what about the opposite? Women have been making movies since the very beginning of cinema. What does the world look like through the “female gaze”?

Movies made by women: The Female Gaze comprises of a list detailing the essential movies from the past and present made by women. It delves into what the female perspective gives to each of the films.

A collection of fascinating biographies: Discover brilliantly talented and accomplished women filmmakers, both world renowned and obscure, who have shaped the film industry in ways rarely fully acknowledged. Learn about the hidden figures of filmmaking and about the acclaimed luminaries of the past and present.

Readers will learn:

The accomplishments of numerous women in film such as Dorothy Arzner, Ida Lupino, Kathryn Bigelow, Lady Bird’s Greta Gerwig and more
The lives of these women and the struggles they faced carving a place for themselves in the film industry
How these women’s unique voices shaped the films they made and influenced all the film world
An essential movie list by women: The Female Gaze contains multiple mini-essays written by a variety of diverse female film critics, about a woman or a movie made by women that they love.

A guidebook for movie lovers who want to support women in film!

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Feminism, Media Tie In, Womens, History, Essays

236 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2018

About the author

Alicia Malone is a film reporter, host, writer and self-confessed movie geek. She first gained notice hosting movie-centric shows and reviewing films in her native Australia, before making the leap to Los Angeles in 2011.

Since then, Alicia has appeared on CNN, the Today show, MSNBC, NPR and many more as a film expert. Currently, she is a host on FilmStruck, a cinephile subscription streaming service run by the Criterion Collection and Turner Classic Movies, and she is the creator and host of the weekly show, Indie Movie Guide on Fandango.

Alicia is passionate about classic films, independent movies and supporting women in film. In 2015, Alicia gave a TEDx talk about the lack of women working in film and why this is important to change. In 2017, she was invited to give a second TEDx talk, where she spoke about the hidden stories of the earliest women working in Hollywood. Alicia has also spoken at conferences around America, and because of this, was named of one the 100 Worthy Women of 2016.

Alicia has traveled the world to cover the BAFTAs, the Oscars, the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival and SXSW. She is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, and over the years has interviewed hundreds of movie stars and filmmakers.

She also wrote this bio, but knew it would sound way less egotistical if written in third person.

Reviews

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to read, less a collection of feminist, academic film analyses than an encyclopedic, chose-your-adventure survey of female directors and their varied contributors to the history of film! While it included entries on several 0f my all-time favorites from 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 to 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨 and 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥, I was shocked by how few of these women-directed films I had seen or even heard of. Take the 7-minute black and white French film from 1906, Alice Guy's satirical 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮, which imagines an inverted world in which women prowl the streets sexually harassing men (relegated to their "natural roles" as housemaids and caretakers for children). Or 1953 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩-𝘏𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘳, a sparse, suspenseful noir film directed by Hitchcock's female contemporary, Ida Lupino. Or the fictional documentary-style film from 1996 about a young director's archival search for the history of a black queer old Hollywood actress, Cheryl Dunye's 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 which ends with the epigraph: "Sometimes you have to create your own history." I can't wait to watch these and many others featured in this collection, and am now challenging myself to watch at least one a month from the list during 2019.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I wanted to love this so much but it never really seemed to come together as a cohesive collection. Of course it's wonderful to have any book celebrating the work of female directors from throughout Hollywood's history and it's great that it encourages people to seek these films out, including both lesser known titles and those with bigger pop-culture presences. One of several issues, however, arises with the actual content of each entry, and the fact that they in large part seem to consist of plot summaries. I understand including a bit of a summary to entice a reader to watch the film, and whatever's needed for a deeper analysis of the filmmaking and its inherently feminine gaze, but that deeper analysis never comes and so these long summaries end up reading like filler. Of course not every book about film needs to include critical analysis, even ones with titles that seem like a clear direction to investigate. If this book wasn't going to provide in depth analyses, though, I wish that it had embraced that rather than throwing in trite, shallow, lip-service about what several of the directors' Female Gazes added to their work. I also enjoy that Malone included the perspectives of other women from throughout the film industry, writing shorter pieces for some of the films. However many of these entries fall into the same traps of summarizing and trivializing that Malone's own longer discussions also suffer from. There's also such a lack of consistency in tone and content from entry to entry that the entire book just seems messy. All in all it's a shame that this book never really seems to know what it's trying to be, especially coming from Alicia Malone who is such a wonderful and positive figure in film criticism and commentary.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es una guía perfecta para las personas a las que nos gusta el cine pero que no tenemos conocimiento formal. Alicia Malone nos enseña 52 películas dirigidas por mujeres, los contratiempos, la visión y el sentir de cada una! Muy aleccionador! Además que engrosa la lista de películas por ver :)

Me gustó mucho que tuvo la delicadeza de que todas nos viéramos representadas!

100% recomendado.

[jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting and quick read (not sarcasm), some of the writing and analysis could have been a little more in depth. i did enjoy it a lot overall and loved seeing some less known movies mentioned here! shout out to the lure.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shines a much needed spotlight on female filmmakers and their movies. This is an indispensable resource for film historians and feminists alike.

Full review here:
https://www.outofthepastblog.com/2018...

[Cielo · Rating 5 out of 5]

women !!!

[Emily Carruthers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun and easy read.

[naisokram · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good starting point if you are new to movies made by women, but far from revolutionary. The author sets out to champion female filmmakers, but you get mostly festival-approved movies. The analysis is pretty surface-level, favoring consensus picks over riskier choices that might truly redefine the female gaze in cinema. It’s a missed opportunity to challenge audiences rather than reassure them.

I was especially disappointed to read about many of the women directors featured in this book saying that they are not feminists. While I kind of understand this notion (and will try to explore more), I don’t understand the insistence of mentioning this fact about those women. It felt as if Malone wanted to combine "made by women" with "feminist" or "female-centric," ignoring that many female directors explore themes beyond gender or even challenge feminist orthodoxy.

[s w · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating exploration of 52 films directed by women! I enjoyed Alicia Malone’s introduction/frame up to the book and how often other critical voices were brought into the collection. I look forward to seeing a lot of these films!

[Gena Radcliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, concise list of movies directed by women. I'm a little embarrassed about how many of them I haven't seen (yet).

[Χαρά Ζ. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αυτό το βιβλίο, είναι θησαυρός. Αχ.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love books about movies hehhehehe

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I love Alicia's books because her voice comes across so strong. This was a fun read, I added a lot of movies to my list to watch. I appreciated how she tried to be intersectional with her choices and highlighted foreign directors as well. I love movies.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Female Gaze" is a good primer for someone who wants to expand their knowlege of film, specifically different films directed by women. Some of the films Malone cites were unknown to me, and I am interested in tracking them down. Some of the others I am very familiar with, and I found some of the writing thin and superficial. Still, I think this book does a great service by calling attention to films that may otherwise go unseen by filmgoers.

One of the strongest entries was "Lady Bird," Greta Gerwig's very good film from a few years ago about a young girl who feels trapped by her circumstances and her relationship with her tough, by loving mother. But as Gerwig says the message of the movie is to "Hug your mother," the movie shows all the nuances of a mother, wonderfully realized by Laurie Metcalf, who feels trapped by that role that she values but feels under appreciated. Many of the movies Malone discusses concerns young women battling the roles they often feel forced by the circumstances by the patriarchal societies in which they live.

I do wish that Malone had covered Barbra Streisand's "Yentl," the first movie produced, starring, written and directed by a woman. But overall, the movies Malone picks are diverse and multifaceted to the book's credit.

[Adam Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An invaluable resource to expanding your film palette and appreciating films outside of the white hetero-male norm: Alicia Malone has compiled a diverse list of women-made films and fresh perspectives from other female critics and film experts. Combined with her first book, Backwards and In Heels, Malone has provided an excellent, accessible primer on discovering women in film, who are usually forgotten or kept in the background. Furthermore, there's a trend throughout many of the essays on the special quality of how films resonate, which sometimes feels forgotten or like a cause for apology in other film discourse. Here, that aspect is celebrated with the technical, especially since these stories are usually left at the margin with their creators.

Though I appreciated and enjoyed many of the guest essays, their analysis and background information are limited compared to Malone's entries due to a shorter word count. While a few were standout essays in the book, more of them feel like quick reviews rather than insight on the films' unique perspectives and why they matter.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the welcome answer to the question: Where are the female film directors? As it turns out, they’re all around us and span the globe. The essayists give their favorite picks of chick pics, i.e., films directed (and sometimes written and produced) by women.

The films span the gamut in their subject matters and range from the well-known to the obscure. The women are articulate in stating just what it is they like about these female-driven cinematic entries. I found myself transfixed by their descriptions and taking notes of the films I haven’t seen and will try to catch in the future.

However, I believe the book could benefit greatly from an index, if only to look up all the names and titles not listed under the chapter headings.

This book serves as inspiration and inside peek at must-see films helmed by the so-called weaker sex. These ladies have something to say and show and we are privileged to be made witness to it all.

[Лайма · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into this book I feared it would feel disjointed and superficial, given how many movies are discussed in it, but thankfully my apprehension was unfounded. Yes, each of the essays is far from an exhaustive exploration of the movie's themes, but I felt like their length and the way the content of the films was dissected was perfect and managed to pique my interest in regards to those of them that I haven't seen without spoiling too much. The main strength of the book is how geographically diverse it is. Up until now I don't think I've seen a single Kiwi or Polish film directed by a woman, but it'll definitely change pretty soon.

In my opinion, this book is an ideal place to start if you want to get acquainted with the history of women in film and cover the basis of what is shaping up to be an incredibly rich fund of female-led cinema.

[Mateo Dk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this! I added a lot of movies to my watchlist and it felt so nice to read about movies in this medium-- I usually just read the occasional article. My bf is also really into film, so I gave him the book and we're gonna watch some together. I wish that the ending portion for each movie had a bit on the cinematography in the film with regards to the actors bodies, since that's a large way the male gaze presents itself. The prologue also sort of misrepresented the original thesis of the male gaze, but the concept described is one that came from the original theory and is how the term is used today, so that's a little nitpicky of me. I also also wish the bonus short essays from guest writers were more consistent throughout, I adored those.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is little doubt that women have a much harder time in life making their way in most occupations and this book is about one of those occupations: making films. The book goes into a discussion of a bunch of different women that went on to become directors, the things they had to go through to get there, the kinds of films they made and the reactions to those films.

There's a synopsis of the film production tales and the backstory of the film. The book includes a bibliography. The films covered come from a variety of countries.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from Alicia Malone. This was similar in structure to her first, Backwards and in Heels, in that it is a collection focused on a unified topic that gives surface level information and encourages the reader to seek further. I’m embarrassed to admit not only how few of these films I’ve seen but how many I hadn’t even heard of. This is a testament to Malone’s commitment to diversity and expanding beyond American films and directors. Can’t wait to add so many of these to my watch list.

[Karīna Mieme · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a deep dive into movies made by women throughout many parts of history. Those movies are now considered and looked upon as a historic archive because they encapsulate how women felt and were treated at different periods in time. The result of that reflects in their work.
Book's goal was clearly to shine a light on films made by women throughout history. Moreover, the book gave an insightful explanation of how each film was made, its implicit meaning, and its cultural significance. Each movie shone a light on different narratives about how women are viewed and treated in society.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really empowering to read as a woman (though it also gets you frustrated thinking about all the talented women that had to struggle unnecessarily much in the film industry and who didn't get nearly enough acknowledgement). It introduced me to so many films and directors I wouldn't know of otherwise. It is well written and intriguing, so I went through it fast, plus I now have about 30 new movies on my to-watch list.

[Carlina Scalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a GREAT resource for any shelf. Malone's shrewd film choices and accompanying insightful essays exposed me to directors, movies, and areas of cinema I had not explored before. I especially liked the inclusion of several non-American films -- learning about female directors in all areas of cinema, not just America's Hollywood, made for a list that was well-rounded and surprising at every turn. I can't wait to dig in and actually watch a lot of the recommendations this summer!

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about the history of female directors and seeing the variety of films in this, especially in regard to nationality.
I still find it shocking and frustrating the lack of female directors that are given financing and the lack of reward recognition, and this just further highlighted the injustice of that.
I started to lose interest as I went along, it started to feel too much like a list.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know a film list book is good when it has both films I already love and enjoy (Whale Rider, Fish Tank, Bright Star, Lady Bird) and a vast variety of unseen films to dive into. I have that list at the ready and am looking forward to checking them out. Awesome to see so many female centric films collected together here from all time periods, genres and from all around the globe. A fantastic read.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gave me a whole list of movies to watch. I really enjoyed how diverse the movies picked for this were (in the sense that this included movies made in a variety countries and by people from a variety of cultures, movies about and including various minorities, movies from a variety of times, and movies from a variety of genres). I also liked how each chapter went beyond the surface level about the movie while keeping the book fast-paced overall.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

At this point in time I’ve only watched 13 out of 30 official selections detailed in this book. 13/30...for now :)

Three stars only because it reads more like a carefully curated selection of micro essays and less like a book book. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed each little section on the films covered.

Looking forward to Alicia’s next book whatever that may be!

[Peter]

Both Alicia Malone and the book’s other contributors provide fascinating and insightful commentary and context around films made by women. Each of the films highlighted are covered comprehensively, and my eyes were opened both to experiences I couldn’t speak to and a number of films haven’t yet seen (but I hope to soon).

[Brett Plaxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Alicia Malone’s first book Backwards & In Heels, so I was happy to see her write this next book looking at the female gaze in film. The book looks at movies made by women throughout the history of film.

This movie also gave me a list of movies that I’m eager to check out, so thank you for that Alicia!

[Yaddyra Peralta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and descriptive entires on female directs in world cinema with a focus on how the female gaze makes the film's choices in terms of style, content, and subject matter distinctive. A must read for beginner to intermediate film buffs.