Review by Choice Review
MacKinnon, a teacher of British classics and film, probes a representative gray area of feminist film study. Sensibly nonpolemic, he proves the complexity of the film reading process "especially when informed by feminist theory," and with becoming tentativeness he refuses any firm conclusion. First come efficient surveys of the feminist use of psychoanalytic theory, the dilemmas over pornography, and the ambivalence of the horror genre. Then MacKinnon gives a thorough summary and analysis of feminist cases against three major De Palma films, followed by alternative interpretations. Carrie (1976) is proposed to satirize Fundamentalism. Dressed to Kill (1980) explores the patriarchy's objectification of women. Body Double (1984) focuses on the media construction of sexuality. The author also provides a sensible study of De Palma's use of Hitchcock and insightful analyses of several films, most notably John Huston's Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967). On a subject of much heat, MacKinnon sheds a responsible and welcome light. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates. -M. Yacowar, Emily Carr College of Art and Design
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
