Cynthia Freeland talk to her Cynthia Freeland Cynthia

Cynthia Freeland ‘talk to her’

Cynthia Freeland • Cynthia Freeland is a professor of philosophy at the university of Houston Texas. She has published widely on topics in the philosophy of art and film. • She is a well known feminist and expresses her views in her work. • Published books called ‘the naked and the undead’ ‘But is it Art? ’ and ‘Art theory’. • Born in Michigan.

What I took from reading the second half. • From reading the article I can tell the Freeland is very interested and involved at looking at the two genders in the film, male and female. She looks at the way they are portrayed and how it is done. • I thought because she is a feminist the article would be concentrated more on the females in the film however she talks about each gender and how they are represented in the film. • she clearly has a good understanding of the film, you can tell she has watched the film many times and can view it in different perspectives.

Ideas from the article. • She claims that the film is a ‘male-orientated film, focusing on men’s problems in understanding, loving and being involved with women’ this can be seen in the film as the main characters are both male and have more dialogue than the women as of course the two main women in the film are unable to talk, so it is male orientated in the majority of the film. we learn lots about how the way men deal with a developing relationship in their own perspective and how they view it as a male. • She says the film ‘depicts an unusual, tender, and complex developing friendship between the two men who are otherwise loners with problems sustaining emotional connections to others’ it is clear the film is about an usual relationship between men and women. Benigno is the best example of a person with ‘problems sustaining emotional connections to others’ he has a deluded view on relationships with females, has no idea what is right and wrong in a relationship.

Ideas from the article. • • Freeland says the scenes of the sleeping women are scenes ‘regarding their bodies as pleasurable objects of visual interest’ and that it is ‘displayed for the viewers enjoyment’ I believe It is just how Benigno views the bodies and Almodavar wants the audience to see it from his perspective. She says the camera ‘caresses her supple limps, smooth flesh, soft thighs, shinning hair, lovely cheeks, plumps lips and delectable breasts’ in my opinion this is just how Benigno touches Alicia. She talks about how the women in the film are always portrayed as displayed beautifully throughout the movie. She says Lydia has a ‘narrow profile, large nose, strong brows, and dark staring eyes of an ancient Iberian queen- like the sculptures that inspired Picasso to create several of the women in his revolutionary painting les Demoiselles d’avignon.

Ideas from the article. • she hints at the fact that the film relates to a Greek tragedy she says ‘Marco and Benigno; one survives, the other does not. They both suffer tragic losses during the film, but only one seem guilty of the error or hamartia that leads to his downfall’ • She states that the movie is about ‘male friendship and also about men trying to know and understand women. It is about achieving authenticity in human relationships’ on the outlook the film is about that but it is portrayed in a graphic way, and not the right understanding of women.