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_theconstantreader's review against another edition
2.0
This book was hard to read as a feminist in 2018. It is incredibly dated, and she relies heavily on Freud to analyze both fictional characters and people. But I appreciate some of Haskell’s ideas and her expansive knowledge of film, and I can appreciate that this book was probably revolutionary in its place in history.
erin_oriordan_is_reading_again's review against another edition
Textbook for my college Film Studies course.
grayola's review against another edition
3.0
"It is one of properties of perspective that from a distance of time or space everyone, like the Chinese, looks alike." (p. 49)
Yikes. This a flawed feminist text. Haskell spends much of her time in the first chunk of the book separating herself from "feminism" by asserting her identity as a film critic before her identity as a feminist—perhaps catering to skeptical readers? Ironically, the rest of book more or less upends this idea as she goes on to mention feminism in name thoroughly throughout the book and of course use its principles to analyze the mythologies of American masculinity and {white} women's role in film up into the 70s. Her analysis of American masculinity and European filmmaking towards the latter half of the book are in my opinion, her biggest contributions from this book. I kept imagining what the cultural landscape and film-loving community would have felt like at this moment in time. The name, after all, is in total panic over where movies are headed at this point in history.
Yikes. This a flawed feminist text. Haskell spends much of her time in the first chunk of the book separating herself from "feminism" by asserting her identity as a film critic before her identity as a feminist—perhaps catering to skeptical readers? Ironically, the rest of book more or less upends this idea as she goes on to mention feminism in name thoroughly throughout the book and of course use its principles to analyze the mythologies of American masculinity and {white} women's role in film up into the 70s. Her analysis of American masculinity and European filmmaking towards the latter half of the book are in my opinion, her biggest contributions from this book. I kept imagining what the cultural landscape and film-loving community would have felt like at this moment in time. The name, after all, is in total panic over where movies are headed at this point in history.
iammair's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely interesting insight on the woman's role in cinema during the Golden Age of Hollywood, quickly exploring the misogynistic themes of the 70's, I think this is a must read.
Some parts were hard for me to follow because I didn't know a portion of what she was referencing (I'm new and self taught when it comes to film studies), she gives enough info so that the reader isn't completely misplaced.
Though the book is certainly dated in a couple points, I still enjoyed it and admire Haskell for her work. Will probably revisit this once I'm more familiar with the works mentioned.
Some parts were hard for me to follow because I didn't know a portion of what she was referencing (I'm new and self taught when it comes to film studies), she gives enough info so that the reader isn't completely misplaced.
Though the book is certainly dated in a couple points, I still enjoyed it and admire Haskell for her work. Will probably revisit this once I'm more familiar with the works mentioned.
bookcrazylady45's review against another edition
3.0
Madonna/whore. Read this back in 1989, can't remember it and do not have a copy so it might have been a library book
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