Feminimn

MIDTERM GWSS 3307

Illiana M Cantu

1735529

Oct. 20th 2009

I will be comparing Ten and Rear Window. The agency of the women depicted in both films translates from the “typical” role of “women” into individuals acting independently to make their own decisions.

The film Ten is ten scenes. The film explores personal social problems in Iranian society, expressly the problems of women. The scenes show a conversation between a female driver (played by Mania Akbari) and different passengers as she drives around town running errands.

The passengers are her son, her sister, a female friend, a prostitute, and a woman on her way to prayer. The most powerful interactions are between Akbari’s son and herself. Akbari’s divorce from her husband is the main strife and topic of conversation between her and her son primarily. It is extremely reflective of the societal constraints that Iranian women face while developing into independent beings.

"Rear Window” is a story about a photographer Jeff that is recuperating from a broken leg and confined to a wheelchair in his small apartment. He passes the time by peeping in on his neighbors through his apartment's rear window. This includes Lars Thorwald with a sick wife that lives in the complex across the courtyard. Every day Jeff is visited by Stella his nurse and Lisa Fremont his wealthy girlfriend.

Jeff becomes a voyeur to escape his confinement to his wheelchair. In contrast to the film Ten. Rear Window was filmed in a soundstage made to look like New York’s Greenwich Village. Rear Window takes place during a New York heat wave.  This explains why everyone has their windows open, the heat intensifies a crisis for which it also serves as a catalyst to Jeff’s fear of commitment.  Jeff not only finds himself trapped by a broken leg, but his girlfriend Lisa wants to ‘trap’ him in another way by making him give up his job with 'Life' magazine and marry her. ...