The Presence of the Feminine in Film

This pioneering book introduces a largely unremarked dimension of film, the “feminine,” which cannot be reduced to women’s experience, or to men’s projections onto women. The Presence of the Feminine in Film gives body to that often rather loosely formulated Jungian conception, the “feminine aspect of psyche,” by noticing what “feminine” turns out to mean in particular cinematic contexts. Spanning seven decades—from Pride and Prejudice, Notorious, and Letter from an Unknown Woman to Monsoon Wedding, Brokeback Mountain, and The Lives of Others—the movies selected for particular study here make it clear that the feminine is at home in the movies, and that when she appears, it is to appeal to our sensibilities as well as to our senses. This is a book that will enhance the appreciation of film as a depth psychological medium.