Women in the Director’s Chair

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker, Chloé Zhao for Nomadland, and Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog are the only women to win the most prestigious director’s award in Hollywood, the Best Director Oscar (Davis, 2023). The first woman nominated for Best Director was Lina Wertmüller in 1976 and since then only Sofia Coppola, Greta Gerwig, and Emerald Fennell have been nominated, other than the previously mentioned three winners (Davis, 2023). Every year the Oscars Awards Show celebrates the best achievements in film from the previous year, and this lack of women directors as nominees displays a clear systematic problem in present-day Hollywood. This problem is bigger than a golden man statue, which is acknowledged through the statistics and theories of inequality that women directors face and how this inequality is unjust. Through the use of harmful standpoints and the negative effects of the male gaze, women face the perpetuation of misrepresentation in the media one consumes which can be traced to the inequality and lack of gender parity of women in the director’s chair in Hollywood.

Women directors are underrepresented in jobs in Hollywood, which results in the underrepresentation of women on the screen. This paper focuses on the role of the director because of its societal recognition, even though one cannot deny the collaborative process that a singular film demands, the position of the director holds a major place in popular culture’s view on the behind-the-scenes making of a film. According to Macgowan (1951), “The moviegoers and the men who write about films have always identified a motion picture by the name of its director, never of its writer” (p. 307).

Data displays the lack of women’s voices in the directors' chair. Out of 1,335 directors in 1,200 selected films in a study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, only 4% were women directors (Smith et al., 2019). The same study revealed that only 5 women directors from their sample were Black or African American and only 3 women directors were Asian or Asian American, which displays the intersectionality impacts on underrepresented groups in Hollywood (Smith et al., 2019). Also, only 4.3% of women directors directed the top-grossing films and there were only 46 individual female directors across 1,200 films from 2007 to 2018 present in this study (Smith et al., 2019). This study also finds that women are more pigeonholed into directing specific types of films such as comedies rather than action, science fiction, and thriller movies (Smith et al., 2019). 

A different and more popular study displays the same disparity of women directors in its findings. The Celluloid Ceiling has “tracked women’s employment on the 250 top grossing films for the last 25 years” (Lauzen, 2023, p. 1), displaying the inequality in the director's chair and other jobs on a film set. This study's findings declared that only 18% of directors who worked on the top 250 films in 2022 were women (Lauzen, 2023). These findings only got worse, declaring that when looking at the top 100 films of 2022, only 11% were women directors (Lauzen, 2023). The data from this research also displayed the lack of women’s roles in other jobs on set and how that correlates to the employment of a woman director. 

In 2022, the majority of the top 250 films (67%) employed 0 to 4 women in the roles considered, 24% of films employed 5 to 9 women, and 9% employed 10 or more women.  In contrast, 5% of films employed 0 to 4 men in the roles considered, 18 employed 5 to 9 men, and the remaining majority (77%) employed 10 or more men. (Lauzen, 2023, p. 3)

This disparity in opportunity only becomes more apparent when looking at the statistics which conclude that when there is a woman director, women have more opportunity for behind-the-scenes jobs. 

Films with at least one woman director, women comprised 53% of writers, 39% of editors, 19% of cinematographers, and 18% of composers. On films with male directors, women accounted for 12% of writers, 19% of editors, 4% of cinematographers, and 6%  of composers (top 250 films). (Lauzen, 2023, p. 4)

These findings clearly display the lack of women directors in Hollywood as well as show the positive correlation between the employment of women directors and the employment of women in other on-set roles.

While previously stated data has displayed the reality differences between, the opportunities of female versus male directors, what makes this difference so impactful and why do women directors and their perspectives matter? Applying standpoint theory to the directorship of film helps explain why the difference in employment of male versus female directors matters. “Standpoint theory asserts that a person’s standpoint or perspective of the world affects the way we as individuals are able to craft, understand, and communicate messages” (Harding & Wood, 2012, as cited in Riebe, 2020, p. 2). When applying this theory to the role of a director and their film, one can come to understand that there is an inherent bias and perspective that develops from one’s own experiences, and through this development of this perspective, they inevitably influence the films they create (Riebe, 2020). 

One aspect of the repercussions of the standpoint theory that is heavily debated within feminist film criticisms is the debate on both the male and female gaze. While there is no specific agreed-upon definition of these concepts, the male gaze was originally conceptualized by Laura Mulvey in the famous feminist film theorist work Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Mulvey (1975) wrote, 

In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure, which is styled accordingly…women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness. (pp. 808-809)

The male gaze projects its fantasies upon the female characters (Mulvey, 2016).

Mulvey describes that the male gaze applies when the film is curated by the male director to both let the camera objectify and sexualize women which in return creates the view that women are erotic objects for the voyeuristic audience to sexualize (Mulvey, 2016). This objectification in a sexual way is a result of the male gaze through its film adaptation that perpetuates this notion that “men act and women appear” (Berger, 1972, as cited in Jackson, 2023).

Contrasting this, the female gaze is not inherently sexual (Deck, 2019). The female gaze is less discussed and defined, but at its core, it represents the female director’s perspective and displays the point of view of female characters. “The female gaze puts the viewer into the woman character’s perspective and focuses on the story’s emotions” (Deck, 2019, pp. 11-12). In both cases, the gazes represent the point of view of the director and main characters, which in the case of male directors and characters, results in sexualization, while female directors are more focussed on characters, themes, and emotions (Deck, 2019). Through the research conducted by Ian Kunsey, they concluded that male directors tend to tell stories about men while female directors tend to tell stories about women (Kunsey, 2018). “In films with at least one woman director and/or writer, women comprised 56% of protagonists. In films with exclusively male directors and/or writers, females accounted for 23% of protagonists” (Lang, 2023). Through the definitions of male versus female gaze in the director's chair, one can see how the standpoints of directors influence their depictions of characters and the stories they explore. 

When one combines the use of standpoint theory and the male versus female gaze one can see that gender does affect what films and their directors portray from the uses of characters to the themes explored. Also, understanding that exposure to specific media has effects on the way stereotypes are perpetuated and how one understands specific concepts, displays the importance and power of media and film (Riebe, 2020). This is displayed through the research discussed in “The Feminine Gaze: The Re-imagination of Cinematic Female Sexual Experiences in a Post #MeToo World” by Emily Riebe. This research displayed the impacts of sexualized media content and how specific standpoints and events affected the way they viewed specific content (Riebe, 2020). “Each of these research studies adds validity to the argument that depictions of gender with a stereotypical or sexualized lens, often created via the male gaze, creates harmful perceptions of acceptable behavior as they relate to gender categories” (Riebe, 2020, p. 4). If one looks at these factors as a formula, it becomes evident that the lack of women directors combined with the male gaze through media that is proven impactful to people’s perceptions of reality reveals Hollywood to be a place where inequality and misrepresentation are occurring.

While the statistics presented highlight a glaring underrepresentation of women directors in the film industry, some argue that progress is being made, albeit slowly. Recent years have seen increased awareness and efforts to address gender disparities in Hollywood. Initiatives like #OscarsSoMale have sparked conversations, leading to greater scrutiny of the industry's practices (Davis, 2023). Additionally, the success of directors like Kathryn Bigelow, Chloé Zhao, and Jane Campion suggests a shifting landscape where talent is recognized regardless of gender (Davis, 2023). Also, in present-day Hollywood, some may point to the success of Barbie as a cultural shifting point, yet in reality there is still a long way to go. Hollywood may have learned the wrong lessons from Barbie, such as misunderstanding the important message of empowering women and the articulation of the internal conversation of a generation of women. The wrong takeaways from Barbie are already occurring through the capitalist greed of Mattel's greenlighting of other films around their products. “14 Mattel properties are in active development, including ‘Barney,’ ‘Polly Pocket,’ ‘Thomas and Friends’ and ‘American Girl.’” (Wagmeister, 2023). 

Moreover, some feminist theorization such as critical mass theory, in my opinion, tends to oversimplify the solution, not taking into account that some women directors may fall into the same traps of the male gaze as their male counterparts (Kunsey, 2018). “[Critical mass theory] does not account for institutional pressures that may compel women to conform to masculine practices” (Childs & Krook, 2009, as cited in Kunsey, 2018, p. 30). This theory fails in some of its arguments and leads people to “suggest the need for women in Hollywood goes far beyond simple representation” (Kunsey, 2018, p.30). The film industry faces many challenges, including systemic biases and ingrained practices. By broadening the discussion to include diversity and inclusivity in various aspects of filmmaking, such as writing, producing, and casting, a more comprehensive approach to dismantling systemic barriers can be achieved.

In conclusion, the underrepresentation of women directors in Hollywood is a persistent and deeply rooted issue, as the stark statistics and research findings demonstrate. While progress is evident, the pace of change remains sluggish, and the film industry must make concerted efforts to address this gender imbalance. By diversifying the perspectives and standpoints in the director's chair, the industry can move toward more inclusive storytelling that accurately represents the richness and diversity of human experiences. As discussed through standpoint theory, the influence of the male gaze underscores the need for varied perspectives to break free from perpetuating harmful stereotypes. In the current landscape of Hollywood women directors face a paradox, that prevents them from ever gaining the opportunity to direct a bigger-budget film. “When faced with large budgets, studio executives tend to fall back on directors who have had box-office hits in the past” (Kunsey, 2018). This paradox displays the need for a systematic change in Hollywood that benefits women’s voices and opportunities. In essence, achieving gender parity in film direction is a matter of fairness and a crucial step toward fostering a more nuanced and representative cinematic landscape.

References

Davis, C. (2023, January 24). #OscarsSoMale: Academy Awards Shut Out Women for Best Director. Variety. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://variety.com/2023/awards/awards/no-women-directors-nominated-oscars-1235496819/ 

Deck, M. (2019, June). REFRAMING THE GAZE: HOW WOMEN FILMMAKERS INFLUENCE THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN ON-SCREEN. Scholars' Bank. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/25010/Final_Thesis-Deck.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1 

Jackson, L. M. (2023, July 14). The Invention of “the Male Gaze”. The New Yorker. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.newyorker.com/books/second-read/the-invention-of-the-male-gaze 

Kunsey, I. (2018). Representations of Women in Popular Film: A Study of Gender Inequality in 2018. NET. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://eloncdn.blob.core.windows.net/eu3/sites/153/2019/12/03-Kunsey.pdf 

Lang, B. (2023, March 7). Hollywood’s Glass Ceiling Remains in Place: Infinitesimal Increase in Movies With Female Protagonists. Variety. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://variety.com/2023/film/news/hollywood-glass-ceiling-report-study-small-percentage-of-movies-with-female-protagonists-women-1235545018/ 

Lauzen, M. M. (2023, January 1). The Celluloid Ceiling: Employment of Behind-the-Scenes Women on Top Grossing U.S. Films in 2022. Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2022-celluloid-ceiling-report.pdf 

Macgowan, K. (1951). The Film Director’s Contribution to the Screen. College English, 12(6), 

307–314. https://doi.org/10.2307/371695 

Mulvey, L. (2016). Laura Mulvey 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' 1975 (M. Lewis, Ed.). Afterall Books. https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/1021/Laura%2520Mulvey,%2520Visual%2520Pleasure.pdf 

Riebe, E. (2020). The Feminine Gaze: The Re-imagination of Cinematic Female Sexual Experiences in a Post #MeToo World. UW-La Crosse. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://www.uwlax.edu/globalassets/offices-services/urc/jur-online/pdf/2020/riebe.emily.cst2020.pdf 

Smith, S. L., Choueiti, M., Choi, A., & Pieper, K. (2019, January 1). Inclusion in the Director's Chair: Gender, Race and Age of Directors Across 1,200 Top Films from 2007 to 2018. USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/inclusion-in-the-directors-chair-2019.pdf 

Wagmeister, E. (2023, July 26). Mattel Execs on Next Hollywood Moves: 'Barney,' 'Polly Pocket' and 'Barbie' Sequels (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. Retrieved December 11, 2023, from https://variety.com/2023/film/news/barbie-sequel-mattel-films-barney-hot-wheels-1235680302/