InDesign Example

MILDRED PIERCE:The Dictomey Between Female Discourse and Male Visual

marriage. She tells the police

about her marriage, divorce, and

her children. While she is narrat-

ing, the audience sees Mildred in

the kitchen baking pies, wearing

a dress and an apron before her

husband comes home and they

ďĞŐŝŶƚŽĂƌŐƵĞ,ĞůĞĂǀĞƐĂŌĞƌthey decide to separate and her

daughters come home. The view-

er then sees Mildred hearing her

daughter, Veda; complain about

the new dress Mildred bought her.

dŚĞǀŽŝĐĞͲŽǀĞƌŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶŝƐƵƐĞĚhere to support the female images

that the audience sees. Mildred

being in the kitchen and baking

ƉŝĞƐƐŚŽǁƐŚĞƌĂƐĨƵůĮůůŝŶŐƚŚĞƚƌĂ-

ĚŝƟŽŶĂůĨĞŵĂůĞƌŽůĞDŝůĚƌĞĚŝƐĮƌƐƚpresented to the audience as the

typical 1940s women and mother,

Release Date: October 20, 1945

Director: DŝĐŚĂĞůƵƌƟnjRunning Time: 111 minutes

Cast: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson,

ĂĐŚĂƌLJ^ĐŽƩ

The use of voice-over nar-

ƌĂƟŽŶŝƐĂĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝƐƟĐĞŵƉůŽLJĞĚŝŶĂƚLJƉŝĐĂůĮůŵŶŽŝƌ /ŶĮůŵŶŽŝƌ voice-overs are used to present the

story seemingly from the protago-

nist’s point of view. Voice-over nar-

ƌĂƟŽŶŝƐƵƐĞĚŝŶŚĞĂǀŝůLJŝŶMildred Pierce. Mildred Pierce uses female

ǀŽŝĐĞͲŽǀĞƌŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶƐƚŽƐŚŽǁƚŚĞdichotomy between female dis-

course and male dominated visual.

12 April 2014 EMPIRE

Points of the visual break away form the

ĨĞŵĂůĞǀŽŝĐĞͲŽǀĞƌŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶĂŶĚĂƌĞĐůĞĂƌ-ůLJĨƌŽŵĂŵĂůĞĚŽŵŝŶĂƚĞĚƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ

/ŶMildred Pierce, the audi-

ence is acutely aware of the female

ŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶƉƵƚŝŶƉůĂĐĞďLJDŝůĚƌĞĚ Ɛvoice-over. The family and domes-

ƟĐŝŵĂŐĞƐƚŚĂƚƚŚĞĂƵĚŝĞŶĐĞƐĞĞƐƌĞŝŶĨŽƌĐĞƐƚŚĞĨĞŵĂůĞŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶMildred Pierce narrates her story

ĂƐĂůŽŶŐͲƐƵīĞƌŝŶŐŵŽƚŚĞƌǁŚŽwants the love of her spoiled,

ungrateful daughter. Early in the

ĮůŵƚŚĞĂƵĚŝĞŶĐĞŝƐĂůůŽǁĞĚƚŽhear and see the story through

ƚŚĞĨĞŵĂůĞƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞDŝůĚƌĞĚstarts to tell her story in the police

ƐƚĂƟŽŶĂŌĞƌŚĞƌŚƵƐďĂŶĚDŽŶƚĞhas been found murdered and

her ex-husband is thought to be

the murderer.

She begins her

story with her

previous failed

CLASSIC CINEMA

Joan Crawford as Mildred

Pierce

LOOK CLOSER

• William Faulkner con-

tributed to the script

ďƵƚŚŝƐĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶƐwere not used.

• Director, Michael

ƵƌƟnjĚŝĚŶŽƚŝŶŝƟĂů-ly want to work with

Crawford, but she won

him over with her hard

work.

dŚŝƐƐŚŽƚŽĨD/ůĚƌĞĚĚůĞŐƐŝƐĂŵĂůĞĚŽŵŝŶĂƚĞĚǀŝƐƵĂůĂŶĚĐŽŶƚƌĂƐƚǁŝƚŚƚŚĞĨĞŵĂůĞŶĂƌƌĂƚŽŝŶƐŚĞŝƐŐŝǀŝŶŐƵƐ

/ŶƚŚŝƐƐĐĞŶĞDŝůĚƌĞĚƐďŽĚLJŝƐďĞŝŶŐĂŶŽďũĞĐƚŽĨĚĞƐŝƌĞŵƵĐŚŝŶƚŚĞƐĂŵĞǁĂLJŝƚǁŽƵůĚďĞĚĞƐŝƌĞĚďLJĂŵĂŶǁŚŝĐŚƐŚŽǁƐƚŚĞŵĂůĞǀŝƐƵĂůƚĂŬŝŶŐŽǀĞƌĨƌŽŵƚŚĞĨĞŵĂůĞĚŝƐĐŽƵƌƐĞ

Points of the

visual break away from

the female voice-over

ŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶĂŶĚĂƌĞĐůĞĂƌ-ly from a male domi-

ŶĂƚĞĚƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ&Žƌinstance, when Mildred

ĂŶĚDŽŶƚĞĂƌĞƐƚĂƌƟŶŐƚŚĞŝƌƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉĂƚƚŚĞbeach house. The voice

of Mildred is telling the

story and talking about it

ďƵƚƚŚĞƌĞĂƌĞƟŵĞƐǁŚĞŶthe visual is not female.

Before Mildred and

Monte go swimming, she

comes out in a robe and

Monte makes a comment

ĂďŽƵƚǁĂŶƟŶŐŚĞƌƚŽƚĂŬĞŝƚŽīdŚĞviewpoint then becomes Montes’

as he waits for her to disrobe. The

ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶďƵŝůĚƐĨŽƌDŽŶƚĞĂŶĚby extension the audience, and is

ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĞĚŽĨƚŚĞŵĂůĞŐĂnjĞdŚĞspectator also sees shots of Mil-

ĚƌĞĚ ƐůĞŐƐǁŚŝůĞƐŚĞŝƐƐŝƫŶŐŽŶa ladder. The close up of Mildred’s

legs is a very male dominated, sexu-

ĂůŝnjĞĚŝŵĂŐĞdŚĞĐĂŵĞƌĂďĞĐŽŵĞƐĂŵĂƐĐƵůŝŶŝnjĞĚůĞŶƐƚŚƌŽƵŐŚǁŚŝĐŚƚŚĞĂƵĚŝĞŶĐĞƐĞĞƐDŝůĚƌĞĚ/ŶƚŚĞƐĞƐĐĞŶĞƐƚŚĞƌĞŝƐĂĐůĞĂƌĐŽŶƚƌĂĚŝĐƟŽŶbetween the female voice-over

ĂŶĚƚŚĞŵĂůĞĚŽŵŝŶĂƚĞĚǀŝƐƵĂů/ŶMildred Pierce,

the voice-over is

ŝŶĐŽŶƚƌĂĚŝĐƟŽŶwith Monte’s male

ŐĂnjĞAs Mildred be

comes more

ŵĂƐĐƵůŝŶŝnjĞĚthroughout the

Įůŵ;ǁĞĂƌŝŶŐbroad-shouldered

suits, drinking

whisky), The di-

chotomy between

ĨĞŵĂůĞŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶ

and the male dominated visuals

becomes more apparent. This con-

trast is also expressed in a scene in

which Mildred is not even present.

/ŶƚŚĞƐĐĞŶĞDŝůĚƌĞĚ ƐĚĂƵŐŚƚĞƌ Veda, is telling family friend, Wally

Faye, that she has just married

ƐŽŵĞŵŝůůŝŽŶĂŝƌĞƚƟŵĞƐŝƚĞǀĞŶƐĞĞŵƐƚŽďĞŝŶtĂůůLJ ƐƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞThe fact the Mildred is not present

at all in this scene, proves mascu-

ůŝŶĞǀŝƐƵĂůĂŶĚĚŝƐĐŽƵƌƐĞ/ƚƐŚŽǁƐthat Mildred doesn’t have the

control that the spectator assumes

the narrator to have. Mildred is rel-

egated to an almost passive player

in her own life, where the male

discourse seems to take over.

Mildred Pierce uses voice-

ŽǀĞƌŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶƚŽƚĞůůƚŚĞƐƚŽƌLJŝŶĂǁĂLJƚŚĂƚŝƐĚŝƐƟŶĐƚůLJĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚthen what the audience is seeing.

&ĞŵĂůĞǀŽŝĐĞͲŽǀĞƌŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶŝƐcontrasted by the male conquered

visuals presented to the specta-

tors in Mildred Pierce. The female,

melodrama of Mildred Pierce’s

ŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶŵĂŬĞƐƚŚĞŶŽŝƌ ŵĂƐĐƵůŝŶ-

ŝnjĞĚĂƐƉĞĐƚƐŽĨƚŚĞĮůŵƐĞĞŵĞǀĞŶmore noir.

EMPIRE April 2014 13

at home taking care of the house

and children. This sets up the idea

ƚŚĂƚƚŚĞĮůŵǁŝůůďĞƐŚŽǁŶŝŶƚŚĞĨĞŵĂůĞƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞƚŚŝƐŝƐďĞĨŽƌĞthe male discourse takes over.

At the beginning of Mil-dred Pierce, it seems that the

story the audience is seeing

and hearing is female but as the

ŶĂƌƌĂƟǀĞƵŶĨŽůĚƐǁĞĂƌĞĂďůĞƚŽsee that the discourse becomes

ŵĂƐĐƵůŝŶŝnjĞĚƚŚĞĚŝƐĐŽƵƌƐĞŝƐĐůŽƐĞƌƚŽƚŚĂƚŽĨĂĮůŵůŝŬĞŽƵďůĞ/ŶĚĞŵŶŝƚLJƚŚĞŶƚŚĞƐƉĞĐƚĂƚŽƌĮƌƐƚƌĞĂůŝnjĞƐhŶŬŶŽǁŶƚŽƚŚĞĂƵĚŝ-ĞŶĐĞĂŶĚDŝůĚƌĞĚƚŚĞĚĞƚĞĐƟǀĞseems to already have solved

the mystery of the murder. The

ĚĞƚĞĐƟǀĞƵƐĞƐDŝůĚƌĞĚƚŽŐĞƚƚŚĞevidence he needs, meaning he

ĐŽŶƚƌŽůƐƚŚĞƚƌƵƚŚĂŶĚƵůƟŵĂƚĞůLJƚŚĞŶĂƌƌĂƟǀĞŵĂŬŝŶŐƚŚĞƐƚŽ-

ry decidedly masculine. While

DŝůĚƌĞĚĚŽĞƐŶĂƌƌĂƚĞŚĞƌŇĂƐŚ-

back to give a female discourse

ƚŽƚŚĞĮůŵƐŝŶĐĞƚŚĞĚĞƚĞĐƟǀĞsolves that mystery, he is the one

who really controls the truth and,

ƵůƟŵĂƚĞůLJ ƚŚĞŶĂƌƌĂƟǀĞdŚĞƌĞŝƐa gap between Mildred’s female

ŶĂƌƌĂƟŽŶĂŶĚƚŚĞŵĂƐĐƵůŝŶĞĚŝƐ-course of truth. This is just the be-

ginning of the male discourse that

ĐŽŵĞƐƚƌŽƵŐŚŝŶƚŚĞĮůŵǀŝƐƵĂů