The Gaze (Le Regard)

Who's watching whom? And what does it mean to be seen?

The Gaze, in film, is more than just looking; it's a complex interplay of power, perception, and the construction of identity. It explores how characters, and even the audience, are positioned as subjects or objects of observation, shaping their understanding of themselves and their world.

The Gaze, a concept deeply rooted in psychoanalytic theory, finds fertile ground in cinema, manifesting in myriad ways that challenge and define characters. It’s not simply about seeing, but about the implications of being seen, or even the act of seeing itself. In Bong Joon-ho's *Parasite*, the Kim family's semi-basement window serves as a potent embodiment of the Gaze. This window, framing their limited view of the street-level world, constantly reminds them of their precarious position, making them both observers and observed, perpetually on the margins of the affluent world above. Their aspiration is filtered through this literal and metaphorical screen, highlighting their desire for upward mobility while simultaneously reinforcing their 'otherness.' Conversely, in *The Lives of Others*, the Gaze begins as an instrument of control and surveillance, wielded by the Stasi agent Wiesler. His one-way observation of the playwright Dreyman is initially an exercise in power, a cold, institutional Gaze. However, as the film progresses, this surveillance transforms. Wiesler's prolonged observation leads to an unexpected empathy, and ultimately, a redemptive act. The Gaze, in this instance, becomes a catalyst for moral awakening, demonstrating how the act of seeing can profoundly alter the seer. *The Devil Wears Prada* offers a more introspective take on the Gaze, utilizing recurring reflections in mirrors and glass surfaces. Andy's journey of self-appraisal is marked by these moments, where she confronts her evolving image and identity. The Gaze here is often self-directed, a constant negotiation between who she is, who she wants to be, and how she is perceived by the demanding fashion world. These reflections become a visual shorthand for her internal struggle, illustrating how external pressures shape her self-perception. Finally, *Saltburn* presents a more sinister and ritualistic Gaze through the recurring motif of the Minotaur statue within the estate's maze. This statue functions as a 'screen,' a symbolic object onto which characters project their desires and anxieties, while simultaneously being watched. The Minotaur, a creature of myth associated with labyrinths and hidden truths, underscores the film's pervasive themes of voyeurism, class, and the unsettling nature of being perpetually under scrutiny within the opulent, yet claustrophobic, world of Saltburn. Each film, in its unique way, demonstrates the multifaceted nature of the Gaze, proving it to be a powerful lens through which to explore identity, power, and the very act of perception.

Examples

• Young & Beautiful (2013) — The recurring motif of Isabelle gazing at her reflection or directly into the camera.
  The recurring motif of Isabelle gazing at her reflection or directly into the camera manifests her confrontation with the Real—an un-symbolizable void in her identity. Her gaze is not about seeing or being seen, but an attempt to locate herself in relation to a desire she cannot name. This desire, always outside of her, renders her an object in her own subjective fantasy, embodying the Lacanian concept of 'The Gaze'.
• The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) — The final shot of the audience at Jordan's seminar.
  The final shot of the audience at Jordan's seminar acts as a mirror held up to the film's own viewers. After three hours of being seduced by Jordan's lifestyle, the camera turns from him to focus on the rapt, hopeful faces of his attendees. This implicates the audience, revealing them as part of the crowd, equally susceptible to the fantasy of easy wealth Jordan sells, embodying the Lacanian concept of the Gaze.
• Saltburn (2023) — The Minotaur statue in the center of the Saltburn maze.
  The Minotaur statue in the center of the Saltburn maze functions as a symbolic screen, onto which characters project their desires. It represents the monstrous, predatory desire at the heart of the film's labyrinthine social structure. This fixed point of the Gaze both Oliver and Felix orbit, and are ultimately consumed by, embodying the film's recurring motif of watching and being watched through a Lacanian lens.
• The Lives of Others (2006) — The final scene where Wiesler buys Dreyman's book
  The final scene where Wiesler buys Dreyman's book completes a reciprocal gaze, transforming Wiesler's identity. Initially, his surveillance represents a one-way gaze, but Dreyman's posthumous dedication acknowledges Wiesler's unseen presence, effectively "looking back." This act affirms Wiesler not as a state functionary but as a "good man," his self-awareness solidified through the recognition of the other. The scene thus culminates in the affirmation of a new identity, forged through this profound, if delayed, interpersonal acknowledgment.
• Code Unknown (2000) — The surveillance camera footage of Amadou
  The surveillance camera footage of Amadou functions as an external, objectifying gaze, capturing him within a system of control. This grainy, impersonal footage at the ATM pre-emptively frames him as a potential suspect, stripping him of his subjective identity. It reveals itself as a form of institutional power that reduces individuals to mere data points, illustrating how such visual records can diminish human agency and individuality under scrutiny.

• The Fifth Element (1997) — Leeloo's characterization and visual representation
  Leeloo's characterization and visual representation, despite her divine power, are constructed primarily for scopophilic pleasure. Her initial vulnerability, minimal clothing (the bandage suit), and eventual dependence on a male savior frame her as an object of male fantasy. This reveals a tension between her narrative importance and her visual objectification, highlighting how even powerful female figures can be subjected to the male gaze.
• Shoplifters (2018) — Shota's deliberate act of getting caught shoplifting
  Shota's deliberate act of getting caught shoplifting is not a mistake but a conscious decision to break the cycle of crime. By allowing himself to be seen and caught, he asserts his emerging moral conscience. This act forces a reckoning upon the family's way of life, using the concept of the Gaze as an expression of moral agency and a pivotal moment of self-sabotage.
• Full Metal Jacket (1987) — Kubrick's use of symmetrical composition and forward-moving tracking shots
  Kubrick's use of symmetrical composition and forward-moving tracking shots visually manifests an impersonal, deterministic system. The rigid symmetry and inexorable forward movement of the camera trap the characters in a world without escape. This formal cinematography mirrors the oppressive military ideology that controls their fate, emphasizing their lack of agency within a meticulously constructed, inescapable environment.