ET 12: Feminist Critique of Busby Berkeley

  In the 1930's directer Busby Berkeley reinvented musicals on film media. By designing elaborate production numbers featuring hundreds of chorus girls dancing and singing, he essentially created a new form of musicals. Never before have actors been used in such a way. By drawing from the burlesque elements of the previous decade, Busby Berkeley manages to combine film, acting and dancing in such a way that no one has ever seen before. Of course, such a media would have its fair share of audiences too, in effect, throngs of men were drawn into movie theaters by "musicals" like these.

 The 1941 production Ziegfield Girl is a classic example of director Busby Berkeley new and innovative style. Because of movies like these, the Ziegfield Follies were iconized as the sex symbols of their day. In the number "You Stepped Out of a Dream", the women are portrayed as beautiful and mysterious, fanning and arousing the male desire. In closer analysis, we can see that Busby Berkeley only selected the most perfect looking women to be casted in this number, and this was to serve the purpose of creating the illusion that all women were perfect, unblemished and beautiful. The wardrobe used in this number also served to enhanced that illusion. By dressing the women in long flowing white robes and dresses, paired with puffy ribbons and elaborate outfits, Busby Berkeley manages to enhance the appeal of the women, making them look surreal and exaggerated. The ever smiling facial expression of the women in the movie further solidifies the illusion the director was trying to create. But more interestingly, was the choreography and the lighting used in the sequence. More often than not, the women waltzed down a long spiral staircase, always coming from somewhere higher up. The women were also lit in a way that made them look glowing, radiant and exuding beauty. This often made them look like they were surrounded but a glowing halo, to the extend that one might even say, angelic?

  At the same time, a number of the scenes were intercut with shots of men, decent, upper class, respectable men, seated among the audience, ogling silently at the bevy of beauties thrown at them. This in itself perverts the entire sequence. Through these scenes, we see the true intent of the director. These men who were watching were in fact living out their secret fantasies and fetishes, to which the society at that time vehemently rejected. The thought of pure, upright gentlemen indulging in their fantasies of row after row of beautiful showgirls, taunting them, enticing them and arousing them were a strict no-no. Even more so, the subject of a person, in this case the women, doing something solely for the viewer's pleasure was extremely taboo in a society where women were expected to be well mannered and gentle. The idea of women too having a raving sex drive was too outrageous to be accepted. On the other hand, if a movie like this were to be made about men in our society today, it would still be difficult to accept. This is because at the very least men are expected to retain their dignity and abstain from such acts which  demean their self worth. Furthermore, the thought of women enjoying such a film would be disgusting to say the least. Yet if the tables were turned, and such a movie was made of men, it would seem unacceptable and demeaning. Therein lies the sexism within our society.

  By portraying women in this manner, they are objectified into nothing more than sex objects to arouse men's pleasure. This is especially so when Busby Berkeley portrays women in this film as monotonous creatures with only one emotion, thereby removing the human element from them. In addition, the sexual objectification also starts when the women in the sequence proudly parade their body in front of crowds of ogling men, tantalizingly flashing their long legs and sultry smiles. Not only does this make the men feel less like voyeurs but more like participants, simultaneously removing the guilt of watching such a indecent performance by making it seem like the women enjoy what they are doing. Such scenes are hauntingly similar to the burlesque erotism of the previous decade where bevies of beautiful women shamelessly fault their chops for the viewing pleasure of men. Although subtle, many of these techniques and details in the number slowly but surely demean and reduce the worth of a woman and her sexuality. This film brings to light many new age ideologies such as that a women's worth only lies in her sexuality. Indirectly, this film set in motion the downward spiral of a women's worth. Younger and younger generations of girls are brought up thinking that their worth lies in their beauty and sexuality.

  To close, we take a look at a Kylie Minogue music video. In terms of production and filmography, it is very similar to Busby Berkeley's work. In the music video, many similar lightning techniques, wardrobe and choreography were used. While it definitely enhances the sex appeal of Kylie Minogue, it is however completely different from what we have seen the Busby Berkeley's work. Instead of serving as an erotism fantasy, the techniques used in the music video simply serve to create an air of mystery and beauty around her, and enhances the audience's focus on the lead character in contrast to Ziegfield Girls where it served to arouse desire of the male audience.