From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies

I began this book anticipating an interesting history of women in film because it was an option for a project in one of my college classes. However, it turned out to be a disappointing blob of text that relied on the expectation that the reader was intimately familiar with film history and various actresses. Even with Wikipedia on my side, I had a hard time understanding the subtle movie references and nods to the personal lives of actors. The final nail in the coffin was the fact that what little information the book contained was presented in an incredibly boring manner. That, and the racist overtones, including a use of the N word as well as rude, stereotypical comments towards various actors of color. TL;DR "Reverence to Rape" expects you to know everything in it beforehand and reads like a refrigerator's instruction manual.

I was in the 11th grade at the time and I was just getting immersed in my fascination with movies and film theory. I read every book I could find on film studies.That is when I stumbled upon this book (first edition) in my school's library. After reading this book, I never looked at the history of films, film themes, etc. in quite the same way.As the years went by, I had read other film theory books that dealt with femininity and feminist thought, but this one always remained my favorite. So when the opportunity presented itself where I could add this book to my personal film library I was more than glad to.I think I like this book so much because it introduced me to a series of films that while important in the women's studies and cinema may have been forgotten in the annuls of overall film theory and criticism. One outstanding example is "Letter from an Unknown Woman." The depth with which Ms. Haskell discusses this film immediately made me want to go out and see the film; and indeed I did. I highly recommend this book not just to read but as an addition to any film lovers' library.

Molly Haskell describes herself in the introduction of FROM REVERENCE TO RAPE as a film critic first, and only secondly as a feminist. She even remarks negatively on an article about the movie HUSBANDS that Betty Friedan wrote for the New York Times in 1971, saying that Ms. Friedan just used the movie to extrapolate on her basic message in THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE. Having said that, she goes through the decades of film from the silent pictures through to the eighties, and concludes that the basic use of film towards women has been to keep them happily in their place: that is, married, and at home and out of the workplace. She organizes the book chronologically and details the evolution of women both in the industry as writers, actresses and directors. She surprises us with the news that in the beginning, there were many women directors, and only as the industry blossomed did men enter the business and push the women out. Women, however, have had more luck in the film industry than in any other, she maintains, since writing, editing, costume design and especially acting, could be done without sheer physical strength being required. The power denied most women, derived from high incomes, was given in abundance to Hollywood movie stars and successful screenwriters such as Francis Marion, who earned $150,000 per year in the 1930's! Actresses, who played the classic roles of compliant wives and mothers for the most part, had power in their real lives that cost them dearly in their personal relationships. Read the book to find out how the irony of real life personal power clashed with the image of womanhood portrayed on the screen, and how woman's place has changed and how films are changing along with them. Don't be afraid to keep your dictionary alongside; Ms. Haskell's vocabulary is formidable.

From Reverence to Rape is the classic against which all books about women in film must be judged. It's beautifully written, passionately argued. It's the kind of book that can be read over and over and over . . . and it's as fresh as it was when it debuted, 25 years ago. It is truly one of a small handful of indispensable film books written in the last forty years.

When I first read this book, I absolutely hated it. Haskell is a total joykiller: one of those critics who can find something politically "wrong" with almost any film, even feminist films like Lizzie Borden's _Working Girls_. I still don't agree with everything she says, but now I see that its irritating quality is what makes it so great. Whatever you do, don't read it before you go to bed: you'll lie awake obsessing upon the gender conundrums outlined in the book. I would even recommend it to those who do not know very much about film; it's one of the very best feminist texts I've read for its consideration of women as consumers of popular culture. The book also raises interesting questions about women's sexuality and its representation. And I'll never look at Doris Day the same way again!

Most books on film criticism are so muddled by the authors intense desire to seem smart. Molly Haskell is smart and her book is smart, too. It's an interesting look at women in film from the 20's to today and it really made me think about film in a new way