“The Male Gaze” is a hot topic today. It was originally conceptualised by Laura Mulvey in Visual Pleasure and Film Narrative. She points out that women in traditional cinema are often objectified and gendered as objects of male desire, and that this is reinforced through the camera and narrative.
The film Lolita, adapted from Vladimir Nabokov’s novel of the same name, tells the story of the twisted and morbid relationship between a grown man, Humbert Humbert, and Lolita, who is only 12 years old. (A paedophile’s tale.) The film provokes the viewer to think deeply about gender, desire, power and child protection. The ‘male gaze’ in the film as a narrative device not only shapes the unequal relationship between Humbert and Lolita, but also creates a complex emotional interaction between the audience and the film. However, too much reliance on the male gaze can easily lead to the objectification of female characters and the reinforcement of gender inequality.
The story of the film unfolds almost exclusively through Humbert Humbert’s point of view, directing the viewer’s gaze into Humbert Humbert’s psychological world, thus allowing the viewer to not only witness the progression of the story, but also to participate to a certain extent in Humbert’s desires and fantasies for Lolita. At the beginning of the film, when Hubbert first meets Lolita, his gaze is filled with scrutiny and desire for her body. This gaze is not one of mere admiration, but is strongly possessive, suggesting the desires of Hubbert’s heart. This perspective is usually closely linked to sexuality, fantasy and the male objectification of the female body. The language of the camera is such that many times Lolita’s body is filmed as if it were hidden from view, and often parts of her body or details are focussed on, such as her bare feet, her smile, etc. to reinforce her identity as an object of sexual desire.
Although Lolita is not narrated entirely from Humbert’s perspective, the presentation of Lolita as a female character in the film relies heavily on the male gaze. Her character is not completely removed from the framework of Humbert’s desires, but is always constructed with his perspective and desires in mind. Lolita is not a completely independent character, and her personality and behaviour are often interpreted through Humbert’s lens.
This objectification is not only manifested in the display of Lolita’s body, but also in the shaping of her identity. She is the object of Humbert’s desire, the result of the projection of his self-desire. In the process, Lolita’s subjectivity and individuality are almost erased, and she is more of a manipulated and objectified being in the film. The resistance and dissatisfaction she displays is more of a reaction to this objectified role, but her resistance remains within the framework of the male gaze.
Overall Lolita, as a film that profoundly explores gender, desire and power, reveals the social phenomenon of gender inequality and objectification through the male gaze, but at the same time exposes the limitations of relying on this gaze.
By stepping outside the framework of the male gaze, it is possible to endow the character of Lolita with more independence and complexity, and to provide the audience with a more diverse and comprehensive perspective. In the film’s narrative, the inner world and sense of resistance of the female characters deserve to be noticed and explored.
reference：
Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. Screen, 16(3), 6–18.
I think you’ve explored the film very carefully,《Lolita》 is a powerful yet troubling film. By focusing so much on Humbert’s perspective, it reduces Lolita to an object of his desires, leaving her feelings and struggles unexplored. This makes her seem like a prop in his story, rather than a real person. I think the film missed a chance to show Lolita’s side—her thoughts, resistance, and pain. If her perspective were included, it could have made the story deeper and more balanced. It’s important for films to give female characters their own voices, especially in stories about power and control.
After reading this article, I understand that it deeply explores the narrative framework of the male gaze and how to move beyond it, offering a thought-provoking perspective. The article not only critiques this gaze but also suggests a way to break out of this framework: learning to identify and challenge the limitations of the male narrative perspective. This view encourages readers to adopt a more critical attitude when interpreting texts, focusing on marginalized female voices and inner worlds.