Jonathan Foulston

Female Competition and The Male Gaze: Is The Neon Demon A

Feminist Text?
When Nicolas Winding Refns The Neon Demon premiered at Cannes last year,
the film was understandably met with a mixed reception. It was reported that
audience members chose to either participate in a standing ovation or boo in
disgust at what they had just witnessed. Critics were seen walking out of the
theatre and slated the film in their reviews. It is fair to say that The Neon Demon
was one of the most divisive films of twenty-sixteen due to its exhibition of
gratuitous violence, cannibalism and scenes of aberrant sexuality. However, was
its representation of women successful? Did it feature an underlying misogynistic
agenda? and, overall, could the film be perceived as a feminist text? This essay
will address these questions in reference to criteria defined by feminist film
theorists specifically, Laura Mulvey.

The Neon Demon is a Psychological Horror film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn,
the controversial and ambivalent figure behind Drive and Only God Forgives. The
film was shot by Natasha Braier and it was co-written by Mary Laws, Polly
Stenham and Refn himself. The directors first female-led film follows, Jesse, a
sixteen-year-old aspiring model who moves to LA on her own to pursue her
dream of achieving fame through her physical beauty. Jesse finds herself
amongst squalid individuals from within the industry and otherwise. More
experienced models, who Jesse thought were trustworthy, turn out to be the
opposite and, ultimately, this undoing results in her tragic demise. Essentially,
The Neon Demon focuses on the dark side of fame and the idea that female
competition is a villain.

First things first, the idea that the film could not be a feminist text because it is a
film about women made by a man is paradoxical and mainly false. The Neon
Demon is a film about women and female scenarios. It stars women in named
lead roles, was written by two female playwrights and shot solely by a woman.
The several actresses, writers and the director of photography played just as big
a role in the production of the film as Refn did. Co-operation between the female
creatives and the director was encouraged from script to screen and Refn even
asked Elle Fanning for revisions of her characters dialogue in order to make it
sound more authentic. However, even without all of the previously mentioned
women, the concept that Nicolas Winding Refn is ineligible from telling a story
about women because he is a man is anti-feminist. Men can also be feminists
and the gender of a director should not limit what they can and cannot produce.
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However, it is interesting to ponder whether critics would have had a different

response to the film if a womans name was attached to the directors credit.

The Neon Demon is a film which intends to make its audience, especially the
men, feel dirty and guilty for sexualising young girls and infantilising attractive
women; This is a feminist message and one that is rarely seen in modern
cinema. However, pro-woman should not be confused with anti-man. If a
meaning is only found feminist when a female states it then is it the message or
the messenger that matters?

In terms of presenting a womans perspective accurately during the films

running time, Refn was adamant that he needed to hire two talented female
writers and a director of photography in order to achieve a strong female voice
behind the film. Both Mary Laws and Polly Stenham, the two writers, spent
months developing the script and their complex female characters. Natasha
Braier, the director of photography, shot the entire film without a storyboard and
was in charge of the look of the films aesthetic so, inherently, The Neon Demon
has a feminine perspective.

Furthermore, Braiers cinematography and framing subverts and experiments

with the idea of the male gaze. This term was coined by Laura Mulvey during
the seventies, in her essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. It refers to the
spectator of a film being put in a masculine subject position, with the figure of a
woman on-screen being seen as an object of desire. The Neon Demon is all about
the pursuit of beauty and women being judged by their physical attributes so,
naturally, the story has a lot of room to examine the idea of the male gaze,
voyeurism and the pleasure in looking at beautiful women. The subject matter
justifies the heavy exploitation of the male gaze.

For example, during scenes where Jesse is required to show off her walk and
flaunt her body, she is consistently seen in the centre of the frame 1 and in close-
up shots. In particular, whilst auditioning for a fashion designer, the camera
focuses on Jesse up until she begins her strut where the shot is then replaced by
an extended close-up reaction of the male designer as he gazes in fixed awe 2 at
the aspiring models pure beauty. We do not see the majority of Jesses walk
and are intentionally shown the designers response instead. This choice of
cinematography, editing and shot is particularly effective as, despite lying about
her age to the prestigious designer, the audience know fully well that Jesse is
sixteen and what we are witnessing is an older man sexualising an underage girl.
Jonathan Foulston

Laura Mulvey states in Film, Feminism and the Avant-Garde that she believes
avant-garde filmmaking poses certain questions which consciously confront
traditional practice, often with a political motivation that work towards changing
modes of representation. Braiers precise choice in cinematography reflects
this definition as it challenges Mulveys own criteria of the male gaze and intends
to communicate a meaning. The director of photographys camerawork attempts
to make the male viewer feel dirty for sexualising Jesse, as well as the young
models alike her, and question how they view women outside of the context of
the film. For example, during the aforementioned scene, Jesses breasts and lips
are displayed in the centre of the frame, whilst the camera tracks their
movement3. This aesthetic choice illustrates that these attributes of Jesses are
the ones that the designers eyes engage with the most. Essentially, The Neon
Demon features stripped-down scenes like this in hopes of creating social
change. Amongst the hyper-real, fever dream aesthetic, the film is a stepping-
stone towards achieving a positive difference in societys treatment of women. In
Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, Mulvey writes that analysing pleasure or
beauty annihilates it and that is exactly what The Neon Demons
cinematography, and overall message, strives to accomplish. Mulvey regards
avant-garde film as a platform in which female experience can be expressed and
this sentiment applies to this text.

Similarly, during the final act of the film, after Jesses premature demise, Ruby is
seen submerged in a bathtub of Jesses blood whilst Gigi and Sarah wash the
gore off together in the shower. Both of the models in the shower are completely
nude whilst Ruby watches them in a voyeuristic manner from the scarlet bath.
This scene, again, experiments with the male gaze however not in its traditional
form. Some viewers may feel that this scene only supports the male gaze theory
and does not comment on it but the image of two nude, supermodels covered in
another womans blood is an effective subversion of what audiences traditionally
find erotic4. Braiers cinematography, again, dares the viewer to be aroused by
the image despite the disturbing nature of the female nudity.

This sequence is also important as it highlights a problem with the male gaze
theory. The theory does not consider the possibility of a queer individual finding
pleasure in looking at someone of the same gender and, fundamentally, the term
itself is heteronormative in that it assumes that heterosexuality is the normal or
preferred sexual orientation of the world. With the utilisation of the classic
Jonathan Foulston

Kuleshov Effect, Ruby is first shown looking 5, followed by her point-of-view the
two girls showering and then, finally, Rubys response to what she has seen. If
it wasnt for the fact that Ruby is a queer female, the shot of both models in the
shower would have been gratuitous and unnecessary but because we know that
Ruby is interested in women it is appropriate. This scene, therefore, disputes
Luce Irigarays statement in This Sex Which Is Not One where she claims that
women are on-screen as objects of sexual enjoyment, not as those who enjoy.
Ruby clearly finds the image of both the girls showering sexually satisfying and it
is admirable to see a queer woman represented with urges, alike how straight
men are constantly represented in cinema, as lesbian and bisexual women on-
screen are often neutered of their sexual identity and their orientation is treated
as a personality trait rather than an inclination. This scene, in particular,
experiments with the concept of scopophilia and the idea that Ruby receives
sexual pleasure from watching Sarah and Gigi showering together.

The Neon Demon is refreshing because the male characters take a backseat, for
a change, and the lead women of the film - Jesse, Ruby, Gigi and Sarah - are at
the forefront. Typically, female characters in films are unsubstantial, especially in
comparison to the male characters that they share the screen with, so it is
important to note the subversion of this convention during the text. The film, in
question, features several scenes where the women talk about topics ranging
from body image and plastic surgery to sex and the industry that they have
worked their way up in. Therefore, The Neon Demon passes the Bechdel Test with
flying colours as it features a variety of intimate scenes where at least two
named women talk to each other about anything at all besides men or a specific
male character. This attribute is particularly commendable seeing as a third of
2016s top movies failed the simple test and only 27 percent of the dialogue in
the years ten top-grossing films was spoken by a woman according to a recent
study reported by IndieWire. However, passing the Bechdel test does not indicate
that the text is a feminist one. Many sexist movies have passed, such as Weird
Science and American Pie 2, and likewise some films regarded as feminist have
failed, like Run Lola Run and Under The Skin. So consequently, the Bechdel test
cannot be used as a critical basis on which to recognise a feminist text but a film
does deserve to be praised when it passes it because not many do.

One scene during the films first act, that takes place in an exotically-lit womens
bathroom, subverts the typical traits of an on-screen female archetype. The
Jonathan Foulston

scene features Sarah, Gigi and Ruby talk about sex in a vulgar manner whilst in
the company of the pure, virgin Jesse. The older women talk about who theyre
fucking and interrogate Jesse regarding her sexual orientation and whether or
not she is food or sex. Traditionally, this topic of conversation is usually
depicted in this crass manner between male friends during macho locker-room
scenes in college football films so it is particularly compelling and progressive to
see the subversion of this stereotype during The Neon Demon. It is not often that
women are seen talking to each other about sex on-screen, or talking to each
other at all for that matter, so it is stimulating to see them talk about it in such a
shameless context during this text. Furthermore, the bathroom is dominated by
the traditionally feminine colours of pink and purple 6 so it is fascinating to hear
the models speaking so crudely whilst accompanied by such a womanly colour
palette. This is a beautiful subversion of such a conventional gender stereotype.

Later in the film, Jesse and Sarah attend an audition for a famous fashion
designer in a stylish yet clinical-looking basement. They are surrounded by a
large selection of pale women in flesh-coloured underwear as they wait to walk
under bright white lights for the designer. The scene, inherently, mimics real life
scenarios however the white walls and pale models bare a startling resemblance
to arrangements of meat in a slaughterhouse 7. Because the women look like
humans, flesh and bone, rather than objects of male fetishization, the audience
feel for them in a way that no other scene in the movie elicits. The harrowing
sequence successfully illustrates the tragedy of objectification and the balance of
power in the patriarchy. The women are degraded, considered as disposable and
looked upon as nothing more than a prop to dress. Furthermore, in one startling
shot, Jesse is surrounded by eerily still models who could easily be mannequins
in a shop window one of which has her head cut off by the edge of the frame 8.
Once again, Laura Mulveys male gaze theory is being experimented with here as
the women are being denied their human identity and are relegated to the status
of objects to be admired for physical appearance. As Mulvey expresses in Visual
and Other Pleasures, In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, women are
simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong
visual and erotic impact. The aforementioned scene is a prime example of
women being objectified by powerful men in film and it reflects Jonathan E.
Schroeders words during Mirrors of Masculinity: Representation and Identity in
Advertising Images where he states that gazing signifies a psychological
relationship of power, in which the gazer is superior to the object of the gaze.
Jonathan Foulston

This uncomfortable sequence illustrates the idea that the men of The Neon
Demon are aware of their hierarchical power and they have no problem in
demonstrating it. Although, the women are conscious of who is in control and
they know who they have to satisfy to get by - the pursuit of their career goals is
a matter of a survival.

However, on the other side of the spectrum, some would argue that The Neon
Demon reinforces sexist stereotypes of women being narcissistic and competitive
a Mean Girls ideology, if you will and this opinion is justified. When Sarah and
Gigi realise the threat that Jesse poses to their careers, the two jealously
patronise and criticise her behind her back to Ruby. Gigi claims that Jesse is not
special yet and Sarah adds that she is only young and thin. Similarly, when
Ruby first mentions Jesse, Gigi replies with Who? These responses and the
attitude behind them would not go amiss in cliquey, clich high school movies
and it is a sexist ideology to assume that all women want to tear each other
down in order to succeed so it is a shame to witness the women attack Jesse on
a personal level. Nevertheless, whilst the women are indeed in competition with
each other, it is important to note that the object of their rivalry is not for a male
characters attention alike many other female-led films but for their own success
and fame.

Additionally, whilst Refn did make sure to hire two female playwrights and a
female cinematographer, this does not guarantee that the text is inherently more
or less feminist. As Annette Kuhn states in Womens Pictures: Feminism and
Cinema, more women film makers does not guarantee more feminist films and
this is true. She goes on to exclaim that a non-feminist is capable of producing a
feminist text and vice versa. This thought is significant to consider as Refn
himself stated during the promotion of the text that The Neon Demon is about
the sixteen-year-old inside of him and this statement is problematic as it
suggests that a notion of male fantasy and fetishization is prevalent in the
storytelling of the text. Therefore, it is important to question whether the film is
actually as female oriented as it first seems. However, Kuhn does conclude that
a transformation in the area of representation might be brought about if there
were greater numbers of women artists and film directors and, furthermore, in
1976s Living with Television: The Violence Profile, George Gerbner states that
representation in the fictional world signifies social existence; absence means
symbolic annihilation. These two similar quotes show that, despite his
Jonathan Foulston

controversial comments, you cant criticise Refn for actively trying to change the
portrayal of women in cinema through working cooperatively with female
creatives. He gave them a chance to get their perspective on-screen, challenge
gender stereotypes and represent women successfully with the goal of creating
positive social change.

However, whether The Neon Demon is a feminist text is a question thats answer
will vary from person to person as not everyone agrees on what is progressive.
One thing that is definite is that it is not intersectionally feminist. The named
cast are all white and cisgender but then again, in its defence, it is essential to
acknowledge the context of the film and the fact that it takes place in the
present day modelling scene of Los Angeles which is as all-inclusive as the
casting list.

Refn states that The Neon Demon was intended to be a horror film about
beauty and it is, most definitely, a destabilisation of the traditional tropes of the
Horror genre. Instead of a masked antagonist lurking in the shadows, the real
villain of The Neon Demon is the green-eyed monster of female competition. The
film is a commentary on our culture and the demon is a phantom woman who
always possesses something more. The demon is a fictitious object of female
desire a blonder, skinnier, younger woman.

In conclusion, whether or not The Neon Demon is as beyond feminist as Refn

claims is up for debate and there are various answers to both sides of the
argument; what one person perceives as progressive may not correspond with
another persons opinion. However, it is a fact that the text challenges the
criteria of Mulveys theories of the male gaze. But above all, the film is about
women being forced by our society to always be more by being less. It touches
upon how women have to be quieter, younger, thinner and more submissive in
order to be the best. The film is a visual embodiment of femininity as a consumer
product and femininity as a weapon as well as a suit of armour. The Neon Demon
is a criticism of toxic femininity, not a representation of it. The film is a story
about the ways in which women are made grotesque by the expectations of
powerful men. It centres around how the pursuit of beauty causes women to
destroy themselves and, ultimately, each other. The Neon Demon is not a
representation of the predatory comparison within the fashion industry but a
commentary on societys treatment of the female gender, as a whole, and
whether or not that is a feminist message is up to you to decide.
Jonathan Foulston

Bibliography:

Mulvey, L. (1989) Visual and Other Pleasures. 2nd edn. Palgrave Macmillan.

Mulvey, L. (1975) Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen 16(3).

Mulvey, L. (1978) Film, Feminism and the Avant-Garde. Women and Literature.
Oxford Womens Studies Committee.

Irigaray, L. (1985) This Sex Which Is Not One. 5th edn. Grand Rapids, MI, United
States: Cornell University Press.

E. Schroeder, J. (2004) Mirrors of Masculinity: Representation and Identity in

Advertising Images. Consumption, Markets and Culture. Vol. 7.

Kuhn, A. (1994) Womens pictures: Feminism and cinema. 2nd edn. New York:
Verso Books.

Gerbner, G., & Gross, L. (1976) Living with Television: The Violence Profile.
Journal of Communication, 26, 172-199.

McKinney, K. (2016) A Third of 2016s Top Movies Fail The Bechdel Test. Available
at: http://fusion.net/story/320598/2016-movies-bechdel-test/ (Accessed: 18
January 2017).

Dry, J. (2017) Women Spoke Just 27 percent of the Dialogue in 2016s Top-
Grossing Movies. Available at: http://www.indiewire.com/2017/01/women-27-
percent-dialogue-2016-top-grossing-movies-representation-1201769976/
(Accessed: 18 January 2017).

Wooward, Adam. (2016) Nicolas Winding Refn: I wanted to make a film about
the 16-year-old girl inside of me. Little White Lies. Available at:
http://lwlies.com/interviews/nicolas-winding-refn-the-neon-demon/ (Accessed: 27
January 2017).

Bassett, J. (2016) Director Nicolas Winding Refn on why his lurid new film The
Neon Demon is beyond feminist. Available at:
http://www.nme.com/features/nicolas-winding-refn-interview-757234 (Accessed:
27 January 2017).

Janes (2016) Every Scene In The Neon Demon Should Have Looked Like This.
Available at: https://advers.io/2016/06/29/every-scene-in-the-neon-demon-
should-have-looked-like-this/ (Accessed: 27 January 2017).
Jonathan Foulston

Screenshots:

Figure 1 Centre of Frame

Figure 2 Designers Reaction

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Figure 3 Jesses Walk

Figure 4 Male Gaze Subversion

Figure 5 Rubys Gaze

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Figure 6 Suspiria-esque Colour Scheme

Figure 7 - Slaughterhouse

Figure 8 Mannequins