The Male Gaze Theory in James Bond Film

The James Bond franchise is a clear example of film objectifying females and
forcing the audience to view females via the male gaze. The scene within “Die Another Day” when
James Bond meets the character Jinx. When Jinx enters the text, obviously the male gaze activity
is present carrying the following elements: (1) a constructed representation of reality (2) the
coding of the female character (3) the post production of the film has been edited (3) vignette (4)
a masculine voyeuristic position (5) objectified female (6) scopophilia and (7) patriarchal society.

Jinx has been swimming in the sea and is coming onto shore. Bond picked up the
binoculars and looks through them, the camera takes up the binoculars vignette forcing the
audience to look at the female through Bond’s gaze. Male or female the audience has been forced
to objectify the character via a masculine voyeuristic position. The female character has been
coded to ensure she has a strong visual and erotic impact, with large breasts, flawless skin, fully
maked- up when swimming and a tiny waste, which draws in “to-be-looked-at-ness”. The shot
then shows Jinx walking to the bar on the beach dripping wet in a bikini. The post production of
the film has edited Jinx into slow motion. Her body movements are racy and exaggerated her hips
sway side to side and her facial expression is somewhat sexually suggestive. This slow motion edit
represents the intense scrutiny and examination Bond is giving to the female form. At this point
we could argue that this racy and suggestive body language is not how she is actually moving, it
is how Bond sees her move in his mind. The character of Jinx has been objectified before we even
knew her name or narrative role. The objectification is not discreet and is confirmed, with Bond’s
first words when meeting Jinx, “magnificent view” playfully tricking and making fun of the female
character into believing he is talking about the landscape, when the audience knew he is referring
to her body. This is also an issue of female representation as Bond is ridiculing her intelligence,
and she is oblivious.
Photo Clips from the Film

Jinx in slow motion, Jinx

emphasizing each gradual swimming in
“spectacle”. sexually
seductive
poses.
The Female
plays the
erotic role as
an object of
desire.

Jinx’s image inside the lens

of Bond’s binoculars
(vignette).

Male having the power

of “control”, he holds
the superiority over the
female object.