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A Brief Analyzation of Queer Women in Film

It is safe to say that movies that frequent queer women have a whole different feel than movies that showcase queer men. They stray from the aesthetics derived in male driven films and their feel is somewhat more sensual in terms of their desire. Many films like to include lesbian characters but only some actually create memorable and relatable characters and portray lesbian love in an accurate way. In Anat Pick’s “New Queer Cinema and Lesbian Films”, they comment that, “Much of today’s popular culture is served with a good dash of Sapphic seasoning”. Alongside of this, the authentic lesbian films are the ones that are clearly not trying to cater to male audiences who have strange obsessions with woman-loving-woman discourse. 

Many of the examples given in this scrapbook involve powerful and driven women who are queer in their sexuality. They’re power is emphasized by their sexuality as well even if they’re sexual practices are not showcased in the media that they originate from. Also, queer women in film reclaim the sexual exploitation that men have had over them in film for decades and refocus this towards their homosexual narrative. In “The She-Man: postmodern bi-sexed performance in film and video” by Chris Straayer, he writes how, “...cinema’s sexual imaging of women is also partly responsible for making possible a representation of femaleness as sexual power” and that “...cinema made this body the carrier of sexuality in both the film’s visuals and narrative”. This is an interesting analysis to look at and it puts into perspective how women centered queer cinema is different than heterosexual cinema in the way that they portray women’s bodies and sexuality in general. 

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The Affection-Image

The “affection-image” is defined as a close-up that showcases how a character is perceiving a moment and is an interval between perception and action. The article, “Something in Her Face: Queering the Affection-Image in the Watermelon Women” talks about this concept in terms of lesbian relationships in film. Particularly, this concept was used in Cheryl Dunye’s The Watermelon Women and in this case the affection-image “constructs an idea of a person”. This type of perceptual showcase of shots is a common trope in queer women cinema. This is because, “relations among objects, persons, and perceptions” are “especially complex with regard to the lesbian”. The affection-image shows the dynamic of emotion that drives queer women cinema and sexuality. Without this, lesbian cinema would not be so remotely different than male driven queer cinema. 

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This is a great example of the “affection-image” as shown in the film Portrait of a Lady on Fire where the camera stays incredibly close to the intimacy and showcases the character’s reactions and perceptions up close. 

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The close-ups of how Rue and Jules look at each other in this scene showcase the “affection-image” in a specific way. 

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The looks of both intimacy and pure joy that come from the sapphic relationship in Portrait of a Lady on Fire. 

This film showcases a lot of subtle intimate moments alongside realistic sexual moments between the two female characters. These moments show a strong sense of lesbian representation even in a period piece set decades ago and in a different country. This film touches on memorable topics amongst the wlw and feminist community. 

Please like the post if you save it :)

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This scene ends the movie off, and it is something so touching that one must only experience themselves. 

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) dir. by Céline Sciamma

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Exceptional imagery from Portrait of a Lady on Fire. The subtle moments between these two women are striking. 

WLW GIF MEME: ↳ [3/8] movies ► portrait of a lady on fire (dir. céline sciamma)

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do all lovers feel like they’re inventing something? i know the gestures. i imagined it all, waiting for you.

portrait de la jeune fille en feu / portrait of a lady on fire, 2019

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“you dreamed of me?” “no, i thought of you” is just literally insane. it throws everything out the window. the yearning, the hoping, the wishing. it’s about loving someone on PURPOSE. loving someone INTENTIONALLY. 

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The “affection-image” in Euphoria

Rue and Jules euphoria

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Rue and Jules sapphic representation

"I hate everyone else in the world but you."

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if nobody got me i know rue and jules .. Lol nevermind

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Lesbian Representation in Video Games: The Last of Us

In today’s years, video games are essentially movies now, with hyper realistic looking characters. The Last of Us is an action-adventure game following characters in a post-apocalyptic world. One of the main characters, Ellie, is not only gay but she’s incredibly brave and strong. She’s ambitious and goes after what she believes. She fights for her life and to save those she loves around her. In the second game of this story, Ellie goes to extremes to keep her girlfriend, Dina, safe while trying to avenge the life of another person she loved. 

Being a male dominated area of interest, video games showcasing lesbian characters in an accurate and loving way instead of solely for male interest is important and The Last of Us does this well. 

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“You make me want to go back outside into that blizzard.”

“No one is stopping you.”

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Pure Ellie and Dina content

the winter dance

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This scene in The Last of Us shows the existing stigma surrounding lesbian relationships. 

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MORE Lesbian Representation in Video Games: Life is Strange

Life is Strange is a choose-your-own-adventure game that takes players down a heart wrenching story. The story centers around Max and Chloe, two childhood friends who reunite and attempt to solve a missing persons case on their own.  The game gives players the option to take these two character’s relationship into a romantic route. Even though this is an option for the players, and one they do not have to take, the characters are written in a way where players want them together because they have such good chemistry. They’re queer representation in this game has inspired many queer players around the world.