This master’s thesis examines feminism and feminist elements in the filmmaking of director, actress, and screenwriter Greta Gerwig. The first part of the thesis provides a theoretical overview of the concepts of patriarchy, feminism, feminist film theory and feminist cinema. Using a qualitative method of textual analysis the thesis examines the narrative and formal elements of feminism in Greta Gerwig’s films Lady Bird, Little Women, and Barbie. It addresses themes of identity, social roles, independence, equality, and social constraints in the lives of the coming-of-age protagonists. The analyses are supported by the theory of the “male gaze” developed by feminist and film theorist Laura Mulvey. It concludes by noting that the stories in all three films are told from a female perspective of experiencing life and the world, as well as of searching for and exploring their true selves in environments that attempt to control or hinder their independence. Gerwig always allows the protagonists space and time for critical reflection, subjective opinion and the expression of feelings and beliefs. The camera does not objectify the main protagonist but rather follows her emotional and identity-related state, remaining at the level of the protagonist’s experience.
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