Current Forum: Session 8: Love and Hollywood's Master Narratives	Read 7 times 	
Date: 07-Mar-2001 00:26:58	
Author: CASHIN, KATHRYN K. <kkc2311@mailer.fsu.edu>	
Subject: Love -- one act at a time 	
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       Pretty Woman offers a unique opportunity to study the ideology of love in film. Not only does the movie reflect the perfect Hollywood ending (i.e. a happy one with a reunited heterosexual couple of the same race oblivious to class difference), but the filming of the movie allows us to see the development of love.
       Mark Cooper finds that in Hollywood cinema, the union of two eyelines defines love. (170) Furthermore, he notes that "a steady look is everything since wavering eyes indicate either shyness or coquetry." (170) But Vivian presents a special problem and waiting for the eyeline match (which eventually arrives, conventionally, at the end) has less to do with missed timing or
misunderstanding (as so often happens) than with the ideology of "correct" love. Although she is of the "correct" race and gender to complete the perfect Hollywood couple with Edward, she is not of the same class. Complicating this is, of course, her job.
       Although typical Americans embrace the idea of rewarding hard work with upper mobility, prostitution is generally not considered rewardable work. Rubin tells us that Edward and Vivian's relationship, although heterosexual, is not presumed "correct" because it is also not marital,
monogamous, reproductive or non-commercial. (142) In other words, as good as the relationship might be, it is assumed doomed because of Vivian's career.
       The mise-en-scene and filming of the movie slowly allows the audience to overlook the problems represented by Vivian. Specifically, the ideology of love is developed throughout the movie one sexual encounter at a time. During the first sexual act, both Vivian and Edward are
clothed. Vivian refuses to kiss him on the lips, but has no apparent problem kissing him elsewhere. Her disinterest, however, is evident by her sideways glance to the "I Love Lucy”
show. Her eyes flicker to the TV then him, but certainly no eyeline match is accomplished. The room is dark, she is in black underwear, but he is wearing a white shirt, and thus stands out. She appears as the aggressor, he the recipient. The camera does not show the act, but in quickly cutting away leaves no doubt that it is an "act" and not love. The next shot shows him in the shower, alone.
       In the second scene, she is again clad in black, but in a more refined "teddy." Since she is placed on the piano at a higher level than he and still refused to kiss him on the lips, an eyeline match is again difficult. Again, we have only a hint of the act. However, this time he appears to be the aggressor, although the camera quickly tracks out of the scene. Conversely, the next shot shows her in bed, alone. This reinforces the idea of an "act" being performed not love. The third sexual scene skips the sex altogether. We assume a sexual act took place because the two are laying side by side, naked in bed. This is the first time the couple has been presented (at least sexually) on even ground. The camera is observing them from a low-angle show that reveals that even though they are side by side on the same surface, there is still a considerable amount of space between them. The camera angle makes determining whether an eyeline match is occurring very difficult.
       The ideology of love bears fruit in the fourth sexual scene. In this scene, Vivian is wearing virginal white and begins the love making by kissing Edward on his face then mouth. The filming of this scene lets us know that it is different. We see more aspects of the love making, which appears to be mutually aggressive. Furthermore, the foot and headboards of the bed are used as a screen, partially obscuring our view and suggesting that this type of lovemaking is sacred
and therefore "right." Finally, when the lovemaking is over the two are intertwined in each other’s arms. Her eyes are open and his closed until she says "I love you." Then his eyes open and hers close. An eyeline match is now possible here, but we have to save something for the
ending of the movie.
       Many good arguments have been made that eyeline match is essential to representing love in movies. However, in Pretty Woman a lipmatch is a prerequisite.