Faceless women: The female body and violence in movie posters

Abstract

This study deals with the interpretations of the female body in movie posters whose plots are based on sexual violence against women: “Saló” (1975), “I Spit on Your Grave” (1978) and “Irréversible” (2002). The objective is to identify heteronormative constructions in the posters and the links between violence and desire. The theoretical basis is designated by the approach of Yuri Lotman (1978, 1996, 1998) for the Semiotics of Culture, Stuart Hall (2016) at the intersection with Cultural Studies, Douglas Kellner (2001) referring to the media influence in the construction of subjects, and Judith Butler (2001, 2010), Michelle Perrot (2005, 2007) and Ann E. Kaplan (1995) for heteronormativity and the female body represented in cinema. In the results of the analysis, it was pointed out that the posters enunciate guidelines that connect the female body, even if immersed in violence, desire and sensuality.