The “male gaze”, a concept introduced by feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey in her 1975 essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, describes how women are depicted in visual arts and literature from a heterosexual male perspective. This framing objectifies women as sexualized subjects for male pleasure, particularly in Hollywood films, where male producers shape representations to reflect their values. The term highlights not only how women are portrayed but also how this portrayal influences the experience of being seen, affecting both on-screen characters and viewers, reinforcing narrow and objectifying representations of women in the broader culture.
Video games are very different from the films discussed by Mulvey. Uniqueness of Video Games and Meaning of Interactive Gaze Theory in Video Games The three main differences in practice are: the ability of the player to move the camera and take on the role of director, the rules of video games and how they are played. This allows players to control the characters and active female characters and how they are still represented as objects of male fantasy. Video games put the player in the director’s position, allowing them to choose what they see, but the game rules limit their ability. Even though the player may not have complete freedom, they can still engage in voyeurism, and the gameplay encourages the player to objectify female characters, Hoffswell, J.M. (2011).
The Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game series launched by Eidos Interactive in 1996. The game features the iconic protagonist Lara Croft, whom players control on thrilling adventures.
The “male gaze” has influenced this game’s design, marketing, and character development, especially in the image design of Lara Croft from 1996 to the 2000s. Early designs emphasised her as a sex symbol through exaggerated body proportions, such as a thin waist and large breasts, more in line with male fantasy. Lara is an adventurer exploring harsh environments, but she often wears revealing tight tank tops and shorts that are not practical, Dey, Ayesha R. (2019). While her intelligence, bravery, and independence are core to the character, these qualities are often overshadowed by her sexualised appearance.
The early promotion of Tomb Raider has too much emphasis on Lara’s appearance rather than her abilities as a formidable adventurer. Advertisements and magazine covers often featured her in provocative poses or sexy scenes.
The player’s task in the game is to guide her through these dangerous environments and solve complex puzzles, fight powerful enemies. While Lara’s visual design caters to the male gaze, her active participation in the game also allows players to see Lara as a hero. But even in the game, voyeuristic scenes still exist. The camera angle often focuses on Lara’s body in certain low-angle view scenes, such as climbing or swimming.
In 2013, the Tomb Raider reboot and redesigned Lara Croft’s character image, moving away from the male gaze with a more realistic physique and a deeper background story, more about her resilience and growth as an adventurer, no longer a sex symbol. The rebooted version focuses more on Lara’s journey rather than her appearance.
However, some people think that in an industry that is still struggling with gender representation issues, can characters like Lara Croft break away from the male gaze?
Reference List:
Dey, Ayesha R. (2019) Contemporary Action Heroines: The Quest for Emancipation from The Male Gaze. Masters thesis, University of Huddersfield.
Hoffswell, J.M. (2011) Female video game characters and the male gaze, Northern Illinois University.
Mulvey, L. (1975) Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. London Afterall Books.
