Patriarchal Control and Women’s Resistance in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling: A Feminist Reading
Keywords:
patriarchy, women’s resistance, social conflict, sexual politics, filmAbstract
This study aims to analyze the social conflicts experienced by the female protagonist in Don’t Worry Darling, a film by Olivia Wilde, through the lens of Kate Millett’s theory of sexual politics. Set in the patriarchal society of the United States in the 1950s, the film portrays the life of a couple, Alice and Jack, in a simulated town called Victory. In the film, Alice attempts to resist and escape the control of the patriarchal system represented by Jack and several other characters, which leads to social conflicts between her and these characters. This study also analyzes the film’s cinematography and mise-en-scène to depict these conflicts, particularly through the use of two-shots, over the shoulder shots, medium shots, medium close-up shots, close-up shots, tight framing, central framing, shallow space, as well as low-key and high-key lighting. Ultimately, Alice is depicted as successfully escaping the control of the patriarchal system, signifying the director’s critique of patriarchal control and support for women’s resistance.References
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