Women Walking: The Flâneuse and Urban Tourist in Cinema

Abstract

This thesis looks at representations of female mobility and the female gaze in films set in Paris and Tuscany. It primarily looks at these representations in terms of female participation in flânerie. It looks for the classical example of flânerie in early cinema beginning with Les Vampires before moving on to mid- century representations and the struggle with the feminine masquerade in Cléo 5 a 7 and Funny Face. The final two chapters look at the female tourist and the window shopper as the flâneuse in more recent examples: A Room with a View, Stealing Beauty, and Midnight in Paris. Ultimately, this thesis looks at women walking and traveling the urban landscapes in their home city and on tour.