Agency

• In the Classical Hollywood cinema the male protagonist has agency - he is active and powerful.
• He is the agent around whom the dramatic action unfolds.
• The female character is passive and powerless - she is the object of desire for protagonist and audience.

Erotic Desire

Laura Mulvey argues that women have two roles in a film:- 

1. As an object of erotic desire for the characters.
2. As an object of erotic desire for the audience.