Spaces of Women's Cinema Space, Place and Genre in Contemporary Women's Filmmaking

On the screen one sees wilderness, seemingly endless, unchanging, undefined-feminine. Entering this scene is a lone rider, the embodiment of Manifest Destiny and the "white man's burden," the conqueror, the bringer of order-masculine. Countless films (books, artworks) have ingrained this trope within the viewer/reader; it resounds in male-directed films. What about films directed by women? How do they present space? Thornham investigates this question brilliantly . Her theoretical underpinnings are wide-ranging and her analyses compelling. This reviewer found himself wishing the book were twice as long as it is. Summing Up: Highly recommended. CHOICE