This masterpiece with Ingrid Bergman is the basis of the expression that is widely used today

You probably know the expression Male gauze. Or how the male gaze appropriates the female body when the camera frames the woman as a sexual object to admire her plasticity. A concept that is not at all new: it was theorized in the essay Visual pleasure and narrative cinema 1975 by Laura Mulvey, British director and feminist activist.

But have you heard of it? Gas lighting ? It is a form of mental manipulation in which information is distorted or presented in a different light, selectively omitted in favor of the abuser, or distorted to make the victim doubt their memory, perception and mental health. Examples include simple denial by the abuser of painful moments he may have subjected his victim to, to staging strange events to disorient him.

What does this have to do with cinema? It has everything to do: the term comes directly from two movies. The first, Gaslight, was released in 1940 and directed by Thorold Dickinson. The second, more famous, which will be released four years later under the name Hantise chez nous. Directed by George Cukor, the film was originally a play called gas lightIt was performed in 1938.

Psychological manipulation

A piece known asAngel street In the United States, as well as the 1940 and 1944 film adaptations, the term originated to refer to the protagonist’s systematic use of psychological manipulation on the victim.

In the play, a husband tries to convince his wife and those around him that he is crazy by manipulating details of their environment. He tries to convince you that he makes mistakes and has a bad memory when he points out the changes.

In this case, the original title comes from dimming the house’s gas lights while the husband was using the attic to search for hidden treasure. His wife notices this change and broaches the subject, but her husband tells her that he is imagining this change in brightness.

In George Cukor’s film, it is Ingrid Bergman who is the victim of her husband’s manipulations. A wonderful trio of actors – Joseph Cotten and Charles Boyer supporting the actress -, annoying Won two Oscars, including Best Actress for Ingrid Bergman.

The work, which, despite its 80 years, is still relevant. In the United States, rather, the expression Gas lighting returned with a vengeance during the election of Donald Trump as president; Like these articles New York Times has CNN via Vogue, which headlined the post “Donald Trump will set America on fire”.

If annoying Wondering – and highly recommended!-, is available on VOD as well as DVD.