L’avventura is a French film released in 1960. It is a mystery and a romance. Being early for the era, we can assume that sexism was still strong as seen in the previous decade. Women were expected to be housewives and the few who did work were paid very little and treated poorly. One visual code is the brunette women who is isolated in the foreground. She wears a blue jacket, the colour blue signifying stability but in contrast to the blonde women in the background, she appears out of place. This connotes how media had a strong assumption that independent brunettes such as the women were different and unique in a negative way. The setting surrounding the women is dangerous with waves and no safety. This connotes danger for this woman, or perhaps danger towards the women in blonde who appears the victim to the man above her. Unlike the brunette, she is in a passive and elegant pose. She is presented as an ideal woman, whereas the man is seen as dominating. His hand is on her tightly connoting control over the woman. Knowing this is a romantic film, we can connote the man could be doing this in a protecting manner, although the visuals in the setting could make us connote that he is the storm that’s causing the other women danger. The use of lighting is key as the only character with a bright face is the blonde women. This is used to show her innocence. Meanwhile both the brunette and the man have dark shadows which could signify a sense of danger and mystery within them both. The use of dark colours in the brunette and the setting represents the problem in the story. This alone creates the enigma, who is this woman and what will she do? Thinking about Zoonens feminist theory, we can infer that both women are sexualised by the male gaze. The brunette (despite her mystery) is wearing high heels and showing some of her legs revealing a sexual desire for the male character. Whereas the blonde is literally being sexually dominated by the man and seeming passive.
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