Celluloid Brutality

The Portrayal of Violence Against Women in Bangladeshi Cinema

Abstract

This study examines the portrayal of violence against women in
Bangladeshi cinema through a qualitative analysis of four films: "Guerrilla"
(2011), "Meherjaan" (2011), "Television" (2012), and "Rehana Maryam Noor"
(2021). The study explores how such cultural representations resurface in films
relative to gender-based violence within cultural and historical frameworks
employing secondary data analysis enshrined by critical discourse examination.
The findings reveal a significant evolution in how violence is portrayed: From
reporting physical violence in overall movies to analyzing structural and
psychological violence in some of the contemporary movies. The analysis
identifies three key trends: (1) a shift from depicting women as passive victims
to complex characters actively responding to violence, (2) an expansion in the
portrayal of violence beyond physical abuse to include institutional and social
forms of oppression, and (3) increasingly sophisticated cinematographic
techniques that emphasize psychological impact over graphic representation.
These changes are indicative of shifts in perceptions of gender-based violence
more widely, and the function of cinema in relation to presenting social
problems in present day Bangladesh. The research advances existing
knowledge about gender depiction in South Asian movies and argues that
changing visualizations of women in movies mirror and impact the culture of
gendered violence.