Gendered Oppression in the Film Mai (2024)

Abstract

Historically, women have persistently encountered inequity within a patriarchal culture. This study examines gender oppression portrayed in the Vietnamese film Mai (2024), directed by Trấn Thành. This research employs Iris Marion Young's Five Faces of Oppression theory (1990) to examine Mai's experiences of gender oppression as a woman in a patriarchal culture, particularly in her role as a widow, as shown in Mai (2024). This study identifies three of the five forms of oppression encountered by Mai: exploitation, marginalization, and violence, as outlined in Young's oppression theory. Through a visual narrative approach, the findings show that women who experience gender oppression are not always passive and take things for granted. Through Mai's character, this research proves that oppressed women have the potential to voice resistance such as starting new love, breaking toxic family ties, and opening new chapter of life by pursuing her dreams as an independent woman.