Brainwashed in Love
In “Woman on a Motorcycle,� the main character Rebecca is viewed through the lens of the camera with the eyes of a man. In the first opening scene, she is stripped nude of her clothes under the powerful whip of Daniel, her controlling lover in her dream. Her body is captured with the male gaze through the doorway of her closet prior to her wild adventure on her motorcycle, illustrating the “peeping tom� used for the male viewers’ enjoyment. Rebecca’s entire pursuit of her independent adventure is ironically fueled by her dependence on a male, whom she cannot go living without. Rebecca views are not independent, but in accordance with Daniel’s views. Every narrative throughout the film is driven by Daniel’s view and questioning his approval of any act she commits. It is as if Rebecca has been brainwashed by Daniel and aware of her inferior position stating, “Daniel treats me like a slave.� She is openly aware of her dependence and allows Daniel to know his controlling effect on her, allowing herself to be extremely vulnerable to a man. The first encounter between Daniel and Rebecca was rape and ultimately about Daniel’s control over Rebecca. His control is what fuels his affection for Rebecca. Her intimacy with Daniel leaves Rebecca aware that she “has no identity.� Though she realizes her state with Daniel, she longs for her visits to him and is like a puppy dog begging for affection. “The way you taught me to drink, Daniel.� She is unable to be independent of constant thoughts of Daniel and opportunities to showcase his teachings that she has acquired. Her one independent tool is the motorcycle. Yet, this mode of transportation that she feels is her freedom is ultimately plagued with the thought of her lover and her undying need for him. Every action and thought Rebecca possesses is ultimately a longing for acceptance and love from a man who only sees her as an object of “free love.� Rebecca’s fetishism with her motorcycle represents her obsession with Daniel. The motorcycle was a gift to Rebecca trapping her forever in her love for Daniel. It is with this fetishism which was ironically meant to free her from her everyday life and into Daniel’s refuge that brings her to her ultimate escape, death.