Transfer of Power from gaze to gaze
Although on the surface, the female focus of Girl on a Motorcyle, Rebecca, appears to be the ultimate liberated bad ass --- taking off on her motorcycle in a leather jumpsuit, taking lovers and commanding the road --- she is actually completely commanded and directed by an outside force, the male gaze.
This is most apparent when we analyze exactly who and what drives the plot, which may or may not necessarily be the focus of the camera. Ultimately it is Daniel, the lover, and enforcer of the male gaze who makes things happen. It is Daniel's gaze which first stirs Rebecca in the ski lodge, the camera purposefully showing Daniels eyes, then Rebecca being beckoned and controlled by the gaze his piercing eyes emit. Again, in her father's bookstore, Rebecca feels she is being viewed erotically by Daniel, guiding her to take action and go with him. She also only takes off on the motorcycle to feed her desire to be 'viewed' by the male gaze, aka Daniel. Her eroticism is only stirred when beckoned by Daniel. So, although she appears to be sexually liberated by taking up with a lover, in reality, it is the male gaze which directs this impetus.
In my mind, this is purposeful for the reasons that Mulvey states:
"As the narrative progresses she falls in love with the main male protagonist and becomes his property, losing her outward glamorous characteristics, her generalized sexuality...her eroticism is subjected to the male star alone. By mean of identification with him, through participation in his power, the spectator can indirectly possess her too."(Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, 42)
Rebecca simply shifts from one creation of the patriarchy (subordination by her father, getting married, etc.), to another that is simply shrouded in a veil of faux-rebellion. Rebecca is still controlled by a man's gaze. Thoughout the film, we see the transfer of control of Rebecca's sexuality from father, to fiance, to lover. But Rebecca never possesses it.
I also thought it interesting that Marianne Faithfull discussed being controlled by a male gaze in her recent interview, stating:
"I feel quiet wonderful having those five years as [Mick's] muse. I was young, beautiful, interesting, intelligent...I had a lot to give. I mean, I gave him the key to my brain. But I don't think the role of muse is a very happy one for anyone. Hisotry shows that."
She points out that being directed by a man, even for creative purposes is not a fruitful way to live. Being the object of a gaze, while perhaps flattering, is not healthy or liberating. She also points out their desire to live in a spectacle:
"I mean, incredible things happened to us, like drug busts, which was awful, but I understand that that drama was exactly what Mick wanted, and so thats what we had"
Its very interesting the way this idea plays out in real life, rather than on screen.
Check out these interviews:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR1QaQWwYQA
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnYNP9_f5P0&feature=related