Today's culture sees a gap between the male and female genders. This is evident in everything from the movies we watch, to the music we listen to, and even in our daily lives. Historically, this issue has seen an even greater gap and can be observed in films made during that time. Vertigo and Citizen Kane both show the objectification of women by controlling them, writing them into supporting roles, and placing their value on their appearance. In Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, made in 1954, a detective falls in love with the woman he is hired to investigate, not knowing her true identity. When the main character, Scottie, is hired by Gavin Elster, it is evident in the way Elster talks about Madeleine that he considers her an object to him. Elster wants Scottie to follow Madeleine wherever she goes. He wants to know “where he goes and what he does”. This implies that he has no say in his own actions. She belongs to him and he deserves to know what she is doing at all times. This attitude then transfers to the main character. After Scottie and Madeleine spend some time together, their affection for each other grows and culminates to the point that Scottie says "I'm responsible for you now." Control over Madeline is transferred to Scottie. Later in the film, Madeline's true identity is revealed to be Judy. Scottie tries to transform Judy into the image he finds attractive. She largely looks for the same clothes Madeline was wearing, despite Judy being visibly uncomfortable. When he pressures her to dye her hair blonde, Judy finally gives in, seeking only Scottie's love. Throughout the film her fate is in the hands of a man. A similar situation occurs in Citizen Kane.Orson Welles' Ci...... middle of paper ......to look nice. Already at the beginning of the film, the woman is forced into the role of being looked at, pleasing to the eye, and a vision for the men in the film and the audience to admire. Both Vertigo and Citizen Kane are products of their misogynistic generation. Filmmakers of the time depicted life and culture that was indicative of their time period. Women in both films were objectified by being constantly controlled, locked into a passive role, and valued only for their beauty. Although these themes are typically associated with the past, they are still felt in today's society. Films still continue to objectify women, albeit to a lesser extent after feminist film theorists brought the issue into the public spotlight. As history progresses and culture evolves, perhaps these issues will be a thing of the past, with men and women on equal footing.