Gender Identity Beyond the Binary in Gun Hill Road (2024)
The film Gun Hill Road follows protagonist Enrique Rodriguez as he navigates life in the Bronx following his release from prison. In the three years he was away, his child began socially transitioning from male to female, and the film illustrates how Enrique struggles to accept that his child is transsexual. Though Enrique and other characters use the child’s incorrect pronouns and deadname throughout the film, for the purposes of this paper, the child will be referred to using female (she/her) pronouns and by the name Vanessa, which is the name she uses to introduce herself when she self identifies as transsexual. Additionally, it is important to note that the gender binary discussed in this paper is to be defined as the social ideology that operates on the belief that gender identity is solely classified as male and female, based on sex assignment at birth, in which there is the expectation that males engage in masculine gender expression while females engage in feminine gender expression. By offering imagery illustrating Vanessa’s femininity despite her male sex assignment at birth, this film presents gender identity that exists beyond the traditional gender binary. Further, the film uses Enrique’s deeply engrained beliefs on gender to highlight the way Vanessa’s appearance and behaviors subvert the expectations of the gender binary, which ultimately reveals how rigid belief in the gender binary negatively impacts those whose identity lies outside of it.
The concept of gender as performance is crucial in understanding how gender identity is constructed in this film. In her essay Imitation and Gender Insubordination, Judith Butler argues that gender is a performative act because all gendered behavior is learned and internalized through imitation(1). Butler’s concept is explicitly visualized in the film when Vanessa overhears a conversation between two girls in the bathroom in which one of them offers advice on oral sex. Later in the film, Vanessa is seen taking that advice when she has her first sexual encounter. This instance of Vanessa overtly modeling her behaviors after the other female characters reveals her inner desire to be feminine in the same way as them and demonstrates how gendered behaviors are internalized then imitated. Butler also asserts that repetition plays an important role in the construction of an individual’s gender identity, arguing that it is through the constant repetition of gendered behaviors that gender identity is both established and maintained(2). With that in mind, scenes in which Vanessa’s femininity is communicated through her appearance, such as when she wears dresses and makeup, exemplify how repeated engagement in smaller gendered behaviors, like choice of clothing, contributes to the overall construction of gender identity. Similarly, Vanessa is seen maintaining her gender identity by exhibiting feminine mannerisms such as speaking in a softer tone of voice and using expressive hand movements. By revealing the process of internalizing gendered behavior and the way in which Vanessa repeatedly performs femininity, the film demonstrates how the imitation and repetition of gendered behaviors constructs gender identity.
As Vanessa explores her identity through traditionally female gendered performances, the film strategically juxtaposes her femininity with her father’s machismo sense of masculinity to emphasize the way in which her gender identity exists beyond the traditional gender binary. Moreover, the film purposefully depicts Enrique as someone with a rigid belief in the traditional gender binary to call attention to how Vanessa’s gender identity disrupts those beliefs. Though Enrique’s beliefs are never directly stated, his commitment to adhering to the expectations of the gender binary is revealed in his comments and actions toward Vanessa when she tries to express her femininity. An example of this can be seen when Enrique forcibly cuts off Vanessa’s long hair in an effort to make her appear more masculine. Despite her sobbing and begging him to stop cutting her hair, Enrique completely disregards the feelings of his child as he conveys his intolerance toward gendered behavior that does not adhere to the traditional gender binary. As Vanessa’s mother helps fix up her hair following this event, Vanessa states that she is “not pretty anymore” now that she does not have her long, feminine hair. This comment, paired with her negative reaction to Enrique cutting her hair, reveal how hairstyle itself is a gendered performance that contributes to one’s overall gender identity. Moreover, these scenes reinforce Butler’s claim that gender identity is the culmination of gendered performances(3) by showing how Vanessa fears for her gender identity when she is denied femininity in her hairstyle.
In addition to forcibly masculinizing her appearance, Enrique forces Vanessa to partake in activities that are traditionally considered to be very masculine, such as playing baseball with other male family members and being intimate with a female sex worker he hired on Vanessa’s behalf. In these instances, the film positions Enrique as a symbol of the gender binary meant to pressure her into engaging in traditional performances of masculinity. The film uses Enrique’s actions to communicate the idea that if Vanessa engages in these performances of masculinity, she will no longer be able to maintain her transsexual identity since she will no longer be participating in the performances of femininity that constitute her gender identity. The scene in which Enrique forces Vanessa to be with the sex worker is also demonstrative of Susan Bordo’s claim that the gender binary is rooted in the belief that those who were born with a phallus are expected to signify their masculinity by being dominant over women during sexual encounters(4). It becomes clear that Enrique’s actions in this scene stem from this belief when he listens in on the encounter from behind the door to determine whether Vanessa abides to the traditional expectations of men during sex. Despite Enrique’s effort to masculinize Vanessa in this scene, she once again subverts the expectations of the gender binary when she is shown to be visually uncomfortable with the encounter and does not participate.
All in all, the film Gun Hill Road illustrates Vanessa’s identity as a transsexual woman by showing how her femininity in her appearance and behaviors subverts the expectations of the gender binary. The film intentionally constructs Enrique’s character to be a firm believer in the gender binary to help demonstrate how Vanessa does not adhere to traditional expectations of gender, and to show how rigid belief in the traditional gender binary negatively impacts those whose identity lies outside of it. Although Enrique continuously tries to counteract Vanessa’s subversion by forcing her to participate in traditionally masculine performances, her repeated performances of femininity in her appearance and behaviors ultimately reinforce her identity as a transsexual woman.
Sources
(1) Judith Butler, “Imitation and Gender Insubordination,” (1991), 313.
(2) Butler, “Imitation and Gender Insubordination,” 315.
(3) Butler, “Imitation and Gender Insubordination,” 313.
(4) Susan Bordo, “Reading the Male Body,” Michigan Quarterly Review 32.4 (1993), 719.