Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist, known for her influential essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," published in 1975. In this work, she introduced the concept of the "male gaze," which describes how women are often objectified in film and visual media. Mulvey's ideas have significantly impacted feminist film criticism and theory, encouraging a reevaluation of how gender is represented in cinema. Mulvey's work is associated with the broader field of feminist theory and has inspired discussions about the representation of women in various forms of media. She has also explored the relationship between psychoanalysis and film, examining how viewers engage with cinematic narratives. Her contributions continue to shape contemporary debates in film studies and gender studies.