"The book explores both mainstream and parallel cinema for an analysis of the woman image, the idea of romance, the imposition and defiance of patriarchal order and a woman's journey towards self-definition. Films reach a wider audience than literature as they move across the barriers of class, literacy, religion and even language. Not only do they reflect reality, they also construct reality. Film technique has both borrowed from and contributed to literary aesthetics. The essays in the present volume, written by scholars of literature, sociology, philosophy, political science, history and film-making highlight these interconnections. The volume makes a significant contribution to film, gender and literary studies."