Feminists like to gripe about the "male gaze," the way in which male-created art tends to objectify women, and y'know, every time I see some leering Michael Bay shot of Megan Fox's butt, I'll admit they have a point. But, on the other hand, where would cinema be without films like "In The Mood For Love," "The Blue Angel," or "Raise The Red Lantern," all products of the male gaze in a very different sense.
Call it "cinema du muse," but a hopeless, all-encompassing devotion to the very being of an actress is often the greatest source of inspiration for a male filmmaker. Sometimes this accompanies a romantic involvement or sublimated desire, but not always; even gay directors have their muses. (Where would Fassbinder have been without his creative partner Hanna Schygulla?)
Further proof can be found in the latest work by Madrid's maestro Pedro Almodovar, whose "Broken Embraces" is about directors and their muses as much as it is a product of such a relationship. Penelope Cruz, Almodovar's current muse, has frequently spoken of how she decided to become an actress after seeing the director's racy 1990 film, "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down," and her blossoming as an actress has neatly coincided with her Almodovar phase.