In chapter 8 of his Seminar XI, Lacan emphasizes the “pacifying Apollonian effect” of paintings, and again in chapter 9, he refers to their “calming,” “comforting” effects. In making these remarks, Lacan seems to spell doom for any radical cultural politics of the image. And, Joan Copjec points out, this is precisely how Lacan's work has been read by traditional Feminist Film Theory, which appropriates his theory of the gaze in order to show that cinematic images have a conservative effect in propping up the patriarchal order. In this paper, I argue against this reading of Lacan. In particular, I show that, in his remarks on the disruptive impact of the gaze, Lacan opens a space in which the picture may operate as a radical political tool.