As young adults of a particularly cinematic generation, the blood within our veins rushes with movie-making magic. The movies we view have significant impacts on our perspective of the world, especially our beliefs on the people in it. Because characters and plot are the bulk of films, they are subject to critical analysis, sometimes subconsciously.
Specifically, they tend to evoke emotions and thought within the audience.
Whether good, bad, or gender specific, there is always a character or group of characters to depict a significant message. Often, the depiction of women in major motion pictures is muddled, and/or tampered with. Due to the significance of movies in today’s culture, the varied messages of women’s roles can heavily influence growing perspectives. Depending on the genre, filmmakers, and intended audience, films can either depict females in a positive light or a negative shadow.
Take for example film beauties of earlier eras. Actresses such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, and Ginger Rogers (to name a few) were movie maidens loved by all. Their various portrayals on the silver screen were classy, elegant, and relatable to the general female populace. The film characters they portrayed were also insightful, witty, wisecracking females that would soon become idols across the globe.
Today’s culture tends to lose track of strong female characters such as these, replacing them with not so ideal portrayals of women. It’s simpler to exploit a woman’s physical assets as opposed to her charismatic nature. This is reflected in modern society’s films, and is a questionable method to charm audiences. Inaccurate depictions of women include consistently sultry appearance or activity, such as Megan Fox in the Transformers films.
Pardon this assumption, but the days of an everyday woman are not consumed by working on automobiles while half clad in clothing.
In addition, the crime-fighting, genetically-favored superspy is not quite the accurate depiction of an important woman of society. Sorry, Lara Croft, but The Tomb Raider does not assist in the positive representation of women, unless they’re always dressed in spandex while fighting crime. Where there is bad, there is also good. Not all films inaccurately represent the female populace.
Recently, Captain America: The First Avenger hit theaters and enticed a broad demographic of people. Hayley Atwell stars as Marvel’s Peggy Carter, and portrays an independent woman of the 1940s. In this era, it was difficult for a woman to create her mark on society, especially as a military officer. Her character is determined, intelligent, and capable of demolishing villains, even in heels and lipstick. Christopher Nolan’s Inception also provides a powerful woman character. Ellen Page portrays Ariadne, the savvy architect responsible for creating the dreamscape of the team’s mission. This positive depiction is one that supports the important role of mature, hardworking women, despite some negative transmissions in modern culture.
Women needn’t be frequently depicted as demure or enticing creatures, especially not in films. As a significant part of culture, movies impact our perspective negatively and positively. After experiencing a particularly good film, opinions change, emotions grow, and the mind tends to broaden. Thus the importance of well-rounded characters comes in. Whether female or male, movie characters are responsible for relating to the audience and navigating their perspective in a beneficial manner.