Women in Books and Film
First off, I'd like to thank SuperCarlinBrothers on Youtube for giving me this idea. Here's the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6cODw_Tekc
The video had addressed how many of Pixar's films had failed the Bechdel Test, a simple test developed by Alison Bechdel that addresses gender bias in works of fiction. Originally a test for films, it can be applied to all forms of fiction. Unfortunately, approximately half of all contemporary films fail the test, and there are only three simple rules to follow: 1) There at least two women who are named, 2) They hold a conversation, and 3) The topic of conversation is about something other than a man. Seems fairly simple right?
The video had addressed how many of Pixar's films had failed the Bechdel Test, a simple test developed by Alison Bechdel that addresses gender bias in works of fiction. Originally a test for films, it can be applied to all forms of fiction. Unfortunately, approximately half of all contemporary films fail the test, and there are only three simple rules to follow: 1) There at least two women who are named, 2) They hold a conversation, and 3) The topic of conversation is about something other than a man. Seems fairly simple right?
Well, the fact the half of all films fail the test is astonishing to say the least. To show how odd this really is, here's a list of the Top 10 Surprising Films that fail the Bechdel Test: http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/10-famous-films-that-surprisingly-fail-the-bechdel-test.php?all=1
And to be fair, here's a video that show some films that surprisingly pass the test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv1ce7hEPjw
Now, here the real question: is this really a problem for the film industry or is this just the work of feminists crying foul? Well for me, I do think a lot of films have an overload of testosterone and not enough women that are central to the plot. I believe this has been improved upon over time and can continue to be improved upon in the future. But.... I also think that if a film is really good, the plot exciting and dynamic, the characters relatable and complex, and the production done well, the film doesn't need to pass the Bechdel Test. In other words, I don't believe that the Bechdel Test should be such a benchmark on filmmaking that every film needs to pass to be considered a good film.
Now, here the real question: is this really a problem for the film industry or is this just the work of feminists crying foul? Well for me, I do think a lot of films have an overload of testosterone and not enough women that are central to the plot. I believe this has been improved upon over time and can continue to be improved upon in the future. But.... I also think that if a film is really good, the plot exciting and dynamic, the characters relatable and complex, and the production done well, the film doesn't need to pass the Bechdel Test. In other words, I don't believe that the Bechdel Test should be such a benchmark on filmmaking that every film needs to pass to be considered a good film.
What we always need to keep in mind is that all of fiction, movies, books, or otherwise, are by nature NOT reality. They are a fantasy, and don't have to follow the conventions of real life. We don't need to show women having a conversation if it isn't necessary to the story, just to appease some artificial measure of a film's content.
A film that fails the test miserably and it's painfully obvious, just shows how bad of a film it is overall, as a better film would not show this "flaw" as easily. Sometimes it really doesn't show it at all, as in the surprising examples above. And so what if a film doesn't have two women speaking about anything but a man if the story really doesn't call for it, in a historical war film for example. Some that come to mind are Saving Private Ryan and Full Metal Jacket. Both are amazing films that don't need to pass the test for them to be some of the best films ever made, in my opinion anyway.
So, I think the better alternative is the Mako Mori Test, named after the female character from 2013's Pacific Rim (love that movie by the way). Some fans came up with this test, and this is one I can abide by and I think it's a better test for the representation of strong female characters in film. Taken from Wikipedia, "The Mako Mori test is passed if the movie has: a) at least one female character; b) who gets her own narrative arc; c) that is not about supporting a man’s story." This is what more films should have, more women central to the plot with their own narratives and not just as a filler damsel-in-distress.
The Bechdel test is not a true measure of the representation of women in film. The Mako Mori test might not be either, but at least we are getting closer to the solution.
Comments
Post a Comment