Contributors
Megan O'Keeffe
Libby Chafe
Megan O'Keeffe
Libby Chafe
What is this blog? This blog is about looking at how the image and role of women has evolved in film, if at all. We both have found ourselves interested in feminism, and we thought a cool way of looking at it would be through film. Film is a universal medium that can bring many people together. Film also reflects and affects how people think. It has a huge influence on societal norms. Being young women, we are interested to see how this part of pop culture represents us, as well as coming to understand the influence it’s had in our life and society. Being avid Netflix watchers, we thought watching movies would be a fun way of looking at an interesting topic which has affected us personally. What are we looking for in the movies? While watching these movies, we are looking to see how the movies have contributed to how people are seen. How were women seen at this time, in this film? What is their role in the film? We want to see how the portrayal and representation of the women in the films shows or contributes to the evolution of a particular image and even the decade in which the film was made. And also, just as movie watchers ourselves, we want to note what we feel after watching the movie, what thoughts it provokes. Besides these things, we have a list of specific things to look for in this film. While watching each film, we recognize that some of the things we note may vary. Taking this into consideration, for each film we watch, we will look for things like the costumes worn, the lighting, and the Bechdel Test. We will also answer the question: do you admire the female lead? If so, we will explain why, and if not we will explain why not. We will also make sure we take into consideration the opinions of the era in which the movies were released, as well as do research surrounding the films. We will also do our best to answer the question: what is the message of the film? |
How and why did we pick these movies?
This blog was originally started as our Senior Project, however when it ends we do intend on continuing it. We began the process of choosing the movies we would view by picking popular movies from each decade. We did some research and looked at lists of popular movies from each decade. We then compiled our own list from these. We narrowed down our choices based on guidance and input from advisors. We will begin in the 1950’s and go through to the 1990’s. This was done based on the time frame of our project and a hope to see trends over time. We hope that the movies we chose show an interesting perspective about women, whether it shows them as weak or strong. We also hope that they give us inspiration to write an interesting blog post. The movies we will be watching throughout this project are Rear Window, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Kramer vs Kramer, Working Girl, When Harry Met Sally, Thelma and Louise, and Something About Mary. We will start out by doing a comparison between the animated Cinderella and the new live-action remake of the film. Once the project has been completed we will do more research, as well as just ask for recommendations, when picking more movies.
What do we know and assume about each decade?
We are aware that we carry prejudices and expectations about the past. We have tried to keep an open mind about the movies and the decades. Starting closer to the 50s and 60s, we are expecting some more conservative and even “old fashioned” views. As we work our way into the 80s and 90s, we are expecting to see more independence among the female characters. We would expect to see what we would consider more feminist views being shown. Before we really get into analyzing each movie, we will be sure to do research on the views and roles of women in each decade. By doing this, we are hoping to limit our own personal prejudice and be able to give a more thoughtful and reflective analysis of each movie we watch.
What do we know films in the 21st century?
Nowadays, feminism is nothing new. There are so many movements supporting equal rights for women and men, such as the He For She Campaign. Having strong female characters is one of the most important things in film today. That’s what the Divergent and Hunger Games series have been working so hard on. We are very lucky to have grown up and been able to watch women in such powerful and strong roles such as Keri Russell in The Waitress (2007). We have also been able to see movies where actresses are leading the stories such as The Devil Wears Prada (2006) with Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, and of course Bridesmaids (2010) with Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph,and Melissa McCarthy among many others. Because of the timespan of our project, we have opted not to watch these movies from the early 2000s and the 2010s. This is not just because of partiality and love for current movies. It is also because we feel we have more to learn from the decades which we have not experienced. By studying them, we can better understand how we have gotten to where we are now with the role and image of women in film. We hope that we will gain an appreciation for the films we have now.
What is the Bechdel Test?
The Bechdel Test was created when Alice Bechdel put the idea in her comic Dykes to Watch Out For. The test asks (1) whether or not a work of fiction presents two or more women (2) who talk to one another (3) about something other than a man. This sounds like a very basic requirement, but approximately half of all works of fiction fail this test. Of course, a work could be sexist and pass this requirement. In general; however, we feel that it is a good indicator about sexism that can be part of the discussion in our blog posts.
This blog was originally started as our Senior Project, however when it ends we do intend on continuing it. We began the process of choosing the movies we would view by picking popular movies from each decade. We did some research and looked at lists of popular movies from each decade. We then compiled our own list from these. We narrowed down our choices based on guidance and input from advisors. We will begin in the 1950’s and go through to the 1990’s. This was done based on the time frame of our project and a hope to see trends over time. We hope that the movies we chose show an interesting perspective about women, whether it shows them as weak or strong. We also hope that they give us inspiration to write an interesting blog post. The movies we will be watching throughout this project are Rear Window, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Kramer vs Kramer, Working Girl, When Harry Met Sally, Thelma and Louise, and Something About Mary. We will start out by doing a comparison between the animated Cinderella and the new live-action remake of the film. Once the project has been completed we will do more research, as well as just ask for recommendations, when picking more movies.
What do we know and assume about each decade?
We are aware that we carry prejudices and expectations about the past. We have tried to keep an open mind about the movies and the decades. Starting closer to the 50s and 60s, we are expecting some more conservative and even “old fashioned” views. As we work our way into the 80s and 90s, we are expecting to see more independence among the female characters. We would expect to see what we would consider more feminist views being shown. Before we really get into analyzing each movie, we will be sure to do research on the views and roles of women in each decade. By doing this, we are hoping to limit our own personal prejudice and be able to give a more thoughtful and reflective analysis of each movie we watch.
What do we know films in the 21st century?
Nowadays, feminism is nothing new. There are so many movements supporting equal rights for women and men, such as the He For She Campaign. Having strong female characters is one of the most important things in film today. That’s what the Divergent and Hunger Games series have been working so hard on. We are very lucky to have grown up and been able to watch women in such powerful and strong roles such as Keri Russell in The Waitress (2007). We have also been able to see movies where actresses are leading the stories such as The Devil Wears Prada (2006) with Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, and of course Bridesmaids (2010) with Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph,and Melissa McCarthy among many others. Because of the timespan of our project, we have opted not to watch these movies from the early 2000s and the 2010s. This is not just because of partiality and love for current movies. It is also because we feel we have more to learn from the decades which we have not experienced. By studying them, we can better understand how we have gotten to where we are now with the role and image of women in film. We hope that we will gain an appreciation for the films we have now.
What is the Bechdel Test?
The Bechdel Test was created when Alice Bechdel put the idea in her comic Dykes to Watch Out For. The test asks (1) whether or not a work of fiction presents two or more women (2) who talk to one another (3) about something other than a man. This sounds like a very basic requirement, but approximately half of all works of fiction fail this test. Of course, a work could be sexist and pass this requirement. In general; however, we feel that it is a good indicator about sexism that can be part of the discussion in our blog posts.