Strong Women in cinema Aaron Jones
Above is My Proposal and My Methodology
Research For Strong Female Characters In Cinema
“It is widely felt that female characters in film have been restricted to the easy categories that classical narratives and familiar genres demand of them (the typical complaint is that women in films are either ‘virgins, mothers or whores’).”
Carey Mulligan a British actress known for Drive and Never Let me go has said She does not like the strong women Label in Hollywood.
“Carey Mulligan has revealed that she dislikes the “strong woman” label in Hollywood because it suggests that female characters are “inherently weak”.”
““You don’t say to men, ‘You played another really strong man’. The idea that women are inherently weak and we’ve identified the few strong ones to tell stories about…is mad,” she told Elle for its feminism issue.”
“The 30-year-old is among a host of leading ladies to speak out about sexism and ageism in the film industry. Patricia Arquette called for pay equality in her Oscars acceptance speech, Maggie Gyllenhaal railed against being deemed too old to play a 55-year-old man’s lover aged just 37 and this week, Jessica Chasten denounced the “sexualisation” of women in superhero movies.”
Above is a spider diagram that I did at the start of my SSI Showing the elimination of twelve Female Characters which I brought down to seven.
This is a brief timeline of women in film
Time Line of women in Film
1940
“Hattie Mc Daniels”
“17 Jan 1940”
“After working as early as the 1910s as a band vocalist, Hattie McDaniel debuted as a maid in The Golden West (1932). Her maid-mammy characters became steadily more assertive, showing up first in Judge Priest (1934) and becoming pronounced in Alice Adams (1935). In this one, directed by George Stevens and aided and abetted by star Katharine Hepburn, she makes it clear she has little use for her employers’ pretentious status seeking” This was interesting for the time because Hatti McDaniels was a black Female working as an actress in the 1940s
1950s
“Marilyn Monroe”
“1 Aug 1953”
“born Norma Jeane Mortenson was an American actress, singer and model. After spending much of her childhood in foster homes,”
“Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve.” By 1953,
By 1953 Marilyn Monroe was performing lead roles.
1960s
“Breakfast At Tiffany’s (Audrey Hepburn)
8 Nov 1961”
“A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building.”
1970s
“Meryl Streep
1 Jan 1970”
“Considered by many movie reviewers to be the greatest living film actress, Meryl Streep has been nominated for the Academy Award an astonishing 16 times,”
“She gave an outstanding performance in her first film role, Julia (1977),”
1980s
“Sophie’s Choice (meryl Streep)
8 Dec 1982”
“Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live in Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust. They befriend Stingo, the movie’s narrator, a young American writer new to New York City. But the happiness of Sophie and Nathan is endangered by her ghosts and his obsessions”
1990s
“Halle Berry
1 Jan 1990”
“First black woman to win best actress for her performance in monster’s ball. Monster’s Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica”
2000
“Doubt (Meryl Streep)
25 Dec 2008”
“In a Bronx Catholic school in 1964 a popular priest’s ambiguous relationship with a troubled 12 year old black student is questioned by the school’s principal.”
2015
Room Brie Larson
“A kidnapped mother and son make a daring escape, and experience a dramatic homecoming provoking a look into the power of imagination and the unstoppable force of a mother’s love”
Brie Larson won a Oscar for Her role as ma
Brie Larson
“Born: Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers
October 1, 1989 in Sacramento, California, USA
Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers
October 1, 1989 in Sacramento, California, USA”
“Brie Larson has built an impressive career as an acclaimed television actress, rising feature film star and emerging recording artist. A native of Sacramento, Brie started studying drama at the early age of 6, as the youngest student ever to attend the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco”
Damsel in Distress in film
A damsel in distress in films is a female character whose main reason in the production is to be rescued by the male lead, a good example is Mary Jane in the three Spiderman movies as throughout the film she must be rescued by Spiderman. Another example is Lois Lane in the superman films.
“Kirsten Dunst starring in the very definition of a “Damsel in Distress” scene here. I personally had a tougher time than most working up any real excitement over the Spider-Man series. But if over-the-top CGI- friendly comic book actioneers are your thing I suppose Sam Raimi and co. delivers. Don’t look now, but it would appear that our damsel got herself trapped again. A super-hero’s work is never done.”
Other example of Damsels in Distress
Naomi Watts in King Kong who has be rescued from King Kong and is constantly being rescued by King Kong himself.
Many early Disney Princesses were damsels in distress needing the prince to save their lives or change their lives for the better.
Eye Candy
The eye Candy in films is normally put in a film just because they look good and pretty much give teenage boys something to look at to keep them interested in the film. Like the damsels in distress the lead male has to save them, most eye candy have no personality or character development and are normally the love interest for the male lead. A good example of this is Mikael Banes played by Megan Fox in the Transformers films where there are various shots of her arse when bent over a car or bike, or generally ones of her looking sexy.
Above are examples of the shots from Transformers I wrote about.
Rey Played By Daisy Ridley
“Hollywood newcomer Daisy Ridley, may have been dubbed “Star Wars’s first female protagonist,” but that isn’t strictly correct: The franchise has had its Leias and its Padmes. What Rey is, however, is Star Wars’s firstfeminist protagonist. No distressing damsel, she’s instead a fighter and a survivor and a nurturer and an all-around badass.”
Rey is new protagonist in Star Wars Force Awakens.
Nomi Malone played by Elizabeth Berkeley
Reason Why Nomi Malone is a strong Female lead. These are some of the reason buzz feed gave for her character being a strong role model and female character.
- She is comfortable with her own body
- She Refuses to be labelled
- She Takes care of herself
- She classy
Nomi Malone was former prostitute and drug user who lost both her parents but she is strong and turns her life around by becoming the head girl in a showgirl show in Los Vegas, She also is not afraid to stick up for her friends.
Ma Played by Brie Larson who one an Oscar for best actress for the role of Ma.
Ma is a character from the 2015 film Room , Room was originally a novel by Emma Donoghue.
Ma wants to escape the Room that she has been in for many years, this makes her a strong female character in the film for me as it is the fact that she wants to escape while trying to be the best mother she can be, she has overcome her own fears while bringing up her son.
We never learn Ma’s Real Name.
Elsa and Anna Voice by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel
Kristen Bell is Anna while Idina Menzel Is Elsa.
Elsa has to overcome having Powers that she doesn’t understand and being isolated and trapped and keeping everyone out of her life including her own Sister. Later Elsa comes to terms with her power and is set free, The song “Let it Go” expains Elsa coming to terms with her powers and who she is. the song “Let It Go” contacts with many young girls who sing along to the song all over the world.
While Anna just wants to contact with the world outside and find love and reconnect with her sister who she was very close with once. “First Time In Forever” shows this very well as during the song Anna is very exited to let people in, while her sister Elsa just wants to hide away and conseal who she is and her power.
Furiosa Played by Charlize Theron
What I noticed about Furiosa in the film Mad Max Fury Road is that she is more of the lead character then Max himself, who acts as more of the supporting role rather than the lead. Even though the title of the film is Mad Max and the first three films Max is the Main character, Furiosa takes more of the lead in the fourth instalment.
Furiosa is strong as she knows how to handle weapons. She is living in this apocalyptic world and is trying to escape while protecting other female characters.
Juno Mcguff Played by Ellen Page
Juno Mcguff his a teenage girl who gets pregnant. Juno has to overcome being pregnant while also dealing with normal teenage life and getting to know the couple who wants to adopt her child.
Above is a link to all the clips I used for my video.
Strong Female Character in Film Video Link
aaronjoneswordpress 