Films are one of the most consumed art pieces in the world. Films made by experienced directors, films made by students, films made by bored teenagers; anyone can make films. The important thing is: does film actually mean something to the world? Films can be meaningful or just exist for entertainment purposes. While fun films exist, there are also films that actually mean something, especially meaningful films about women. To celebrate Women History Month, let’s take a look at films depicting women, especially women’s empowerment.
Gone Girl (2014) | dir. David Fincher
Gone Girl is a psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher about a woman, Amy Dunne, who went missing on her and his husband’s wedding anniversary. Her husband, Nick Dunne, tried every way to find her. But the clues only lead to him being the prime suspect in Amy's missing person case.
Gone Girl shows Amy’s powerful attempt to leave her husband who had an affair with another woman. The film pictures how Amy framed her husband to get revenge on him by getting her husband framed for a crime he did not commit. The carefully planned revenge shows women's empowerment in toxic marriageーhow a woman takes over the control of her own marriage. Amy’s intention was clear: to get out of a toxic marriage, but her actions may receive backlash from the people who have watched the film. Gone Girl is a deep movie about women’s empowerment, but there are people who still misunderstood the real meaning behind the film.
Legally Blonde (2001) | dir. Robert Luketic
Who does not know Legally Blonde? A famous rom-com film about a girl named Elle Woods who got into Harvard Law School despite her unsupportive surroundings. At first, Elle’s intention to go to Harvard is because she wants to win back her ex, Warner Huntington III. But as she studies more, she becomes a successful lawyer and overcomes the stereotypes against blondes and women.
Legally Blonde represents powerful women who work in male dominated fields. It shows how Elle Woods works hard to get into the job that she wants. The film represents women’s power while also shows how sometimes men belittle women in the work field just because someone is a woman despite the equal skill and talent that they have.
Pearl (2022) | dir. Ti West
Pearl is a film about a woman whose dream clashes with her family’s vision. Set in the late 1910s, Pearl tells a story of a woman named Pearl who wants to become a famous dancer while her mother despises the idea of her becoming a dancer.
While being a psychological-thriller film with gore, Pearl brings a representation to women who are living on patriarchal stereotypes: women must work in the kitchen, women must work in the farm, women must not follow their dreams, women must only take care of their household. Pearl shows how the main character, Pearl, tried to break-free from the patriarchal stereotypes of women in the late 1910s. Though in the end, her attempts lead to a slaughter of her family.
Little Women (2019) | dir. Greta Gerwig
Little Women is a film adaptation of a book by Louisa May Alcott with the same name. Little Women tells a story about four sistersーMeg, Jo, Beth, and Amyーwho have different dreams on how they want to go with their lives.
Little Women sets back in the 1860s; which led to patriarchal stereotypes on which women cannot work, women must be in their house, women cannot go out, and women cannot have dreams. In Little Women, the March sisters have different dreams. This shows that women can have different dreams, or just dreams in general. The second eldest daughter, Jo March, dreams about being a successful writer. While her sisters have different dreams than hers. This film teaches how women have different dreams and how they work hard to achieve the dreams.
Black Swan (2011) | dir. Darren Aronofsky
Black Swan is a film that focuses on the ballet world. It tells a story of a young ballerina, Nina Sayers, who wants to be the Swan for Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake performance. She lost the part to another ballerina. Though in the end, she gets the Swan part because of her director’s dirty work.
Black Swan represents women through psychological lenses; suppressed feelings, duality of femininity, and sexual repression. It also shows that women are still being controlled by higher people in a women dominated field, in this case, ballet and opera. Nina’s actions throughout the whole movie shows how she felt about the controlling actions of her directors, how she felt about rivalry with other people, and how she felt about being imperfect. These behaviours led Nina to a self-destruction phase.