Women in Film: Insights from the Bechdel Test Analysis
In the world of cinema, the Bechdel Test serves as a simple yet effective tool for evaluating the representation of women in films. This test, created by graphic novelist Alison Bechdel in 1985, checks if a film has at least two named female characters who engage in a conversation about something other than a man.
One of the most iconic films that fails this test is Casablanca, released in 1942. Despite its strong female characters, notably Ilsa Lund, the film does not pass the Bechdel Test due to the lack of conversations between female characters that are not about men. This reflects the era's typical gender roles rather than the test's criteria.
However, not all classic films fall short. For instance, "Stella Dallas", "Some Like It Hot", "Goodfellas", "Mean Girls", "Mad Max: Fury Road", and the latest addition, "Jurassic World: Dominion", all pass the Bechdel Test.
Modern films, too, are not immune to the test's results. For example, "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017), with its female villain and superhero, fails the test as the women in the film never have a direct conversation, and neither do any other women in the film. On the other hand, "CODA", which won three Academy Awards in 2021, passes the test with flying colours.
The Bechdel Test serves as a starting point for discussions about gender bias and the depth of female representation in storytelling. Professor Andrea Press, a media studies and sociology professor at the University of Virginia and the co-author of the upcoming book "Cinema and Feminism: A Quick Immersion," agrees. She argues that the test sets the lowest possible bar for assessing the quality of portrayals of female characters.
Martha Lauzen, the founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, shares a similar view. She believes that the Bechdel Test is a useful tool for identifying films that fail to meet basic standards of gender representation.
Despite its simplicity, the Bechdel Test provides a revealing measure of how women are represented in films. It helps highlight gender bias and the need for more diverse and independent portrayals of female characters in cinema.
References:
[1] Press, A., & Browne, S. (2022). Cinema and Feminism: A Quick Immersion. Routledge.
[2] Lauzen, M. (2018). The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind the Scenes of Women in Filmmaking. San Diego State University.
[3] Bechdel, A. (1985). Dykes to Watch Out For. Dykes and Sundries.
The realm of literature also tries to address gender equity through written works. Books such as "Women's Health" and "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood delve deeply into women's health-and-wellness and women's struggles in a patriarchal society, respectively.
In the realm of lifestyle and fashion-and-beauty, magazines like "Cosmopolitan" and "Vogue" provide a platform for women's opinions and advocate for equal representation and rights.
Furthermore, the world of entertainment isn't limited to films or graphic novels. Podcasts such as "Call Your Girlfriend" and "Annie McKean's Call Me Cate" address contemporary issues, including politics, relationships, and women's lifestyle, providing a space for women's voices to be heard.
