So its 2012 and we would all think the world is equal, that women have the same air time in films as their male counterparts. Well I hate to say it but its just not true!
In 1985 The Bechdel Test was created by Alison Bechdel, its nothing fancy- no crazy formulas or anything extreme. In fact the simplicity of the test may even be its key.
The one and only rule of the test is-
“a scene in which two or more named female characters have a conversation (that is, back and forth dialogue) about anything at all besides men. Anything, even if it’s something stereotypically feminine, like shopping or shoes.”
Sounds simple doesn’t it? You would assume that this is something that happens in most films that 2 female characters have a conversation… Well you would be wrong in thinking that! Here are a few examples-
1- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
Harry potter is quite equal gender split with a fair few of the characters being female and getting a rather sizeable amount of screen time. So it may be a shock to learn that not one of the female characters sits and has a convocation with another! There are the key lines like when Prof. McGonagall makes a comment about “always wanting to use that spell” to Mrs. Weasley when she brings the stone statues to life, or when Mrs. Weasley calls Bellatrix a bitch…but no one actually responds. These lines look to be made to the audience rather than to the other characters.
2- Avatar
She’s big and blue but has nothing to say
This film so nearly makes it! Close but no cigar!
A film where a paralysed army brat gets his brothers second hand robot alien and falls in love with a blue tree living alien- in a poorly masked commentary on the western quest for oil in the middle east. There is one point where a convocation is had between two female characters- Neytiri and her mother have a drawn out discussion. The only problem is that the conversation is about Jake, who, you probably noticed, is a man.
3- Run Lola Run
Fire Red hair- but very little conversation
Now this one is upsetting as Lola is widely seen as one of the most well rounded female leads in film. Lola must figure out how to come up with 100,000 Deutsche Marks in twenty minutes or her boyfriend will be killed. The film follows three different possible outcomes for her actions and explores her relationships and interactions with the people and the world around her. But during all this she never has a chat or anything with a fellow female.
4- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Not event the great detective is able to pass the test! Yes there is more than one named female character, but they don’t talk to each other… fail
5- Lord of the Rings Trilogy
He may look like a girl- but in fact is just an elf! A pretty one at that!
Yep all 3 films fail. One of the biggest movie franchise of all times with many female characters doesn’t have a single convocation between them in fact they never even meet.
http://bechdeltest.com/ - site with pretty little notes and stuff! Feel free to add your own films!
