Presentation Script

Presentation Script

Strong Female Characters in Popular U.S Contemporary Films

Projector: Title Page on PowerPoint

Presenter: (with title page) Films are beginning to break that stereotypical female character, however not often enough. There is still a huge movement to be made. 

Projector: BFI Magazine article explains how females are usually represented historically (item 15)

Presenter: The BFI magazine shows how female characters have always been restricted in the roles they play, for example it states that people complain that women in film are typically: mothers, girlfriends, virgins. My 3 key films, Gravity, Room and Ghostbusters shows how the female characters break that mould of a stereotype and transform it into a realistic and equal view of women and female characters in film. (item 15)

Presenter: Introduce Gravity (Item 1)

Gravity, my chosen focus film is an accurate representation of breaking the mould of your archetypical ‘damsel in distress’. The common question is, why are women not represented like this more often? A problem that arrises from these gender issues for example “Children who watch films can receive a very unbalanced message about gender”, Geena Davis stated in her interview about gender roles in film. Gravity reveals the success of its making, proving female lead roles can achieve on the big screen. (Item 22)

Hand out: Article from Indiewire (Item 9)

Presenter: This article from Indie wire suggests how many people were against the director of Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron choosing a female lead. Looking at this quote: “At Comic-Con, Cuaron opened up about another problem that came up when developing the film: people had problems that he had a female lead. When I finished the script, there were voices that were saying, ‘well, we should change it to a male lead.’ Obviously they were not powerful enough voices, because we got away with it. But the sad thing is that there is still that tendency.” However, this film is a great example showing how a female lead can succeed as Gravity was the eighth highest grossing film in 2013. 

Presenter: This video clip from Gravity shows how Sandra Bullock the female lead breaks the mould of what you usually observe in films. The award winning acting (best actress at people’s choice awards, 2013) she displayed throughout the film is a very positive representation.

Video Clip on Projector: Opening of Gravity when Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is doing engineering work on the space station. (Item 1)

Presenter: During the opening scene, Sandra Bullock’s character is doing some engineering work. This can immediately be contrasted with your stereotypical female character, this is because normally we associate this act to be a 'man’s job', therefore she is beginning to break the mould of your typical female character in films. She works for NASA which is a high class profession which lures a big income. This generates a positive outlook, delivering a message that as a woman you can generate wealth and be whatever you aspire to be. Gravity proves that a woman can anchor an action-packed blockbuster that does not have to include violence, superheroes, weapons and/or huge death tolls. However, this film has received some criticism. 

However, “Bullock’s character archetype is certainly one of growth; as Gravity progresses, Stone transforms from a bundle of nerves into a woman of strength who survives against all odds. It’s a shame then that she needs a man to get her there. For all of Stone’s intelligence as a medical scientist working for NASA, when shit hits the fan, it’s the man, Matt Kowalski, who comes and saves the day. Damn you George Clooney. Damn your smooth talking and dashing eyes. Without Kowalski’s instincts, the two lead characters would have died within the first ten minutes of the film. Sure Stone eventually survives but not without the help of a man first.” (item 1 & 7)

Presenter: Actress Geena Davis launched a campaign to research into gender in media . She may be best known for her iconic feminist role in Thelma and Louise, but today she’s working to improve the types of roles actresses across the industry are cast in. Davis says, “Hollywood is the one sector in society with a big imbalance that can change overnight.” Having a female lead character does not mean the film will flop. If we begin to take a look at some statistics of some U.S Contemporary films with female leads which have succeeded tremendously, you will notice something surprising. (Item 5)

Projector: Geena Davis statistics providing evidence of how little screen time females receive. (item 5)

In 2015, females received 16% of screen time, compared to males who received 28.5%. This is a significant difference. Overall, Davis believes female characters do not get the recognition they should receive. However, films that try to promote equality are actually more successful and The Geena Davis Institute can fully reflect this through their box office results. Geena Davis found that films led by women grossed 15.8% more on average than films led by men. (Item 5)

Presenter: This video clip goes to show how Geena Davis has become so involved in making a movement for gender equality in media and film. (item 22)

Video Clip on Projector: Geena Davis tackles gender roles in film (item 22)

Presenter & Projector: In 2015, 17% of the top grossing films had a female lead, compared to 11% of females with lead roles in 2011. Women had a particularly strong presence in the comedy and action genres. Amy Schumer, Melissa McCarthy, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Anna Kendrick had hit movies, demonstrating that funny women are bankable in Hollywood.

(Item 5 & 14) 

Video Clip: This clip from Ghostbusters shows how these actresses are now associated with the comedy genre now. It demonstrates how women can fight monsters in film and they don’t need male strength or their assistance. (Item 3)

Presenter & Projector: (Show animation of Stone touching land) Looking back at Gravity, the final scenes show true power and achievement. We see Stone land herself and finally touches land being the only survivor of that mission. The close-ups of her face emphasise the deep emotional pain she fought through to eventually succeed. This can be applied to the Final Girl theory by Carol J. Clover. (Item 1)

Presenter & Projector: Let’s take a look at some other films that do a strong female character justice. 

Projector: Show these four film posters on a slide:

• Arrival
• The Girl On the Train
• Room
• Ghostbusters

Presenter: These four recent films are a great representation of a film with a strong female character and have also made an enormous success. 

Emily Blunt, the female lead of The Girl on the Train has a lot to say about her character and how it differentiates to other films. Here is an article which states her interview about the film she stars in and the drunken character she plays. 

Projector: Picture of article and Emily Blunt. (item 8)

Presenter: "There's just so much judgment with women," says Emily Blunt as she takes on a tough and not at all likeable character in Universal's film adaptation of a blockbuster novel that highlights the darker urges of suburbia. However, she also has the challenge of becoming a murderer towards the end of the narrative, questioning whether or not it is a positive representation of a female character as she is also an alcoholic and suffers from mental health issues.(item 8)

Projector: Show quote that Blunt says in the article: (item 8)

"You have to be pretty. You have to be 'likeable,' which is my least favourite bloody word in the industry. Rachel isn't 'likeable.' What does that mean? To be witty and pretty and hold it together and be there for the guy? And he can just be a total drip?" (item 8)

Presenter: This article reveals how women in the film industry today have intelligent knowledge about the judgemental and negative representation of women in film. Some of the most famous actresses have stood up to make their voice heard.Emma Watson has made a huge impact and is famously known as Hermione in the Harry Potter franchise. (item 23)

Video Clip on Projector: Watch: Emma Watson calls for gender equality during UN speech in New York. (item 23)

Presenter: This shows how women in the film industry have beliefs and ideologies that these common female stereotypical moulds in film should be broken more often. However, not forgetting every other person in the world’s opinion on equality in film, I recently created a survey gathering some very interesting results. (item 4)

Projector: Picture of results from question 7. (item 4)

Presenter: This supports that there are so many people who are wanting to see this movement happen more often, therefore these film makers have a huge market of success available as shown from many films with a female lead. Audiences are willing to experience a different journey when watching a film rather than watching the ‘norm’. Applying the uses and gratifications theory, focusing more on the consumer and audience of the film, filmmakers can understand to meet their audiences needs.  (item 4)

Presenter: Room which is also one of my focus films represents its female lead role in a very different way. Brie Larson who plays Ma, a single mother trapped inside a room whilst bringing up her five year old son Jack, is constructed in a range of ways representing her strength, bravery and selflessness. My survey that I took reflects how people really do want to see more films like Room. Here is a clip from Room in which Ma and Jack practise their escape. (item 2)

Video Clip on Projector: Ma and Jacks practise escape. (item 2)

Presenter: Room - Ma and Jack practise escape scene analysis

This scene is powerful in many ways, from building intensity of escaping through fast paced cuts and jump cuts to close-ups showing pure venerability, which enhances the abuse they have been experiencing, which generates an audience response of hope for the two strong characters. Ma expresses a range of emotions, from extreme hurting to powerful strength in order to do what she possibly can to help her son Jack to escape. This represents her selfless persona, caring most for her son. Her single mother figure alone expresses her hard work keeping her son well, healthy and alive. Living in a small space like this is enough to make you go crazy. Ma's plan to help her son escape is a little crazy and risky, however, this reflects her courageous and intelligent personality, not what you would usually associate to a female character stereotype. The hand-held and jerky camera work positions spectators to feel the way they feel, the rush and panic of the moment. It magnifies the build up to the final escape. You can argue that she has qualities in which are stereotypical such as: a mother who cooks and cares for her child. However, this is done in a way in which seems much darker, the context of the situation of the scene reveals just how much strength she has to reassure her son Jack that everything will be alright. 

However, looking at a different scene later on in the narrative, when Ma has a drug overdose. This shows her weakness and how she has been battered and bruised to her lowest, to the stage she wishes to take her own life. This type of narrative pushes real life stories to the fore, creating awareness to these real issues and problems in reality. 

Projector: Empire Magazine – Brie Larson Article showing how her character is described in this review. (item 16)

Presenter: This article from Empire Magazine is extremely useful as it supports my point which Room does entail a strong female character. This can be supported through the use of language in which Empire Magazine describes her. These descriptions Larson is given are different to most film reviews, this is because films are usually using female characters in a very stereotypical way. The review describes her in this way, “She is so raw…” (item 16)

Presenter: Variety Magazine - Room film review describing Brie Larson's performance 

(Item  17)

“Larson drew well-deserved praise for her breakout performance as a counsellor for troubled teens in “Short Term 12,” and the demands of that role, with its balance of tenderness and tough love, were in some ways an ideal warm-up for the startling display of mama-lion intensity she unleashes here. Her inner radiance undimmed by seven years’ worth of accumulated grime, exhaustion and defeat, Larson sometimes beams at her child with incongruous delight, and at other times gives full voice to the anger and impatience that a mom can feel toward her offspring even when they haven’t been forced to breathe the same foul air for five years. Even at its most forceful and despairing, her rage never feels like an expression of anything less than a mother’s love.”

Projector: Feminist film theory book (item 20)

Presenter: This leads me onto my next point. Previously looking at the BFI magazine at the start of my presentation, it explains the archetypes females have played and play in films. The Feminist film theory book explains how women provide a passive, helpless and purely there to be a sexual human being. Films such as, Ghostbusters and Bridesmaids could be taking the idea of 'feminism' too far, almost to the point that it is mocking feminists. This is when the idea of reinforcing feminism in a positive way is stretched way too far. For example, having a full female cast in which all have extremely out going characters are not a general representation of a strong woman.

(item 20)

Presenter: The issue of stereotyping female characters is still happening far too often. A popular stereotype for a female character is known as the ‘Girlfriend problem’. This problem can be found in many Marvel superhero films where the hero has a female to their side during scenes. This is when these females take a back seat and let the male have all the spotlight. 

Projector: Picture of 4 films as an example of the ‘Girlfriend problem’ (item 11)

Presenter: The issue of stereotyping female characters is still happening far too often. A popular stereotype for a female character is known as the ‘Girlfriend problem’. This problem can be found in many Marvel superhero films where the hero has a female to their side during scenes. This is when these females take a back seat and let the male have all the spotlight.

Presenter: An article from the Guardian shows how the recent superhero film ‘Doctor Strange’ optimises the girlfriend problem in Hollywood. This is when females are cast to be the girlfriend of a hero. The reasoning for their role is to be attractive and to be an image that the male has. This problem makes it become a normality not only in films but in reality too. Males could watch these films and associate females as inferior counterparts to these powerful men. This can then support unequal behaviour between men and women. 

This supports one of my key points about how females get much less screen and talk time on the big screen, showing that it is very common for females to take a back seat when it comes to lead roles. This can be reflected through many Marvel films such as, Iron Man, Spider Man and The Incredible Hulk. (item 11)

Presenter: However, screen and talk time are being measured by an advanced technology. 

Projector & Presenter: Washington post exposed a new technology which can begin to measure male and female screen and talk time in films. The GD-IQ software technology rapidly speeds up the process, rolling through a 90-minute movie in about 15 minutes. It also collects a greater number of data points about which character is seen, which character is heard and what that character is saying. (item 13)

Projector & Presenter: The result, researchers say, is a different understanding of how gender is represented in media and entertainment. Data show women were heard even less than they were seen. In the 2015 films studied, women spoke an average 15.4% of the time compared to 28.4% for men. In films where men and women had co-leading roles, men still received more lines on average than their female co-stars. (item 13)

Presenter: Instead of looking more into why we need more of a positive representation of strong female characters in film, people are trying to make a movement happen. For example, New York city have recently launched a $5 million fund for women in film and theatre. This is the sort of effort that needs to be made. (item 12)

Projector: Show article (item 12)

Presenter & Conclusion: I think by looking into all these different books, videos, film and articles, we can notice that there needs to be a change and a faster movement. There is a high demanding market out there for strong female lead, and people want to see them. There are statistics to prove this from The Geena Davis Institute and even from the results I received from my survey. Although there is movement happening right now, it is not enough, we need more strong females on our screens. 

Draft Catalogue

Catalogue

Films

Item 1: Gravity

Focus film, Gravity (2013, Alfonso Cuaron)

Gravity is a sci-fi mainstream film which has a strong female lead. Sandra Bullock plays a scientific engineer. This film does not have your typical female character, instead we are made to become emotionally connected with a woman who is independent enough to survive in space alone. This type of character archetype can be contrasted with your stereotypical female character, this is because this act that she is doing during the opening of Gravity is seen to be a 'males job', therefore she is beginning to break the mould of your typical female character in films. This generates a positive outlook on her character, messaging across that as a woman you can make money too and be whatever you aspire to be. This shows her independence as a character and how she is surviving by herself without any help. The way in which the film maker has constructed her character is in a way of breaking that ideology that women can't survive on their own or have to have male help. 

Item 2: Room

Supporting film, Room (2016, Lenny Abrahamson)

Director Lenny Abrahamson who chose Brie Larson, explores her character in so many different ways than you would actually expect. Her role as a single mother who would do anything in her power to love and protect her son Jack is an incredible figure, who has to deal with being obtained in this small room. However, this social realism film raises awareness about sexual abuse as Larson's character experiences this so that she can get food for herself and her son. Her independent and brave character stands above the weakness she has to give in to allow her and her son to survive. Although she is typically treated like a woman, she and her son work together to escape. She was willing to take the pain if it meant her son being able to see the outside world. She is not selfish nor pleading for any help. Her selflessness itself breaks the mould of your 'damsel in distress' in films today. 

Item 3: Ghostbusters

Other supporting film, Ghostbusters (2016, Paul Feig)

Director Paul Feig has completely changed the game with the new Ghostbusters. He has casted a female lead cast along with some co-lead roles which are male characters. However, the opening of Ghostbusters supports my topic and argument as we are introduced to a male 'damsel in distress' and the females are the heroes of the film. The female cast played by Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wig and Kate McKinnon have now become known to play strong female lead roles, however in a comedic way therefore this could be 'overdoing' the whole equality idea in film today. But this film supports my opinion that there should be more female lead role characters that break the stereotypical mould of female characters in US contemporary film. 

Questionnaire

Item 4: Survey Monkey - Strong female characters in US contemporary films

SurveyMonkey (1999) Log in. Available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/create/?sm=cMernkvvWAmiKQeCVkjnFX5hpJPByJlkZsO4kWLRE9A_3D (Accessed: 2 November 2016).

I thought it would be a useful idea to run an online survey with Survey Monkey. This allowed me to gather evidence of who believed there should be more films that break the stereotypical female character. It supported my topic as the majority of the results said they agreed. One of my questions was: Can you name 5 films with a strong female lead role off the top of your head? The response I received was shocking. This again shows why this survey was a useful idea as it gives real evidence from the public. 

Internet

Item 5: Geena Davis Institute

Geena Davis inclusion Quotient (2016) Available at: http://seejane.org/research-informs-empowers/data/ (Accessed: 4 October 2016)

The content of this source includes statistics giving evidence of the lack of female lead roles in popular US contemporary films today, e.g. their speak time during scenes. In 2015, 17% of the top grossing films had a female lead. Women had a particularly strong presence in the comedy and action genres. Amy Schumer, Melissa McCarthy, Tine Fey and Amy Poehler and Anna Kendrick had hit movies, demonstrating that funny women are bankable in Hollywood. This secondary source helps me within my investigation because it gives reliable evidence of how there is a lack of female roles in popular US contemporary films. It gives statistics of how when there are female roles, these films usually gross more money, showing a larger audience. Geena Davis’ institute also helps back up that we need more films that break that stereotypical mould of female leads, such as my focus films which in turn do this: Gravity, Room and Ghostbusters (2016).

Item 6: B*tchFlicks 

Posted (2013) ‘Gravity’ and the impact of its unique female hero. Available at: http://www.btchflcks.com/2013/10/gravity-and-its-unique-female-hero.html#.V_ZiFk2V_Gg (Accessed: 20 October 2016).

"As Natalie Portman recently said, feminism in film is about more than just kicking ass..." This quote from this article/blog is extremely useful to me as it justifies my main points. For example: the films I have chosen are films that represent women in a strong way, physically and mentally, however this doesn't just mean they are good at 'kicking ass'. They use their strengths in better ways than this.

Item 7: Cinema Chords

Opie, D. (2014) Is gravity the feminist film everyone thinks it is? Available at: http://cinemachords.com/is-gravity-the-feminist-film-everyone-thinks-it-is/ (Accessed: 28 December 2016).

This review of Gravity explains how feminists became very excited about the female lead role played by Sandra Bullock, however, it then questions whether or not it is a feminist text and begins to suggest how Sandra Bullocks character only succeeds due to the assistance of a male, played by George Clooney. This secondary source implants my investigation by giving evidence of the other side of the argument making it unbiased. 

Item 8: Hollywood Reporter

Siegel, T. (2016) ‘Girl on the train’s’ Emily Blunt on gender double standards: ‘A woman is a drunk, whereas the guy’s a Partyer’. Available at: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/emily-blunt-girl-train-author-933239?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%20Breaking%20News_now_2016-09-28%2007:02:30_HLewis&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_breakingnews (Accessed: 27 November 2016).

This article is an interview with Emily Blunt and how she believes the males are chosen for an important role as they are well suited and fitted to it, however, females are chosen for their good looks and "likability". Emily Blunt expresses her views on double standards and how she faced a role which is opposite to a stereotype. "With so many movies, women are held to what a man considers a feminine ideal," says Blunt, sipping a soy cappuccino. "You have to be pretty. You have to be 'likable'..." This article is extremely helpful towards my investigation as it gives a strong point of view from a very famous actress in which has had own experiences in acting and casting for roles. 

Item 9: Indiewire

Silverstein, M. and Cadenas, K. (2013) Alfonso Cuaron defends having female lead in gravity. Available at: http://www.indiewire.com/2013/07/alfonso-cuaron-defends-having-female-lead-in-gravity-208712/ (Accessed: 4 October 2016).

This secondary source holds context of the director of Gravity defending why it was right to have a female lead. He had many people disagree with him; however he stuck to his ground and defended Sandra Bullock. This is relevant to my investigation as it portrays how there are still directors who want to make a positive movement within female characters in US contemporary films.

Item 10: The Guardian

Wilson, M. (2016) ‘Being cute just made me miserable’: Mara Wilson on growing up in Hollywood. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/sep/17/being-cute-mara-wilson-growing-up-hollywood?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=fb_a-film_b-gdnfilm#link_time=1474100279 (Accessed: 4 October 2016).

The content of this secondary source is showing how Mara Wilson struggled after growing up and hitting puberty as she was no longer that cute girl from Matilda, therefore she began to get less call backs. This made her struggle through this business.This source helps me with my SSRP because it relates to how female leads can differ depending on how you look or what age you are. This then contributes to the reasoning of why there is a lack of female lead roles in popular US films. However, I will use films such as: Ghostbusters, Room and Bridesmaids to show how using female lead roles is a positive thing, although it receives a lot of controversy.

Item 11: The Guardian

Child, B. (2016) Doctor strange epitomises the girlfriend problem in Hollywood superhero films. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/07/doctor-strange-female-characters-comic-book-films (Accessed: 27 November 2016).

The context of this article reveals the Hollywood 'girlfriend problem'. This is when females are casted to be the girlfriend of a hero. The reasoning for their role is to be attractive and to be an image that the male has. This problem makes it become a normality not only in films but in reality too. Males could watch these films and associate females as inferior counterparts to these powerful men. This supports one of my key points about how females get much less screen and talk time on the big screen, showing that it is very common for females to take a back seat when it comes to lead roles. 

Item 12: LA Times

Keegan, R. (2016) New York city launches $5-million fund for women in film and theater, a first in the U.S. Available at: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-nyc-women-film-20160930-snap-story.html (Accessed: 27 November 2016).

This LA article explains how New York city have recently launched a $5 million fund for women in film and theatre. The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment in New York, will provide grants to support film and theater projects by and about women. New York also will hold workshops and a film-financing conference designed to connect women with money for their projects; conduct a screenwriting competition that culminates in a series to air on New York’s Channel 25; broadcast an additional block of programming on Channel 25 devoted to women; and fund research about gender in the field of film directing. This secondary source supports the other side of my argument which shows the urge of movement which tries to raise awareness of getting women more involved within the film industry. This emphasises my key point of my investigation showing how more effort needs to be made. 

Item 13: Washington Post

Overly, S. (2016) Women in Hollywood get less screen time than men. This technology could help fix that. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/09/20/women-in-hollywood-get-less-screen-time-than-men-this-technology-could-help-fix-that/ (Accessed: 27 November 2016).

Washington post expose a new technology which can begin to measure male and female screen and talk time in films. The GD-IQ software technology rapidly speeds up the process, rolling through a 90 minute movie in about 15 minutes. It also collects a greater number of data points about which character is seen, which character is heard and what that character is saying. The result, researchers say, is a different understanding of how gender is represented in media and entertainment.    Data show women were heard even less than they were seen. In the 2015 films studied, women spoke an average 15.4 percent of the time compared to 28.4 percent for men. In films where men and women had co-leading roles, men still received more lines on average than their female co-stars.

Item 14: Women in TV and Film

Lauzen, M.M. (2011) It’s a man’s (Celluloid) world: On-screen representations of female characters in the top 100 films of 2011. Available at: http://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/files/2011_Its_a_Mans_World_Exec_Summ.pdf (Accessed: 28 December 2016).

This PDF secondary source reveals past statistics of films with a female lead role. This source then enables me to compare to the most recent statistics for example, from The Geena Davis institute giving evidence from 2015 and 2016. Therefore, using this secondary source helps me reinforce the idea how there is a movement happening in gender roles in film, however not often enough.

Magazines

Item 15: BFI Screenonline

Bonham-Carter, H. (no date) BFI Screenonline: Female protagonists. Available at: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824016/ (Accessed: 17 October 2016).

This piece of secondary research is very relevant to my topic as it expresses how female characters have usually always been restricted in the roles they play, for example it states that people complain that women in film are typically: mothers, virgins or whores. This shows how stereotyping has taken over, which proves even more so that my 3 key films, especially my focus film shows how the female characters break that mould of a stereotype and transform it into a realistic and equal view of women and female characters in film.

Item 16: Empire

Richards, O. (2016) ‘Room’, (January), .

This is a film review by Empire Magazine which goes on to explain and describe Brie Larson’s character within the film and how brilliant a job she did to really make her mark in the film industry. This secondary source is extremely useful to my investigation as it supports my point that one of my films I have chosen; Room, entails a strong female character. This can be supported through the use of language in which Empire Magazine describe her. These descriptions she is given are so very different to a lot of film reviews, this is because films are usually using female characters in a very stereotypical way.

Item 17: Variety

Chang, J. (2015) ‘Film review: “Room” (2015)’, Variety (September), 

This magazine article includes a film review about Room. This article uses a very positive language towards Brie Larson's character reinforcing my points on how journalists are using very different language towards a female lead role, suggesting how different her character has been constructed compared to many other female lead roles in other films.

Books

Item 18: Contemporary American Cinema

Hammond, M. and Williams, L.R. (2006) Contemporary American cinema. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

This book gives case studies on women in contemporary american films. A useful case study is on a old film starring Madonna, called Desperately Seeking Susan. This case study states how women are interpreted the wrong way. 

Item 19: Female Spectators: Looking at film and television

Pribram, D.E. (ed.) (1988) Female spectactors: Looking at film and television. 2nd edn. New York: Verso, 1988.

This book contains factual information focuses on how the image of women in film are represented. The book also includes suggestions on how we can change the image of women in film in the future. Yes I will use this secondary source as it is a vital piece of research that allows me to explore in more depth how women are represented in film. This then implements my subject area as I am looking into strong female characters in US contemporary films.  

Item 20: Feminist Film Theory

Thornham, S. (1999) Feminist film theory: A reader. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

The book has great relevance to my topic and investigation. The context of the book explains how women provide trouble or sexual interludes for the male characters or are not present at all. Even when there is a female lead role, her character is generally shown as confused, helpless, in danger, passive or purely as a sexual human being. It also goes onto explain how it is very odd how women in most films are represented this way. This is called sex-role stereotyping. This provides evidence for my key points I am making about the representation of female characters strength in films. This is why I chose my three films as my primary research as they support my idea of their female lead roles breaking that stereotypical mould you see in most mainstream films today.

Item 21: Working Girls: Gender and Sexuality in popular cinema

Tasker, Y. (1998) Working girls: Gender and sexuality in popular cinema. New York: Rutledge

Page 70 in this book explains how strong women in film are seen as 'the stuff of fantasy'. However, in my investigation my argument states how there should me more female characters like my focus film and supporting films. This then shows an authentic female role through the characteristics of strength and independence, rather than having a strong female role, however over sexualising her character, therefore making the character become more of a sexual/male gaze. 

Videos

Item 22: Geena Davis tackles gender roles in films

StartFragmentBrendan Kownacki (2014) Geena Davis tackles gender roles in films. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAJvfsOCkG0 (Accessed: 4 October 2016).EndFragment    

This secondary source is useful to my investigation as Geena Davis, a actress and filmmaker herself tackles gender roles in film and has built a large campaign called The Geena Davis Institute which raises awareness to my subject matter; how there are not enough strong, authentic characters in film. Instead they are sexualised and untruthful.  

Item 23: Emma Watson's UN Speech

New China TV (2016) Emma Watson’ full speech at UN on Sept 20, 2016. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C4c7VR8X7I (Accessed: 30 November 2016).

Actress Emma Watson, a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, delivers a speech pressing on the importance of gender equality. This video of Emma Watson, is now a very positive public speaker and figure in which women look up too. This shows how women in the film industry have beliefs and ideologies that these common female stereotypical moulds in film should be broken more often.