Women in The Martian

[noblegiraffe]

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of women in this film, given it was a sciencey film about space.

Yes, Matt Damon is the main character, but the mission commander is a woman (and she's awesome), there's another female astronaut, and the most prominent character in the control room is a woman. All the NASA top bods and engineers are men, but there is a woman in the meetings (NASA media director). The deputy of the Chinese space agency is also female and a key decision-maker.

When they do shots of the control room there are plenty of women, and also when they show an astronaut training class, I think it's 50% female.

[almondpudding]

Yes, the current space films are good for female characters- Gravity, Interstellar, Europa Report as well.

I also like that Botany, often seen as at the women's 'soft' end of Science was key to Matt Damon's survival, while in Gravity, Sandra Bullock as a woman was relying on engineering. So stereotypes were mixed up.

Those two are similar films in showing characters' humanity, ingenuity and determination.

[pyjamasandgin]

I was really impressed with the female characters in The Martian, they were well developed and not just a wife/girlfriend types, but rather integral to the film itself.

Almond I haven't come across Europa Report so will look into that! I have been trying to watch more films with serious female leads and by female directors so any recommendations much appreciated:)

[TeiTetua]

Bechdel test?

Or maybe we can say that this is post-Bechdel, because the women are so numerous have such serious roles that the test is too narrow to apply any more.

[TeiTetua]

Missing "and" there, oh well.

[noblegiraffe]

I don't think it passes Bechdel because the majority of conversations in the film are about Matt Damon. But that goes for the men too.

It's still a male-dominated film, but there are more women than you'd expect, and their input and opinions are treated equally. The female commander is in charge of her spaceship and the men are seen respectfully deferring to her in many matters.

[seagreengirl]

Yes I liked the women in The Martian too, whereas the Anne Hathaway character in Interstellar was awful.

[nocoolnamesleft]

Though perhaps much of the credit should go to the author of the book? A while since I read it, but certainly the mission commander was an awesome woman, there was another female astronaut, and the female hotshot at satellite photo interpretation were all in the original.