Feminist films?

[msrisotto]

I've just watched "Mone Lisa Smile" which was set in the 1950's (America), Julia Roberts being a feminist role model at a finishing school. I liked it.

Do you know of any films with a feminist main character or a feminist angle?

Was it good? It really depends on your standards

I think Hairspray is quite good for this. She loves dancing, she's plump, she campaigns against racism and she gets a hot boyfriend who thinks she's amazing.

Also Down With Love. Woman gets fed up with being dumped by bloke so decides to get her own back by...writing a book and running her own magazine!

Anyone said Labyrinth yet?

(doing my best to keep it there Lenin!)

LeninGrad - thanks for the recommend for Desert Hearts - it's added to my rental list.

I'd like to see Wanda but haven't found it available anywhere - anyone seen it?

Two more to add:

The Piano (also Jane Campion's book which she wrote after making the film is wonderful)

Dogville by Lars von Triers which is incredibly disturbing.

I'm new to this thread, but it's something I have thought about before.

My choices would be
Silkwood
Hairspray
Boys Don't Cry

But there are so few. But I do think certain actors can lend films a feminist sort of slant just through their strength of character,

e.g. Tilda Swinton - I think her that many of the films she is in lack the tedious 'feminine' stereotypes that get trotted out usually. She was in one recently 'This is Love' where I thought that was true even though, as per usual, her character ended up getting thoroughly punished for her 'liberated' behaviour.

Dittany - I'm really suprised you said 'Thelma and Louise' - I read a critique of it once that said it is more or less misogynist in its ultimate punishment of the women and overall message (I admit I quite liked the film though, before reading that!)

kittycat37 - it's true that within Holywood type films there is a dearth of feminist films, but outside of Holywood then they do exist.

Re Thelma & Louise - they are very strong female characters, the film contains much feminism, and at the time it was made these things were an absolute revelation! How many mainstream Holywood films consider the consequences of rape for example? That is why I believe it to be a feminist film.

Just remembered Ghost World with Thora Birch.

The Accused.

earwicga - I think the thing about Thelma and Louise for me is that it tends to demonstrate how incredibly backward things were at the time that it was made (and probably still are) because it was so lauded for pointing out that rape is a 'bad thing'.
How reactionary does a society have to be for that to be seen as a radical statement? I'm not criticising the film per se for that, as you say, it was probably ahead of its time - also the fact that the characters were strong was a big plus...but still, I'm uneasy with it. Ultimately I think it's quite a reactionary film, simply because the characters are portrayed as being so untypical e.g. not everyday women, but off the scale in terms of their assertiveness, which is ultimately punished when they're killed off...but as has been pointed out, by Dittany I think, there are probably no unproblematic films if they're analysed in depth

x post earwicga - but I'd also level all the same reservations at The Accused.

Fatal attraction.

I quite enjoyed 'The Devil Wears Prada' because again it was about work, ambition, interests, role models and the working relationships between women.

I can't remember if there was much romance or not?

I thought Dogville an amazing film, but think it reads as a religious allegory, not a feminist film, but then I think I'm in a minority as nobody else I've talked to thinks that. I would be interested in other's take on this.

I think it very much works on both levels reptile. It's hard to be clear without giving away the story, but if Grace was i.e. John do you think that the final point of slavery would have even happened? And if Grace was John then would the finale have been so shocking? I'm off to see if there is a feminist analysis of Dogville available anywhere on the net.

kittycat37 - I think The Accused worked on smashing many myths surrounding rape victims. It's a very hard film to watch, in fact I think I've only watched it once.

MarineIguana - I watched Monsters v Aliens last night. It was brilliant wasn't it! And the little "princess" (pink top to toe - not my DC I hasten to add) I was watching it with said in awe "I think I want to be her". I wanted to cheer!

Deathproof

The Accused is a great film...I saw it as a teenager and it had a huge impact on me.

Unfortunately I just googled it to make sure I had the name right and the top results are pornifed download clips of the rape scene...FFS

Glad you mentioned The Accused earwicga. One of the reasons I liked it, and thought it was at least partly a feminist film, was its occasional engagement with class as well as gender, and at least a nod to the distance/conflict between the women based on their class.

The Nasty Girl - a German film from 1988 IIRC. Made on a budget of probably max £10 and looks it, but is inventive and interesting about the roles that the lead character moves in and out of.

I cannot accept Thelma and Louise as a feminist film but it's a damn good film even so.

I can't accept Fatal Attraction a feminist film. It is one of the most misogynistic films ever made. Glenn Close's characterbecoming this devil woman who has to be killed.