This topic has had its online discussions. I've been thinking about Hollywood and casting choices. Along with exceptional older actresses that like Helen Mirren or Judy Dench and the loss of good roles as they get older. I believe it was Mirren who said that women end up as grandmas.
The problem is that good roles are not being written for women. Action heroes are males and even on the rare occasion that it's a female, they're written as emulating male heroes.
I used to watch Dr. Who, an interesting show that I'll always identify with Tennant. When they had a female it simply, imo, did not fit the character. I felt the same when there were resulting conversations about Bond. It was written for a male character. Again, I don't see Bond as a female. There is too much history.
Awareness is important, but fixing it with rewrites and remakes instead of original stories is not the answer. This is particularly bad in fantasy. Geared toward young males Jordan's Wheel of time series has a main character who on his path to rescue the world picks up a fellowship of "strong" female characters, all of whom love him. Game of thrones introduced a very cool character in Khaleesi, who the male author eventually discards as insane. She is the Queen of Dragons a strong mind would have made more sense.
Young geeks grow up. They still enjoy classic literature and fantasy. The only masterpiece of its kind; LOTR was written for an adult audience. The focus was no longer on relationships (as many young adult novels focus on), but the maturity of completing a seemingly impossible mission and friendship. Somehow that book seemed more progressive than what followed. The scene where Galadriel refuses the power of corruption remains incredibly memorable. I cannot imagine LOTRs fellowship to be all female, but I'd like to read an original story in the genre where the fellowship is female. It would offer a different perspective.
The Russian movie Attraction was a little different. Still geared towards teens, but an alien species of scientists and explorers. Apparently different stories can be written.
Hollywood has come a long way in at least showing more diversity in casting of people of color and of women. But, yes, there's definitely not a lot of roles open except as supporting roles for many still.
ReplyDeleteCodex: I agree but I am talking about women specifically, irrespective of anything else. Denzel and Morgan Freeman are amazing actors in lead roles. They've been around for a while. Women? Witches and Fairies. (Eg. Maleficent)
DeleteIt can be interesting to see how a classic series or character can be "re-imagined," but I agree that a female Bond is a stretch. He was always a caricature of masculinity.
ReplyDeleteCodex: I think that the Bond franchise gives viewers a reliable fun and clean action series, where everything including the villains are over the top. They have changed over the decades.
DeleteYes, that conclusion did Khaleesi wrong.
ReplyDeleteOne thought to add to your post: it's still predominantly men who make these movies.
Codex: Yes. But Haiyo Miyazaki attributes his success to 50% female staff. The hurt locker benefited from a female director and told that story better. R.r. Martin wrote Khaleesi as a Mad Queen when given that it's fantasy she could have been the long promised true Queen of Dragons.
DeleteReaders and movie goers are female as well, spouse pointed out that she's tired of romance stories.
I suppose that's what it appears from an almost exclusive Hollywood/US/UK block buster viewpoint ignoring Scandinavian, French, Spanish, not to mention African/Asian independent productions.
ReplyDeleteI saw a list somewhere recently where serious people vetted the 10 best movies of all times and all were US produced. How sad.
Codex: US has the budget and the big studios. Which ones would you recommend?
DeleteI am probably not the right person to ask bc I am not really a fan of big franchise stuff, space travel, superheros etc.
DeletePossibly I am just a middle of the road arthouse cinema/indie movie friend who happens to live in Europe - for now. When the kid was growing up watching the latest Bond movie in a large movie house was a treat but equally so was watching Into the West, a smallish Irish movie by Jim Sheridan and Gabriel Byrne (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1046771-into_the_west).
Some of my favourite European movies, i.e. those I have watched more than once and would watch again:
The Tin Drum - German
The Lives of Others - German
Run, Lola, Run - German
La grande bellezza/The Great Beauty - Italian
Intouchables/The Intouchables - French
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon/The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - French
Paris Texas - German
The Secret Life of Words - Spanish/Irish
As for Scandinavia (I am a huge fan), directors Thomas Vinterberg, Bille August, Susanne Bier and early Lars von Trier.
Then there's Ireland with Neil Jordan, Jim Sheridan and the UK with Ken Loach, Spain with Almodovar and I could go on.
Codex: Thank you. Sci fi is a phase at the moment. The first three German movies I saw. Along with Almodovar and some of the others. The Scandinavian ones I saw were too depressing, but there might be a few good ones.
DeleteMale writers, for the most part, don't know how to write strong female characters. I attribute that to the religious and cultural patriarchy that suppressed women for so long as to be basically grown children with no interests or abilities except being submissive baby machines or sex objects. There are exceptions of course. I've read books with strong female characters written by men. And our culture still prioritizes the super macho male in movies though the Marvel Universe does a good job with it's female characters for that genre. I think slipping a woman into a traditional male character doesn't really work, like Bond, not because women can't successfully be that kind of person, they can be badass, but because they would do it differently. I guess it depends on the genre. Sci-fi generally does a good job. As for the Khaleesi, her ending was preordained just by being a Targaryan. And Martin did a great job with Arya, really with all his female characters.
ReplyDeleteCodex: Agreed that women would do it very differently. I just wish that it would finally be written. There have been changes and I personally don't think a lead role means that she needs to be "badass". But if males in fantasy fiction can break their prophecy so could a female.
DeleteCodex: @Ellen. I was comparing two powerful women written by males. Galleries the elf queen knew that power would corrupt her. Khaleesi could have ruled with wisdom but chose to let power corrupt her. She could have been written as a great ruler especially considering how popular the show was.
DeleteCodex: Galadriel not galleries
ReplyDelete