Prior to the 1970s, women were more likely to be cast as objects of male desire. However, after a cultural revolution in feminism, the direction gradually changed from mildly feminist roles, to solid bodied masculine performers, to action heroines, and finally, a post-feminist state of gender role exploration. The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo is set in the heroine phase of the female film role development. A paradigm shift is seen with the film as it pushes the boundaries in terms of how female characters are portrayed compared to its predecessors. Earlier characters include Yu Shu Lien from The Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. Although there are some similarities between the three characters, Lisbeth Salander stands out as an artistic leap in the way female characters are depicted in a film. This paper, therefore, seeks to analyze how feminine characters have evolved over the decades while evaluating the various cultural and societal drivers of this change. Moreover, the paper will do an in depth analysis of Lisbeth as a character entailing her contributions to the cinematic scene while also comparing her to contemporary peer character. Finally, the paper will assess the current and future projection regarding the depiction of females in the film industry.
Development of the Women Characters in Film
Motion pictures have been male dominated from their inception. Evidently, the most notable characters of the early film industry like Charlie Chaplin and Max Linder were all men. When females began taking up roles in the industry, they were often depicted as cute, button funny characters that were merely the idealization of the male sexual desires (Holmlund 2013). Often, the female character would be a stereotype of a damsel in distress with no personality at all. If the role changed, it was slightly but still represented the stereotypes of the woman at the time. The costumes the characters were dressed in were another projection of the male sexual fantasies such as leopard print suits, blond hair, and kinky boots. This role was as a result of the sexist environment that characterized the 1960s. At the time, a woman was only supposed to look adorable and smile. They traditionally occupied the kitchen although a section of the younger women population was pushing for gender equality. The passing of the 1964 civil rights act outlawing discrimination of people based on their gender, race, or nationality paved the way for new gender roles as more women started to work. Thus, women in the film were nothing short of sexual objects, which showed the position they were given in society.
Soon after the pure objectification age, a new one was slowly ushered in by the array of societal changes sparked in the 1960s. The transition from the 1960s to the 1970s was marked by changes in the law and numerous forms of activism that empowered women in society (Dow 1996). The feminist movement was at its peak with debutantes marching all over in protest for their rights. This period also posed new challenges for them, for instance, sexual harassment at the workplace. The film industry in response produced movies that matched the new age (Neale 1993). The primary focus in these films was expressing the female desire and representing the strengths and role of women in society/. Those that found a way to work outside the mainstream film industry could effectively combine practice with the creativity of the individuals (Neale 1993). Thus, the 1970s were characterized by a much stronger woman in the films in response to the gender parity calls at the time (Schubart 2007).
The 1980’s feminine expression of power revolved around bodybuilding. It also involved looking as masculine as possible (Tasker 2012). Women in movies like The Terminator, Red Sonya, and James Bond all embodied this new look. In addition to the physical strength, they also came with a sense of personality and a well-built back story that made women resonate with the characters (Tasker 2012). These new figures symbolized the New Age Man. This allegory was supposed to incorporate both male and female traits. In essence, masculinity was defined as having both size and physical strength (Cohan 2012). In addition, the rejection of authority by use of physical force was also part of the new character (Jeffords 1994). The aim was to show the powerful independent lady in society, but this was not entirely the case. The hard-body depiction of these women overshadowed the objectification they were exposed to at the time (Holmlund 2013). They dressed up in costumes that revealed most of their bodies in an attempt to showcase their muscle endowment. At the moment, it might have looked empowering; but they were still being presented as sex objects. Therefore, the decade’s aim to empower women ended up representing them as half naked body builder fetishes.
The wheel of change continued to spin with the dawn of the 1990s. Seeing as it was a post-recession period the movie companies at this time were mainly playing it safe. The primary feature of this era was the mass de-objectification of female characters. Women were now depicted as persons to love and not lust after (Willis 1997). Female characters at this point played roles different from the traditional girlfriend and wife routine. These tasks include hackers, news anchors, paleontologists, scientists, mountain climbers, and doctors (Tasker 2002). Therefore, the 1990s saw a massive change in the roles given to women in film.
A lot of change in the artistry and portrayal of women in film discerned the post-2000 era. Here, improvements in production technology, as well as a much progressive society, set the stage for the exploration of gender roles in films. Films in this age have portrayed women in almost every sense imaginable. Notable movies in this period that had women in the lead or co-lead roles are The Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. These female characters have been trendsetters in the film industry in their right. Since 2000 the production quality has hence increased with equal measure as the role of women in them.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Lisbeth Salander stands out in the way she is represented in the film. While serving as the secondary protagonist, she is presented with the views as an unorthodox yet straight woman. She is socially awkward due to her appearance. She is seen as non-conformers and tends to align herself with the unconventional women both in terms of her style and attitude towards things. In society, she finds herself greatly misinterpreted and dismissed owing to her quiet and withdrawn personality (Rosenberg & O’Neill 2011). Her gothic appearance, tattoos, and piercings help paint a distorted picture of her in society. Thus, no one takes hers seriously. The head of Milton Security pitied her at first and underrated her abilities thinking she can only do temp work. Additionally, the courts, other institutions of authority, as well as her second guardian all seem to view her as mentally unfit. As a result, she is threatened with the possibility of being institutionalized (Rosenberg & O’Neill 2011). However, her unique perspective on things serves as her unique superpower as it is what drives her through all this societal suppression. Therefore, as a product of her defiance to social norms she is constantly undervalued and misjudged by society as a whole.
Nevertheless, her character shows an unusual form of strength. Although she is not muscled like Sarah Connor, Lisbeth used her intellectual skills to make up for her lack of brute physical strength. All through the film, she is portrayed both as a victim and a survivor. She is perpetually punished in her role but always emerges victorious. Evidently, Lisbeth’s guardian repeatedly abuses her, but when she gets a chance, she makes him pay. She does not view the brutalization of women personally but rather as societal cancer that consumes it. Therefore, Lisbeth’s uses the way people see her to her advantage, and that is her form of empowerment (Rosenberg & O’Neill 2011). Moreover, with her multiple violent outbursts, she positions herself as both capable of looking after herself and able to seek justice when wronged. These incidents include the torture of the Guardian and attacking Martin with a golf club. Therefore, her character is empowered through her struggles with a dysfunctional society as she shows she can secure her independence despite the number of odds against her.
The girl with the dragon tattoo is very different from other girls in the film. While the other girls embrace the traditional role of women in society, she is defiant and sets her role. One might argue that her role is forced on to her by her circumstances to it is clear that there is an intense amount of passion steering that role. Whereas her counterparts in the film find comfort in the protection of conservative social norms, she chooses to define her path. She pushes the limits of what traditionally women are expected to be in that environment both intellectually and physically. She is a remarkably skilled hacker that surpasses her peers’ expectations at work through her foresight, independence, skills, and intelligence (Rosenberg & O’Neill 2011). Besides, putting into account the dress code of normal women, her gothic look sets her apart as an outcast. Her entire attire oozes a dark personality as compared to rosy, bright clothes worn by women all around her. She also thinks less of men than women. Unlike her counterparts, she feels no remorse or hesitation when performing violent acts. She is also a fast analyst of people’s personalities; her assessments seldom turn out to be wrong. For this reason, she is extremely paranoid and close guarded. Lisbeth is, therefore, a remarkable character when compared to the other females in the film because of her odd personality and skills.
Lisbeth’s character undergoes several traumatic events. The most gruesomely depicted in the movie is her rape. The scene graphically captures detailed moments as she is manacled to bed and raped by her guardian. The details include her efforts to get away, the guardian forcing himself on her, and her earsplitting wail. One may argue that this is too graphic, but in essence, it captures the reality of a rape situation. It is not a pleasant affair and the world needed to be shown the same. Similarly, in exacting her vengeance, she is equally brutal. The revenge scene does not leave out any detail of the save justice that includes her violently anally assaulting the guardian with a metallic rod. The movie in this logic follows the traditional rape sequence routine. Indeed, the need to justify female violence with a rape-revenge narrative is still showcased in the plot of the film (Read 2000). Her rape scene is consequently both brutal and graphic, which allows the viewers to get the ugliness of it although the movie follows the tradition logic of justifying female violence.
How Lisbeth Compares to her Peers
Shu Lien is depicted as a remarkable woman of strength. She wears traditional Chinese attire and does not need to show off her muscles to appear tough. She is a talented Wudan master that is married, Meng. Her marriage shows just how an ordinary everyday woman can stand out as a strong character. She is also a working woman as she owns a private security company. Her company is involved in courier services and providing protection shipments between the major cities in her home country. The character is depicted being disciplined and having ethical principles that include etiquette, humility, friendship, and a sense of achievement. She only suffers a single loss that makes her a window. She is not presented as damaged and vengeful, she fights for honor, principle and to preserve what she believes in and loves. Furthermore, she embodies the eight fundamental virtues: Loyalty, love, benevolence, family piety, honesty, harmony, peace, and friendship. She is a force to reckon with in the region as both men and women respect and fear her in equal measure. It is hard not to love and fear her at the same time which is rare for women in film (Kaplan 2013). Furthermore, she is portrayed as a mother figure for Jen in the film. Her character is, therefore, primarily different from Lisbeth’s in this fashion.
In contrast, despite her intellect and fighting skills, Lara Croft is heavily sexualized. She is the daughter of a highly influential British aristocrat. Accompanying her status is raised a life of luxury with all her needs being catered for until she is forced to learn to survive on her own. She is portrayed as a vastly trained in combat and in weaponry and capable of looking after herself which turns around the stereotype around the conservative nature of English women. Even though Lara’s character is a bit developed a lot more details appears to contradict her feminist aim (Mikula 2003). She has poorly developed relationships as we see her having a lot of conversations with her dead father indifference to her real life ones. Additionally, her costume alone indicates the level of objectification in the film. It exposes most of her body and makes her appear almost like a half-naked strip tease with gun holsters. The opening sequence is crowded with crotch shots of the character’s impractical shorts. The shower scene also sexualizes her character (Mikula 2003). Besides, the excessive emphasis on her breasts and physique serves the same purpose. Lastly, there is lots of violence in the movie directed at one female character; her (Brown 2004). Therefore, although the movie is initially set out to empower women, it ends up objectifying the lead character.
The three earlier discussed characters have a variety of similarities and differences. While Shu Lien and Lara Croft represent extreme ends concerning the feminist depiction of women in film, Lisbeth finds a middle ground between the two. Their similarities include their mantle of empowering women by depicting a strong feminist archetype. In addition, they are all portrayed as victims of the male gender in one way or the other (Doane, 2013). Moreover, they all show a commendable level of aptitude showing that women in society can be smart. Although some of their back stories are lacking, they have a sense of character development. Although Shu Lien is strong and pro-feminist, she is exceedingly conservative. On the other hand, while Lara aims to be a role model she ends up being sexualized and with superficial qualities. The three characters have different personalities with the darkest of all being Lisbeth. Of the three, Lisbeth stands out the most practically built and depicted. She, therefore, stands out among her contemporary peers as the most realistic depiction of a woman in society despite the apparent similarities between them.
Current and Future Industry Trends
More women might be in the film industry now more than ever, but their representation remains dismal. This statement is a finding fro from a study done by Green Davis Institute on Gender in Media and USC Annenberg. The scope of the survey covered the females’ character’s occupations, body size, attire and whether they spoke or not. The number of men overwhelms the number of the women. These figures agree both in terms of gainful employment and actors playing roles in movies. Regarding attire, a substantial percentage of women are currently depicted either half naked or showing a significant amount of skin. Society’s emphasis on the tyranny of ideas regarding ideal beauty and fat shaming people is translated into films showing teenage girls as thin (Doane, 2013). The ratios of men to women in television, in general, were 14.25:1 while 5.4:1 indicating the disparity in representation. The most revealing statistic was the number of women speaking in the films. Women are also increasingly given posturing roles now more than ever. Thus, recent research affirms that women are still sidelined in the movie industry either by employment or depiction (Stacey 2013). When showcased they are given very shallow roles.
The lack of proportion in the depiction of women seems not intentional but rather subliminal (Davies & Smith 2013). This observation can be attributed to their absence in cultural and social spaces. People grow more used to the absence and learn to identify with men. Evidently in movies like The Tomb Raider; a dead man defines the direction of the story despite the fact that the lead character is a woman. Besides, this situation is evidenced by the dismal number of female writers in movies. Females’ scripts, for the most part, are written by men who make it limiting to the character (Neale & Smith 2013). To fix this issue as a society, we need to include more women in more spheres in society. In turn, this should broaden creativity in the way a woman is depicted in a film. Thus, the reason women are inadequately represented in the movie industry is that of their exclusion for cultural and societal spheres.
Research suggests that children between the ages of eight and eighteen years spent seven hours and thirty-eight minutes watching television daily (Negra & Tasker 2007). These kids acquire their views on gender roles from the television. Therefore, if females are perpetually portrayed as weaklings, victims, psychopaths, this is what then this young generation will pick up. Through expanding the realm of women representation to dominated areas like politics, medical research and the military previously reserved for men we raise a generation of gender-conscious individuals (Negra & Tasker 2007). Would it not be wonderful if we saw more women in the white house, not as secretaries delivering reports, but as the Commander In Chief approving legislations? Thus, to impact meaningful change in the next generation in the way women are viewed, there is need to start accommodating them in more empowering roles.
Another question arises on where the film industry is headed concerning delineation of women in movies. With the growth of social media, a robust online community of feminist provides a solid base for driving change (Modleski 2014). The movement calls for change in the various aspects of the movie industry; these include script writers, movies producers, film directors, and a broadened range of women character roles. They are also are also lobbying for increased dialogue time for females appearing in films. Thus, with the change in the communication platform, a large number of people pushing for this change have been gifted with a powerful podium.
Furthermore, protest groups, as well as activist organizations, have been formed to stop the misrepresentation of women in theater. One of them is SPARK (Sexualization, protest, action and knowledge). This organization’s job is spelled out in the name: It is blatantly trying to distinguish between the healthy sexuality that portrays intimacy linked with positive feelings and the sheer objectification of women to raising films ratings. The organization is remarkably run by young girls aged between thirteen and twenty-two years that organize events, protest, and blog about it. Through their visible efforts, this organization and others like it are reminding society that no one is too young to fight for the right course (Negra & Tasker 2007). The organization is, therefore, impacting the future of film through activism.
As a consequence of technological advancements in movie production, exploration of women roles ought to broaden (Neale & Smith 2013). This experimentation has been already seen in computer simulated graphic productions that include the Avatar, the X-men and so many new movies being made. This exploration allows for less sexualization and deeper female characters in a film. Hence, the future should see a much-improved gender role exploration to the improved in movie production technology.
Conclusion
In essence, the movie industry has seen harsh on the representation of women since its inception. The film industry has, therefore, been a male dominated trade evidence by the few number of prominent female movie actors in early films. During the 1960s, the representation of a woman in the film was typically a fragile lady that often never participated in the dialogue. Her job at the time was to look pretty and dress up according to the sexual fantasy of the time. Soon after the objectification phase, the second wave of feminism hit the world. The movie industry responded by producing movies that tried to highlight the female experience. Women’s depiction in the 1980s transitioned to muscle building and physical fitness to match a man’s. The idea was to embody the New Age man through physical strength. Here, the rebellious female character who used force to fight for her course was born. Next came the 1990s, which saw a massive improvement in the way women were portrayed. The change correlated with the reserved approach to film at the time due to its post-recession nature.
The post-2000 age in cinema has seen a commendable shift in the way women are viewed. A few of the unique characters of this time are Lisbeth Salander, Yu Shu Lien, and Lara Croft. The girl with the dragon tattoo plays the role of a secondary protagonist in the film. Her sense of style alone sets her apart from other characters in the movie. The nonconformist approach to life makes her subject to misinterpretation and unfair prejudice from society as a whole. Even though she is exposed to a lot of victimization in life, she still has a resounding amount of mental strength that gets her through almost anything. Her horrid rape is used to shape the characters vengeance. She is capable of protecting herself and has repentance in committing despicable acts of violence to ensure her survival which sets her apart from other female characters in the film. Regarding her peers, she shares in their quest to portray a strong female character. While the Shu Lien a bright, honor-driven character with a profound back story she lacks a realistic oomph to her. Lara, on the other hand, is too sexualized and is given an insincere role. Lara is noticeably only good at shooting things.
Currently, regardless of the numerous efforts made, the image of women in movies is still struggling. It is biased on their sexuality, trivial roles, and little to no dialogue. The struggle can be blamed on society’s need ostracize women from the social, cultural, political and scientific scenes. As children pick up their gender views, it is vital to remedy the situation through accommodating more women in film in said spheres of society. In response to the continued agitation on the internet and activist groups for fair representation of women in movies, the future may hold the much needed change.
Bibliography
Brown, J.A., 2004. Gender, sexuality, and toughness: The bad girls of action film and comic books. In Action chicks (pp. 47-74). Palgrave Macmillan US.
Cohan, S. and Hark, I.R. eds., 2012. Screening the male: Exploring masculinities in the Hollywood cinema. London, Routledge.
Davies, J. and Smith, C.R., 2013. Gender, ethnicity, and sexuality in contemporary American film. London. Routledge.
Doane, M.A., 2013. Femmes fatales. New York, NY: Routledge.
Dow, B.J., 1996. Prime-time feminism: Television, media culture, and the women’s movement since 1970. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press.
Holmlund, C., 2013. Impossible bodies: femininity and masculinity at the movies. Routledge.
Jeffords, S., 1994. Hard bodies: Hollywood masculinity in the Reagan era. Rutgers University Press.
Kaplan, E.A., 2013. Women & Film. Routledge. (Kaplan 2013)
Mikula, M., 2003. Gender and Videogames: the political valency of Lara Croft. Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 17(1), pp.79-87.
Modleski, T., 2014. Feminism without women: Culture and criticism in a” postfeminist” age. New York, Routledge.
Neale, S., 1993. Reflections on men and mainstream cinema. Screening the male: Exploring masculinities in Hollywood cinema, p.9.
Neale, S. and Smith, M. eds., 2013. Contemporary Hollywood Cinema. London, Routledge.
Negra, D. and Tasker, Y. eds., 2007. Interrogating postfeminism: Gender and the politics of popular culture. Durham, Duke University Press.
Read, J., 2000. The new avengers: Feminism, feminity, and the rape-revenge cycle. Manchester University Press.
Rosenberg, R.S. and O’Neill, S. eds., 2011. The Psychology of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Understanding Lisbeth Salander and Stieg LarssonÕs Millennium Trilogy. BenBella Books, Inc..
Schubart, R., 2007. Super bitches and action babes: The female hero in popular cinema, 1970-2006. McFarland.
Stacey, J., 2013. Star gazing: Hollywood cinema and female spectatorship. London, Routledge.
Tasker, Y., 2012. Spectacular bodies: Gender, genre and the action cinema. Routledge.
Tasker, Y., 2002. Working girls: Gender and sexuality in popular cinema. Routledge.
Willis, S., 1997. High contrast: Race and gender in contemporary Hollywood film. Duke University Press.
