The Roles of women in the film industry.
Industry
The film industry for as long as I can remember has been dominated by men whether in Directing, Scriptwriting or acting the first names you will usually think off for these aspects of the film industry are usually male in nature. For me, the first names I think of are Stephen Spielberg for directing, Steven Moffat for writing and Daniel Radcliffe for acting. Though out off all of them Acting is the most inclusive in diversity between actors and actresses. Of course, that does not mean that it is equal, women have always struggled for equality in the film industry.
Acting
Acting has a long and grand history that pre-dates the film industry, the first women in acting appeared around 1660 and since then woman have been a staple of the stage and later the silver screen. Though it has not been without trials and tribulations many male directors would and still do contribute to the objectification of women as well as harmful stereotypes for example that woman are weaker than men and not as important. In acting woman can often be hired for the looks and not the acting ability. Famously Meryl Streep was told she was not pretty enough to be in King Kong, of course these days she is known as one of the most successful actresses out there. Female actresses have always struggled with stereotypes as well as being sexualised by the screen and by the media who would stalk and target them over the simplest things, whether it be the way they dress or how they look if they aren’t wearing makeup or not looking a certain way. Body issues are prevalent amongst Hollywood, Selena Gomez grew up in the spotlight but in 2015 said how she had to seek therapy for her body issues that had developed over her years as an actress.[1]
Directing
Directing has always been a male dominated area of the film industry. If I asked you right now to name a female director would you be able to name one for me? The names Stephen Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and Tim burton are household names to all film lovers. All however are male, some of the great female directors include Kathryn Bigelow, Agnes Varda, Greta Gerwig. These female directors are responsible for some of the greatest films of there time. Agnes Varda is often credited with being one of the greatest directors of French film. Female directed films offer a different perspective then male directors and the differences are very notable for example in Suicide Squad[2] the camera was often framed upon Margot Robbie’s chest unlike the men who had the camera framed upon their head. But in Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey[3] which was directed by Cathy Yan and had the camera framing her upper half as well she was wearing less suggestive outfits. So in birds of prey she was more then just the sex appeal she was in suicide squad. The differences between male and female directors are usually plain to see in their finished products. I personally enjoy films by female directors more than male as I relate to the characters more.
Scriptwriting
Behind every film is a team of scriptwriters, they are the team that flushes out the storyline as well as the world the film takes place in. The majority of popular scriptwriters are men this means the stories they shape are usually more geared towards the male characters and giving them depth in my time-consuming media, I have rarely found a female character that had depth beside being a damsel in distress or only having one specific thing that is the motivation for their actions. Real people are complex and their backstories are mixed and complicated that aren’t simply reserved to one single character trait. As well when translating a female character from an existing piece of work I find that she is often weakened or dumbed down, For example Natasha Romanoff is one of the most skilled assassins in the marvel universe and yet in the marvel cinematic universe especially The Avengers[4], where she has but a fraction of the skill and power she holds in the comics.
Overall I believe representation in all areas of the film industry is important for us to be then able to have accurate representation of female characters and their stories upon the screen.
Bibliography
[1] Amey, K. (2015) ‘Body-Shamers were so mean to Selena Gomez, She went to Therapy’. TeenVogue, 8 October [Online] Available at: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/selena-gomez-therapy-body-shamers (Accessed: 7 March 2021)
[2] Suicide Squad (2016) Directed by David Ayer [Film] California: Warner Bros.
[3] Birds of Prey (2020) Directed by Cathy Yan [Film] California: Warner Bros.
[4] The Avengers (2012) Directed by Joss Whedon [Film] California: Disney Studios