The Bechdel Test Applied

A black and white comic strip featuring two female characters going to see a film

Two weeks ago I looked at The Bechdel Test. A set of standards which aim to determine whether works of fiction are gender biased. The three requirements are as follows: the work must feature at least two named female characters, who talk to each other about something besides a male character.

Let’s apply the Bechdel test to a few of the nominees for this year’s Oscars Best Film Award.

Firstly, American Hustle. Two of the main characters are women, Sydney Prosser or Edith (Amy Adams) and Rosalyn Rosenfeld (Jennifer Lawrence). Both are strong female characters although Jennifer Lawrence’s role is mostly as Irving Rosenfeld’s wife. They do talk to each other in a scene in the second half of the film, in a conflict where they argue over Irving. They also briefly mention their favourite nail polishes, so technically this does pass the test, but not with flying colours.

12 Years a Slave is another nominee, including a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong’o who plays Patsy in the film. There are a few female characters in the film, Anne Northup (Kelsey Scott), Mistress Epps (Sarah Paulson) is Edwin Epps’ (Michael fassbender) wife, and then Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o). Patsey and Mistress Epps feature in scenes together but only speak when Mistress Epps offers every slave some biscuits save Patsey “there’ll be none for you”.

There is also a scene in the film where Patsey has afternoon tea with Phebe (Deneen Tyler) but the audience does not witness any conversation between the two until Solomon turns up and then Solomon discusses Master Edwin Epps with Phebe and his affection for Patsey. So 12 Years a Slave, this year’s Oscar Best Film winner, does not pass the Bechdel test.

Of the nine Best Film nominees, four pass the test, American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska and Philomena. The Wolf of Wall Street, Her, Captain Phillips and 12 Years a Slave do not feature two female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man. Gravity is exempt as it starts only two main characters, Ryan Stone – the female lead and Matt Kowalski. It’s interesting to note that all of the five nominated best directors were also men.

This reflects film on a larger scale too, for the last ten years, films that have failed the test have earned on average a higher gross.

Empire Awards

Tom Cruise standing in front of a large print of his Empire front cover

Jameson Empire Awards 2014

The awards show with the most booze, the least rules and the most diverse guest list, the Empire Awards.

With the likes of Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger and The Inbetweeners all on the red carpet, it signalled the way for what will be an incredible finish to the awards season.

The biggest winner of the night was (unsurprisingly) Alfonso Cuaron he won for Best Director and Best Film. While he wasn’t at the event he did appear via video link to accept his awards.

Host, and star of The Hobbit trilogy James Nesbitt welcomed in the audience with less of the polished auto-cue script that you might hear from Stephen Fry, but with all the humour and wit you would expect from a drunk Irishman.

Opening with a song sang to the tune of ‘That’s Why The Lady Is A Tramp’ he impressed with a decent Sinatra-style singing voice.

James Nesbitt on stage presenting the Empire Awards 2014.

Image via Empire Online

He finished off the opener with the not so subtle jab at the Academy Awards, “We don’t need Oscars – they’re just for phonies and scamps / That is why Empire is for champs.”

Other awards that were presented were Best Male and Female newcomers that were collected by Aidan Turner (The Hobbit: The Desolations Of Smaug) and Margot Robbie (The Wolf Of Wall Street).

All the awards of the night were voted for by readers of Empire magazine, which this year celebrates it’s 25th Anniversary.

To commemorate this milestone there were two special awards that were created just for this years ceremony.

Collecting the first ‘Empire 25th Award: The Legend of Our Lifetime’ was Tom Cruise, who also conveniently appears on the front cover of this months Empire magazine.

Tom Cruise on the cover of Empire magazine

Image via Empire Online

Tom Cruise holding his Empire Award in front of a white background with the Empire logo printed on it.

Image vie Empire Online

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger collected the second of the anniversary awards The Action Hero Of Our Lifetime.

Arnold Schwarzenegger collecting his award at the Empire Awards on stage.

Image via Empire Online

The Empire Awards, while they are an international awards ceremony, there is considerable favour given to British film, and rightly so. 12 Years a Slave, Filth and Saving Mr Banks all picked awards in various acting categories.

Emma Thompson posing with her Empire Award in front of a white background with the Empire Logo printed on it.

Image via Empire Online

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James McAvoy posing with his Empire award and Kate Beckinsale

Image via Empire Online

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hugh Jackman also managed to take home an award, Empire Icon.

Hugh Jackman posing with his Empire Award in front of photographers.

image via Empire Online

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jackman, who will reprise his role as Wolverine in May in X-Men: Days Of Future Past for the eighth time is very popular with Empire and their readers.

The full list of winners, back stage interviews, and the live stream are all available to catch up on. as well photo galleries and red carpet arrivals there is plenty to keep you distracted from work for at least the next 20 minutes.

5 of the coolest fictional weapons in film

The image shows Billy Murray, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd with their roles in the film, Ghostbusters.

Since cinema first began, filmmakers have been crafting new and intriguing weapons. Even though these weapons aren’t real, we sure wish they could be. Cinema has played host to some fantastic fictional weaponry over the years and I believe that these 5 are the best of the bunch (in no particular order).

1. Identity disc, Tron (1982)

Image shows a character from the movie Tron, holding an identity disc.

Image via: blushots.weebly.com

Whilst it may look like a silly, glowing Frisbee to the untrained eye, the identity disc first featured in the 1982 sc-fi film, Tron holds a lot of power. Used to store all data that individual programs and users possess, the identity disc is mainly used as a deadly throwing weapon, de-rezzing any program in its path. On a side note, if you lose your disc, it’ll be end of the line for you.


2. Death Star, Star Wars (1977)

Image shows a large circular space station, the Death Star from the film, Star Wars

Image via: blogs.esa.int

The largest weapon on this list, the Death Star was (spoiler) the biggest weapon of the imperial fleet. With the power to completely decimate any planet it pointed at thanks to the massive green laser on board, the Rebels knew they had to take it out. Completely flawless in design apart from one tiny little detail, a tiny exhaust port that could potentially blow the whole thing up. “That’s no moon, it’s a space station!”


3. Proton Pack, Ghostbusters (1984)

The image shows Billy Murray, Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd with their roles in the film, Ghostbusters.

Image via: hollywood.com

“Don’t cross the streams!” The proton pack, designed by tech expert, Dr. Egon Spengler is designed to lasso ghosts via a proton stream. The device itself however, is rather bulky and requires a rather large batter pack to be taken with you at all times. The proton pack must also be used with caution, crossing the streams may result in some rather unwanted consequences.


4. M41A Pulse Rifle, Aliens (1986)

Image shows protagonist Ellen Ripley brandishes a Pulse Rifle in the movie Aliens.

Image via: lightspeedgaming.blogspot.co.uk

The introduction of the space marines in this Alien sequel brought with it an array of pretty badass weaponry. Most notable of which, is the M41A Pulse Rifle. Protagonist Ellen Ripley brandishes one of these at the end of the film, taking out the queen,
I wanna introduce you to a personal friend of mine. This is an M41A pulse rifle. Ten millimeter with an over-and-under thirty millimeter pump action grenade launcher.” – Corporal Hicks


5. Lightsaber, Star Wars (1977)

Image shows a red glowing lightsaber from the movie Star Wars

Image via: Leviathyn.com

Nothing is more iconic than the weapon of choice of both the Jedi and the Sith in the Star Wars franchise. The distinct hum of the elegant lightsaber is something that everyone is familiar with, and is certainly the most famous of all fictional weapons.
“This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” – Ben Kenobi

 

Searching for Sugarman: The Story of Sixto Rodriguez

 

Many of us would like to believe in destiny. Many of us wander our way through life, satisfied in the knowledge that our path may already be laid out ahead of us. Others jump from dream to dream, waiting for fate to find them. Yet, no matter the journey, all of us yearn to reach the same destination, our fate, our happily ever after. Your dreams may become reality, or they could forever remain unreachable, a work of fiction.

Directed by Malik Bendejoull, Searching for Sugarman is a documentary film detailing the fascinating life of 1970’s musician Sixto Rodriguez. “Who”, I hear you ask? Well, the unfortunate truth is that if this is the first time you’re reading about Rodriguez, the likelihood is you, like many others, have never heard of him.

video via studiocanaluk

Rodriguez lived his life on the mean streets of 1960/70’s Detroit. He is described as being a drifter, a lost soul, and not much more than a homeless man, who would spend his days doing odd jobs and playing music around the city. Those who had contact with Rodriguez maintain his mysterious, prophet like image. He was a good man, who kept himself to himself, and until the release of Searching for Sugarman in 2012, those who had heard of Rodriguez had very little to add to that information.

After becoming somewhat of a local mystery, Rodriguez released Cold Fact in 1970, followed by Coming from Reality a year later. Both albums dramatically flopped in the US and Sixto was swiftly dropped from his label. Thought to have become depressed, he later committed suicide, allegedly shooting himself in the head during a performance in a local Detroit bar, though this information cannot be confirmed.

Compared by his management to Bob Dylan, in terms of song writing ability, the tragedy of Sixto Rodriguez represents how life has a funny way of putting you on a path to destiny.

South Africa was a dangerous place in the 1970’s. With apartheid in full swing, the troubled country was a cultural boycott. A behind closed doors situation, damaged by violence and racial tensions, with some events described as resembling the holocaust. Nobody is quite sure how the first copy of Cold Fact found itself in the country, but that album would change life in South Africa forever.

By 1975, Cold Fact was a platinum selling album in the country. Rodriguez’s music inspired musicians across the country to stand up and take action against their government. “Anti-Establishment” was not even a recognized word in South Africa before it appeared on a Rodriguez record. Cold Fact and Coming from Reality taught the South African people, of all races and creeds, that it was fine to be angry at the government.

Elvis; the Beatles; Bob Dylan; Cat Stevens, you name it, Rodriguez was bigger.  Bendejoull’s Oscar winning masterpiece is an absolute must watch for fans of film, music and life. This is not a review, nor a recommendation. It is a command. If you’ve ever had a dream, this documentary is for you, and one is assured, the best is yet to come.

See the Studio Canal UK trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKXewWDh1og

The Bechdel Test

A black and white comic strip featuring two female characters going to see a film

A black and white comic strip featuring two female characters going to see a film

The Bechdel test aims determine whether works of fiction are gender biased. To pass the test, the work must feature at least two named female characters, who talk to each other about something besides a male character.

The concept is simple and you’re probably thinking, ‘that’s silly, I’m sure that most films pass that test’, which is what I thought when I was first introduced to the concept. Then I tried to think of any film I’d seen which would pass the test. I couldn’t.

The test originated from Alison Bechdel’s comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, in a strip from 1985 called The Rule, a female character states that she will only watch a film if it can satisfy the three requirements. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘Mo Movie Test’ after the female character but that isn’t correct as the character ‘Mo’ doesn’t appear in the strips until two years after The Rule was published. Bechdel has also said that she cannot take credit for the rules as she stole the idea from Liz Wallace whose name appears in the strip.

Half of the population consists of women who surely want to be represented on the big screen. And it would be offensive to assume that men wouldn’t want to watch women in film talking to each other, as if they speak some kind of elusive language that men don’t understand. So why is it that so few films manage to pass the simple test?

It’s hard to define why, Jennifer Kesler a film student raises some interesting points in her article on females in film. The frequent argument is that people don’t want to see them. Kesler mentions an industry pro once telling her “The audience doesn’t want to listen to a bunch of women talking about whatever it is women talk about.” But can that really be accurate?

As Cate Blanchett highlighted in her Oscar acceptance speech, “female films with women at the centre are [not] niche experiences” and “Audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people.” In fact two of 2013s highest grossing films were The Huger Games Catching Fire (5th highest grossing film) and Frozen (2nd highest grossing). Both of which pass the Bechdel test and more importantly, feature strong female characters. It is undeniable that people will pay, literally millions to see films where women feature prominently.

The Bechdel test simply looks at the cast of films and whether it provides valuable female characters. It is possible for a film to fail but still present a strong female character, Mako Mori in Pacific Rim is a good example. It is also possible for the test to pass and provide no strong female characters. But it is an important starting point, it helps to illuminate the lack of female characters in film, and hopefully as the film industry advances and grows, it will not be necessary.