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Why Are Women In Movies?
Why Hollywood still wants women to be either victims or villains (but never fully human)
I remember the first time I encountered the term male gaze. At the time, it seemed abstract to me: yes, camera operators are usually men, and yes, cameras like to glide over women’s bodies. But then I started noticing it everywhere.
In the way, horror heroines run from maniacs in miniskirts and heels. In the way, women over 40 either turn into evil old women or just disappear. In the way, even the “coolest” female characters like Irene Adler from Sherlock eventually lose to men.
And then it dawned on me: cinema is not just entertainment. It is an instruction. Instruction on what a woman should be: young, beautiful, preferably half-naked, but not too self-confident. And if you go beyond the limits, you are either erased from the screen or turned into a monster.
Why are there so few of us?
A teenager played Juliet. And everyone was fine
Let’s be honest: women weren’t allowed on stage until the 15th century. All of Shakespeare’s passions — Juliet, Ophelia, Lady Macbeth — were performed by pre-pubescent boys. Because a “decent woman” couldn’t disgrace herself in front of a crowd.
