Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Katherine Magee
Mr. Phillips
20 May 2018
1,223 directors helmed the top 1,100 top grossing films from 2007 to 2017. 43 of those
were women. That is four percent. The ratio of male to female directors within that data set is
22:1 (Cohen). The ratio of male to female in the human population is approximately 1:1. Saying
happens when men control the presentation of women in the media landscape? It is oftentimes
inaccurate, insulting, and puts false stereotypes into the minds of society. But what happens
when women get the rare chance to control the narrative? Films directed by women such as
Wonder Woman and Lady Bird have disrupted the landscape in that they have upset stereotypical
representations of women in film and presented them as people instead of accessories. These
movies have been important in changing the perception of what females can and should be in a
tumultuous climate in which feminism questions how females can and should be perceived.
Women have typically been portrayed in a limited range of character types. There is the
exasperated housewife or the woman whose main purpose in the film is to help the man find his
purpose or the cold career-focused bitch who can be softened by love or marriage. There is a
common misconception about women in leadership in which “[w]omen who lead in popular
culture have almost always been portrayed as being aggressive douchebags with no heart.”
(Emilaire). This misconception has been led by male directors who oftentimes follow societal
perceptions of populations in order to assimilate characters into the natural landscape of the
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media. Sierra Emilaire wrote “Pop culture is a mirror for society, and when young girls look in
the mirror but can’t seem to see anyone that resembles who they feel they are or who they aspire
to become, that is troubling and discouraging.” For all of history, males have controlled the
media landscape and with that, young girls have often missed out on having an accurate portrayal
of strong women that they can aspire to be. But lately, things have changed and female
representation has been on the rise. In 2017, two powerful female directed films were released,
Wonder Woman and Lady Bird. And in 2018, the #MeToo and Times Up Movements infiltrated
Hollywood as female celebrities stood with women across the nation and world to end sexual
When Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, was released, it was a huge milestone
for women in film as it was the first female superhero movie in over a decade and the first ever
superhero movie directed by a woman. It follows the story of Wonder Woman, formerly known
as Diana as she leaves her home on the Amazon island of Themyscira and goes to London during
the time of World War I in order to stop Ares and end the war. In the magical world of
Themyscira in which she is surrounded by only women, Diana is trained to be a warrior and is
clueless of the stereotypical molds women squeeze themselves into in the real world. When she
arrives in London, she is treated as lesser and not respected, a treatment that she is not used to.
And in response to this treatment, “Wonder Woman subverts and undermines the casual sexism
and erasure that’s become de facto in even the best superhero movies — and with a radiant smile
besides.” (Framke). In order to fit into popular culture, the movie could not simply go without
male presence. Diana was joined with three men in her quest to end the war but they “wouldn't
make it out of the second reel alive without Diana and her sword, shield and heart.” (Board). She
is constantly proving to everyone that she is a strong woman and her independence radiates
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throughout the film, even when she does find a male love interest. Although there is more
romance in Wonder Woman than in male superhero movies, Diana ends up without her beau and
saves the world anyway. The movie is filmed like a normal superhero movie; the fact that it is a
superhero movie with a female lead is not dwelled upon. Wonder Woman’s outfit, although
skimpy, is not lingered upon in the shots; “[s]he’s filmed as a badass; an athlete and warrior,
rather than a sex object.” (Grossman). Wonder Woman is not limited to being just being what
society has constructed a woman to be. She is a warrior who destroys Ares and helps to end
World War I. She takes it upon herself to do what is right saying “If no one else will defend the
The mystical and amazing fantasy of “Wonder Woman” is in sharp contrast to the other
female directed film that came out and was popularized in 2017. Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” is
so terribly mundane and that is what makes the film so aweing. Gerwig tells the story of a
mother and daughter as the daughter goes through senior year of high school and goes off to
college. The relationship between mother and daughter is portrayed as difficult and
heartbreaking and the entire film is like real life. As my own mother and I watched “Lady Bird”,
we laughed and cried as we felt so personally connected to the storyline, something we could not
say for “Wonder Woman”. Ladybird is stubborn and is a true role model for young female
audiences as “how she values herself is almost entirely self-determined, a bullish sense of her
potential” (Williams). The movie breaks the molds of what teen life is stereotypically portrayed
as. The “notion women can only find fulfilment via a conventional heterosexual coupling,
usually advanced by the man” is subverted as “the film’s romantic apex is found in Lady Bird
and Julie’s (Lady Bird’s best friend) reconciliation” (Williams). A stereotypical female-led
Hollywood film, whether it be directed by a woman or not, is centered around real-life heroism
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or epic romance or revenge but “Lady Bird” finds “real drama and lasting emotion in the
and showing power behind normal, everyday life. Gerwig portrays attainable goals for women to
The two films are completely different as one tells the story of a woman with
superhuman capabilities saving the world and the other shows two women struggling to get by in
a harsh world with real consequences for actions. But both films are completely groundbreaking
not only in their directors’ sex but in the portrayal of women. They subvert the institution of
sexism within Hollywood by showing the roles females can fill that are not the hopelessly
romantic side piece to a male superhero or the lovesick and lost teenaged girl. Wonder Woman
and Lady Bird have narratives about females controlled by females. Both films were hugely
successful, a message Hollywood should receive as it moves forward into the future of
possibilities for female directors. The films fight back against stereotypical representations of
females in the media by showing what else is possible for female characters. Wonder Woman
does so by showing fiction. But even in fiction, the strong female archetype exists and is
prominent. Lady Bird fights stereotypes by depicting nonfiction. And this unconventional love
story of strength and hardships is touching to audiences of all genders. The two movies are
empowering for women but do not isolate male viewers, as all good movies should aim to do.
They show strong, fearless, loving, and admirable women, some things Hollywood needs a little
more of.
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Works Cited
Cohen, Anne. “You Know About The Lack Of Female Directors In Hollywood. These Are Their
Stories.” Transgender Experience Awkward Ted Talk Jackson Bird, Refinery29, 2 Feb.
2018, 5:00 PM,
www.refinery29.com/2018/02/189814/half-the-picture-review-amy-adrion-women-film-
nequality.
Board, Editorial. “Wonder Woman Saves the Day, Crushes Stereotypes.” Chicagotribune.com,
Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2017,
www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-wonder-woman-movie-edit-0602-
d-20170601-story.html.
Emilaire, Sierra. “A Look at Women Represented in Media.” Study Breaks, 1 Mar. 2018,
studybreaks.com/culture/women-representation-media/.
Framke, Caroline. “Wonder Woman Isn't Just the Superhero Hollywood Needs. She's the One
Exhausted Feminists Deserve.” Vox, Vox, 7 June 2017,
www.vox.com/culture/2017/6/7/15740804/wonder-woman-amazons-feminist.
Grossman, Nicholas. “Wonder Woman, Identity, and the Value of Representation.” Arc Digital,
Arc Digital, 29 June 2017,
arcdigital.media/wonder-woman-identity-and-the-value-of-representation-5b3e1cc51b98.
Marston, William Moulton. Wonder Woman. Directed by Patty Jenkins, Warner Bros, 2 June
2017.
Sims, David. “A Memorable Mother-Daughter Talk in Lady Bird.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media
Company, 27 Dec. 2017,
www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/12/a-memorable-mother-daughter-talk-
in-lady-bird/549188/.
Williams, Lara. “Youth in Revolt: Is Lady Bird the First Truly Feminist Teen Movie?” The
Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Feb. 2018,
www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2018/feb/20/is-lady-bird-a-feminist-teen-movie-gre
a-gerwig-saoirse-ronan.