I'll take a stab at explaining...grammarcommieMarch 29 2011, 03:30:46 UTC
Yeah see... one of my major problems with this movie, is the omnipresent violent against women and implied violence against women which has me very very leery of labeling this movie really feminist. Visually it was a gorgeous movie. I loved the use of music, though sometimes I think it was a sledgehammer where a tack hammer would have done. I also think that the whole concept of following someone's psychotic breakdown and depicting it as a fabulous fantasy world they build to protect themselves-- interesting
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Re: I'll take a stab at explaining...slearyMarch 29 2011, 03:39:37 UTC
But mostly I think the part that is getting the fucked-up label is that the movie seems to be shooting for some type of female empowerment message, but all of the women in the entire movie are victims of men both violently and sexually. The only non-abusive man in the whole thing is the guardian angel figure. And while this violence is portrayed in a way that is supposed to be seen negatively, it's rather hypocritical to be descrying this sexual violence against while dressing them in fetish outfits.
Re: I'll take a stab at explaining...nojhMarch 29 2011, 13:36:58 UTC
Fair points.
I'll agree with the characterization and especially agree about the use of the male gender in the film. Gender equality is not something the movie even really tried for.
The movie does portray far more violence than actual empowerment, unless you consider the action scenes to be empowerment (4 or 5 women surrounded by male monsters, kicking ass against all adversity). I agree having a male as the guardian figure seemed an off choice to, although I felt his voice fit the narrative well.
I'm on the fence about the fetish outfits. They made sense for the club storyline. They didn't exist in the asylum storyline, as far as we know. I felt like in the war storyline the outfits were meant to be a symbol of empowerment as much as they were not in the club storyline. I suppose that is up to the individual to decide if they were or were not. I can't decide if they were or not. I think perhaps the other girl's outfits were, but Baby Doll's was not.
Re: I'll take a stab at explaining...slearyMarch 29 2011, 20:40:50 UTC
I'm not buying the fetish wear as empowering, even in the action scenes. If they wore the stuff to turn each other on, fine, but the action-outfits are clearly based on the club-outfits. What's the message there? Even in your fantasy world, you're stuck wearing what the men want you to? Empowered women get to choose their own fucking clothing.
As cassiealexander pointed out, the women were allowed to kick ass only when fighting the fantasy monsters, and then only when coached by a man. When it came to the men who were actually making their lives hell, they were portrayed as ineffectual. For her efforts to save her friends, the main character gets raped off screen and then lobotomized. Get that: her stepfather wanted her to shut up and look pretty and stop BOTHERING him with her silly OBJECTIONS to his RAPING AND MURDERING activities, and in the end made it happen in the most horrifying way possible.
How is this anything but viscerally offensive to women?
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All types with penises.
Seriously, the imagery and the message of the ending are so fucked-up that I can't even begin.
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THIS x1000.
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I'll agree with the characterization and especially agree about the use of the male gender in the film. Gender equality is not something the movie even really tried for.
The movie does portray far more violence than actual empowerment, unless you consider the action scenes to be empowerment (4 or 5 women surrounded by male monsters, kicking ass against all adversity). I agree having a male as the guardian figure seemed an off choice to, although I felt his voice fit the narrative well.
I'm on the fence about the fetish outfits. They made sense for the club storyline. They didn't exist in the asylum storyline, as far as we know. I felt like in the war storyline the outfits were meant to be a symbol of empowerment as much as they were not in the club storyline. I suppose that is up to the individual to decide if they were or were not. I can't decide if they were or not. I think perhaps the other girl's outfits were, but Baby Doll's was not.
Reply
As cassiealexander pointed out, the women were allowed to kick ass only when fighting the fantasy monsters, and then only when coached by a man. When it came to the men who were actually making their lives hell, they were portrayed as ineffectual. For her efforts to save her friends, the main character gets raped off screen and then lobotomized. Get that: her stepfather wanted her to shut up and look pretty and stop BOTHERING him with her silly OBJECTIONS to his RAPING AND MURDERING activities, and in the end made it happen in the most horrifying way possible.
How is this anything but viscerally offensive to women?
Reply
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