often i believe that women are given the same particular roles in films. For instance these characters can come under the headings of
(1) Mothers i.e family members

(2) villain via use of her sexuality

(3) Father/daughter roles

most of all i believe that even when the female women is given the dominant role of a particular film it is the use of her sexuality which is used and admired. For instance even a film like Tomb raider where the actress Angelina Jolie plays the dominant role of Lara Croft. i have found that when a female actress is playing the role of a more contrast character from the usual feminine delicate woman that she still has to use her sexuality in order for the character to work. such as the character Lara croft may be an action heroine yet she is mostly sponsored for her perfect figure. for instance the whole deal with lara croft was about how angelina jolie was to be playing the dominant role of the perfect figured woman not that she was going to be playing the role of a dominant action heroine.
overall i believe that woman do not mostly play the dominant role of films unless the use of their sexuality as in being seductive is present. other wise this is very rare.

i would like to know the opinions of other members if you agree or disagree, if you know of any films which compare to this or contrast from it.

often i believe that women are given the same particular roles in films. For instance these characters can come under the headings of
(1) Mothers i.e family members

(2) villain via use of her sexuality

(3) Father/daughter roles

i would like to know the opinions of other members if you agree or disagree, if you know of any films which compare to this or contrast from it.

Well you aint gonna get "the daddy" playing "the mommie" are you :laugh:

and what about when the male "villain" uses his sexuality as in Sawyer in Lost :wub: :naughty: Ok, I know its not a movie, but similar! He OOOOOZES sex to me!!!

And quite frankly, I prefer to have something easy on the eye to perv over when I watch a movie.....Johnny Depp, Vin Diesel, Brad Pitt - bring it on!! I was gutted in the last Bond movie as there was nothing worth a perv! So us girls are as bad as the men really!!!!

I guess I have never thought about it, but then I can be quite shallow :laugh:

overall i believe that woman do not mostly play the dominant role of films unless the use of their sexuality as in being seductive is present. other wise this is very rare.



Kathy Bates in Misery did not use her sexuality and neither was she seductive! She was off her bloomin' trolley! :shocking:

So would you agree that women often have to use their sexuality more than men when playing the dominant role. Even when being sexual and seductive may be of a contrast to the role of the character.

i.e Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider


also i have taken note that there are some films where women do not use their sexuality whilst playing the dominant role of the film.........................................But this can be very rare..!!!!!!!!............

Thats another thing ...........why is it rare to see a woman playing a dominant role without using her sexuality..................

So would you agree that women often have to use their sexuality more than men when playing the dominant role. Even when being sexual and seductive may be of a contrast to the role of the character.

i.e Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider




well she IS gorgeous isnt she........I'd give her one :w00t: and Sharon Stone - if I were "that way inclined" that is :devil:

what an interesting thought Unique.

Actually as I read your 1st post the film that sprung to mind was 'Thelma and Louise'. Now I suppose that could be argued that Susan Sarrandon and Gina [god I cannot remember her surname] used their sexuality in parts of the film.

But as a whole the film celebrated 'female' independence of male input, and the male input was always in an inferior role - sex object, murder victim, somineering husband.

I haven't seen Tomb Raider - so I cannot comment on Angelina Jolie's character.

But I am not sure that ALL women, portray a 'sexual' object?

well so far i'd like to thank every1 for their feed back............. :D


Now my only question is


Why do you think it is that women have to use their sexuality in order to play the dominant / serious role in films?

:unsure:

Do you think it could possibly be a gender issue of how the media
represents women ?

well so far i'd like to thank every1 for their feed back............. :D


Now my only question is


Why do you think it is that women have to use their sexuality in order to play the dominant / serious role in films?

:unsure:

Do you think it could possibly be a gender issue of how the media
represents women ?

I would say its to help out the poor men who produce the movies - we have to keep it relatively simple for them dont we :wacko: :laugh: :devil:

well so far i'd like to thank every1 for their feed back............. :D


Now my only question is


Why do you think it is that women have to use their sexuality in order to play the dominant / serious role in films?

:unsure:

Do you think it could possibly be a gender issue of how the media
represents women ?

You know Unique I am not sure that the media are to blame or are the 'bad guys' here. Women are perfectly capable of using their sexuality without the aid of a camera or a journalist/tv crew - to wile the unsuspecting male. And I probably think that, the media long ago cottoned onto this fact.

I think the women themselves have no one else to blame [if blame is being laid] than the fickle creatures that we are!

Women start using thier 'wiles' as soon as they figure out they have them. Especially the ones who society hold up as examples of the beauty norm, as if there is such a thing. I think everyone should be appreciated for their brains, personality , and overall disposition as a person. Not Barbie or Ken replicas. In movies, and in real life. So many people are deluded by unreachable goals put out by movies and magazines, etc. :ranting:

i believe that even when the female women is given the dominant role of a particular film it is the use of her sexuality which is used and admired. For instance even a film like Tomb raider where the actress Angelina Jolie plays the dominant role of Lara Croft.

You have picked a fantasy 'powerful female' figure, it's a stereotype that you see over and over, it uses an exaggerated form of femal sexuality to create its image. Like...

http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_croft.jpg http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_ww.jpg http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_SuperWoman.jpg

But there's a different fantasy 'powerful female' stereotype that I'll find some examples of and post again.

There's the cold destructive type as well ...

http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_queen.jpg http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_cruel.jpg http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_witch.jpg

Then some people like to combine the two ...

http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_fantasy.jpg http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_cwitch1.jpg http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_cwitch.jpg http://photobucket.com/albums/1003/surreyfrog/th_csiren.jpg

Wow Swerve. Is this something you've just been thinking about, or have you made a study of female fantasy figures over the years?

Just something I've noticed, it's like you get the same underlying stereotype or archetype cropping up time and time again. Ther seems to be a set of male types as well.

I used to like Captain Scarlet. I suppose he's quite typical in as much as he's good looking. He never got his kit off, though. :sad:

I MUST SAY THERE HAVE BEEN SOME GOOD ANSWERS BUT TOWARDS THE END I MAY HAVE BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD......... :unsure:


My focus was not on female fantasy figures it was about women in general.
Basically im doin a research project and i was given the topic women and film.

whilst i was doin random background info on women and film looking at the internet, books, newspapers etc:

The SAME SUBJECT kept on coming up about woman having to use their sexuality in order to play the dominant roles. Because nowdays women want to act out the more serious roles to be looked upon as the stronger character: the independant dominant woman. As opposed to the character who is looked upon as the loving housewife or the very feminine woman who is weak i.e the damsel in distress.....

correct me if im wrong but im not sure if i have seen a film with the dominant character being the strong independant woman.....but with nothing wrong with her..............
e.g
The film fatal attraction the strong more dominant character who played the woman(forgotten her name) turned out to be a wacko..!

The film cruel intentions is a good example the character acted out by Sarah michelle geller........even though she was quite a strong character..............yes she did use her sexuality........but.......also she turned out to be taking drugs............ :wacko:

So it appears that if a woman is not using her sexuality in order to act out the dominant role...........she ends up being a wacko instead............. :laugh: ..................its quite ironic to think about

i mean OK you may say that these are all stereotypes but they seem to
appear true.........!

Because nowdays women want to act out the more serious roles to be looked upon as the stronger character: the independant dominant woman. As opposed to the character who is looked upon as the loving housewife or the very feminine woman who is weak i.e the damsel in distress.....!

But you've taken two extremes there - there must be a lot in between.

what exactly do you mean when you say a lot in between
because this research there is so much of it -

im just trying to work out a conclusion from it all :laugh:

My first thought was that the men are in their own way equally as sexual in films as the women. If you were to take all the main male roles and strip out those defined by father or son status, or those playing on the sex appeal of the man, or the "wacko" roles, then there'd be few left.

Have you done any research on this - say taking a list of "Top 100" films or somesuch and counting the number with different types of male and female role?

I think male equivalents of a Lara Croft - Indiana Jones, say, or James Bond - are every bit as sexual. Granted the sexuality of Angelina Jolie - her big t!ts - is more in-your-face * than Harrison Ford. But there aren't that many ugly male actors in Hollywood.

Another point I guess is that there are probably fewer films with a woman as the central character than there are with a man as the central character. Perhaps it's because most films involve some kind of action, and action is more identified as a male characteristic. Maybe it's just that film bosses are misogynistic gits. I think that a lot of movies deal with stereotypes, and I guess the basic reason is that stereotypes sell better than non-stereotypes which maybe confuse (or challenge) the viewers.

However I think there's plenty of examples of films that do manage to avoid the major sexual stereotypes. "Thelma & Louise" maybe, the "Alien" films for sure. I think that if there were a major problem of discrimination or stereotyping then surely the public would react by staying away from the movies wouldn't they?



* (wishful thinking) ;)

I think it's such a wide subject it's hard to generalise. It is going to depend on the genre of film as much as anything else. Also, there's the issue of how women's portrayal in films has changed. Maybe you should decide what aspect of women in films you want to concentrate on.

Amazon has many books under the general heading 'women in motion pictures' - have a look here (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-subject=Women%20in%20motion%20pictures/026-0376638-8451602) , it might give you some ideas.

This could be interesting, but I see Uniques question as a slur on women as a whole - that is not getting at you Unique - cos obviously your question is posed as an acedemic one. I just find the generalisation that women 'per sae' use sexuality' [read shag on a couch, or a boob job, bottox on the lips etc] as a means to dominate a film role/character.

When in my opinion, men are so led up the garden path by the wiles of certain women that they would give them a role in a film regardless.

And I am so not into feminism at all - and my whole opinon above would probably lead someone to read that into it - it is just general and experienced observation.

Actually as I read your 1st post the film that sprung to mind was 'Thelma and Louise'. Now I suppose that could be argued that Susan Sarrandon and Gina Davis used their sexuality in parts of the film.



And who was the totty eye-candy in THAT film?...... Brad Pitt!

Hey guys....!!!!!!!
thanks for your replies........ :)

im now going to concentrate for my case study on bond girls because their roles seemed to have changed over time.

Dont you think?

Do you think the representation of Bond girls has changed over time

For instance before Bond girls were there just to use their sexuality i.e. a sexual object. But now they are actually involved in the action as well?

So wot do you think, i was thinking of comparing say two or three of the James bond films, such as one back in the seventies/eighties and one more recent?

Could you help me out , im not sure which films too choose!

Could you help me out , im not sure which films too choose![/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR]

why not choose the earliest ones and the latest ones?

Old-style Bond Girl:

http://www.sinemafanatik.com/bond/galore.jpg

New-style Bond Girl:

http://img.stern.de/_content/32/01/320182/Szenenbild_23_469x700_201.jpg

hEY GUYS..!.!...:laugh:



Still have to do the same question - lol

but instead of bond girls im going to look at action heriones in films such as Tombraider and Charlies Angels.

Only problem is these films are kind of recent , so can any one help me out, i need a film with or based on action herione but of an earlier date.

[ Any suggestions of a film in which i could compare/contrast it to charlies angels and tomb raider.but i need a film of an earlier date.

Thanks.....really appreciate the help......:thumbsup: [/COLOR]

Why does everyone come on here asking for help on school projects.

In my day (said wearing a cap and using a northern accent) i had to do all the work myself.

This (http://www.google.co.uk/) should help :thumbsup:

hEY GUYS..!.!...:laugh:



Still have to do the same question - lol

but instead of bond girls im going to look at action heriones in films such as Tombraider and Charlies Angels.

Only problem is these films are kind of recent , so can any one help me out, i need a film with or based on action herione but of an earlier date.

[ Any suggestions of a film in which i could compare/contrast it to charlies angels and tomb raider.but i need a film of an earlier date.

Thanks.....really appreciate the help......:thumbsup: [/COLOR]

You really ought to do something useful with your life like helping old ladies in your local care centre.

Women start using thier 'wiles' as soon as they figure out they have them. Especially the ones who society hold up as examples of the beauty norm, as if there is such a thing. I think everyone should be appreciated for their brains, personality , and overall disposition as a person. Not Barbie or Ken replicas. In movies, and in real life. So many people are deluded by unreachable goals put out by movies and magazines, etc. :ranting:


Hello mississippigirl,

Hear, hear. For once someone who speaks her mind.

Truth is stranger than fiction and harder to bear.

Maureen
Northern angel.

I think it's such a wide subject it's hard to generalise. It is going to depend on the genre of film as much as anything else. Also, there's the issue of how women's portrayal in films has changed. Maybe you should decide what aspect of women in films you want to concentrate on.

Amazon has many books under the general heading 'women in motion pictures' - have a look here (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-subject=Women%20in%20motion%20pictures/026-0376638-8451602) , it might give you some ideas.

Hello survivorfan,

I hope unique-c finds this list of books recommended in your text highly useful. A good post with added focus.

Maureen
Northern angel

Why does everyone come on here asking for help on school projects.

In my day (said wearing a cap and using a northern accent) i had to do all the work myself.


in your day you wiped it off the slate when it got full and that was the end of that wasn't it, Bons!! :kid: ... and then you licked the road clean with your tongues!

http://www.aisr.nl/images/events_01-02/field_trips/5th_grade_sailing_2001/old_time_class/slate.jpg

I used to love those slate things! Used to buy one in the gift shop every time we went on a school trip. Then the journey home on the bus would be spent writing obscenities at each other and rubbing it off before the teacher could see it. Ah, those were the days.

Unique...how early do you want to go?

Try something like 'Barb Wire' tag line - Don't Call Me Babe...an appaulling movie but an action movie of sorts... http://www.affichescinema.com/insc_b/barb_wire.jpg

Basically Pamela Anderson is an assasin...or something like that....it was out in the cinemas around...gosh must be ten or fifteen years ago....

Another Angelina Jolie role is of course the recent Mrs and Mrs Smith....both her and Brad to compare here and both have the same job to do!

There's this that also popped up on my search... called Zero Woman Assasin Lovers:

http://media.bestprices.com/content/dvd/00/183400.jpg

I would not like to guess what this is about though so research deeper if you dare! :unsure:

I'm sure if your into films you have already discovered the wonder that is imdb.com and invaluable source of info!

I would suggest looking up the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Jodie Foster, Sigourney Weaver and some of the stronger less boobs and bum stars of Hollywood.....in fact a majority of British women actresses who have made it big in Hollywood as it were are worth a look up as many of them have come through on acting ability alone and not just through looks!

Good post my little tugboat!!! Bravo!:cool1:

It has been made obvious that certain people are confused and that i am being mis-understood!....

For instance:

13-01-2006 04:32 PM
Bonsai Why does everyone come on here asking for help on school projects.

In my day (said wearing a cap and using a northern accent) i had to do all the work myself.

Yes, i am studying A2 Media studies at college but obviously there is some confusion here. i am studying towards my critical research exam which i will be taking soon. As part of the requirements towards this exam i have to fulfill the list of tasks given to me. One of the requirements is to be involved in a online forum discussion on your chosen topic and then to print this out as evidence towards your exam.

I was given a list of 10 different topics which i had to choose one from. then i was given a list of different pathways to follow in which i had to choose one. So for those of you who feel that this is some random interest or something i just thought of one day when i woke up........you will notice how wrong you are....:ohmy:
Also for a certain comment made:
13-01-2006 08:52 PM
survivorfan
You really ought to do something useful with your life like helping old ladies in your local care centre.

Actually i am doing something useful with my life, i am studying A'levels and i am going to university, this exam determines what university i go to and my future career.....if you feel you can not take part in a conversation of use.......please do not let me hold you back.....

But for those who have participated in this thread, the majority of you have been of help.....:bye:

You posted on the 12 October, asking a question about Bond films, and then didn't appear again until this month. hardly an involvement in a discussion!

But ages ago I offered you what I thought was a useful suggestion, a list of books about the role of women in the movies, and you didn't even bother to reply.

That was last year, yet you are still asking the same questions.

often i believe that women are given the same particular roles in films. For instance these characters can come under the headings of
(1) Mothers i.e family members

(2) villain via use of her sexuality

(3) Father/daughter roles

most of all i believe that even when the female women is given the dominant role of a particular film it is the use of her sexuality which is used and admired. For instance even a film like Tomb raider where the actress Angelina Jolie plays the dominant role of Lara Croft. i have found that when a female actress is playing the role of a more contrast character from the usual feminine delicate woman that she still has to use her sexuality in order for the character to work. such as the character Lara croft may be an action heroine yet she is mostly sponsored for her perfect figure. for instance the whole deal with lara croft was about how angelina jolie was to be playing the dominant role of the perfect figured woman not that she was going to be playing the role of a dominant action heroine.
overall i believe that woman do not mostly play the dominant role of films unless the use of their sexuality as in being seductive is present. other wise this is very rare.

i would like to know the opinions of other members if you agree or disagree, if you know of any films which compare to this or contrast from it.

It's called the 'male gaze,' right? The vast majority of mainstream movies are shot from a man's point of view. And that's a point of view that, for the most part, objectifies and highlights a woman's sexuality, at least on some level. You'll find most female characters in mainstream movies are defined by their relationship to the usually male protagonist... wife, mistress, mother, girlfriend etc. etc. They're usually something like stereotypical satellites that orbit the central male character.

*shrug* Just the way things are. Sex sells.

It's called the 'male gaze,' right? The vast majority of mainstream movies are shot from a man's point of view. And that's a point of view that, for the most part, objectifies and highlights a woman's sexuality, at least on some level.

But, for the sake of taking a balanced view, isn't it the case that if you are coming at it with a particular agenda (as I think you are) then this is what you are going to see? PArticularly if you select the kind of movies that reinforce that point of view.

I guess that enters a whole different worm farm...

Would men go and see an action film staring Kathy Burke or Dawn French (extreme example I know...although I can feel a comedy coming on..hmmm) when lets face it most action films these days lack a decent story and plot and rely almost entirely on CGI special effects and gratuitous violence?

Is just the special effects and violence enough for the cinema going male (who are the biggest viewers of action movies and generally aged between late teens and late thirties...this is the majority group of male cinema viewers).....or do they require the boobs and bums to go and watch what is a less than decently writen script?

I like Dawn French....very funny lady as well as Jennifer Saunders!! Not either of them gorgeous but I prefer the quality of people more than the glossy coats outside.

lol Dawn French is from the Vicar of Dibley right?

It's called the 'male gaze,' right? The vast majority of mainstream movies are shot from a man's point of view. And that's a point of view that, for the most part, objectifies and highlights a woman's sexuality, at least on some level. You'll find most female characters in mainstream movies are defined by their relationship to the usually male protagonist... wife, mistress, mother, girlfriend etc. etc. They're usually something like stereotypical satellites that orbit the central male character.
But so far as Iunderstand the movie-going audience is roughly 50/50 male-female. Does this mean that female movie goers are going unwillingly? Or are they stupid? Or is it something else?

I think you are over-generalising with your comments. IMO there's a certain sub-set of movies that are targeted at (younger) men and that kind of film is most likely to show female stereotypes. That type of film is also more likely to show male stereotypes - James Bond, Indiana Jones, etc.