#feminist films

[poppletonink]

The Watchlist: Feminist Films

His Girl Friday (1940)

The Color Purple (1985)

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Erin Brockovich (2000)

Miss Congeniality (2000)

Legally Blonde (2001)

Frida (2002)

Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Persepolis (2007)

Brave (2012)

The Punk Singer (2013)

Suffragette (2015)

He Named Me Malala (2015)

Hidden Figures (2016)

Moana (2016)

Battle Of The Sexes (2017)

Wonder Woman (2017)

Little Women (2019)

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)

Miss Americana (2020)

Enola Holmes (2020)

Moxie (2021)

She Said (2022)

Barbie (2023)

[lserver362reviews]

This is the good stuff. This film demands patience and empathy, much how like the world demands that of women, femmes, and anyone with a uterus at all times. We're taught to give an inch, and never have that inch get noticed, so all of a sudden a foot has been taken and we're not equipped with the words to say, "hey, you're taking a foot, buddy," or, "you're making me uncomfortable!" This is how it's done. For everybody who hated Men (2022) (a movie I arguably bring up far too often) I think you wanted this film instead. Gorgeous nature shots, great soundtrack, very intentional dialogue, and superb acting. I wish Sam got her moment to sound her barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world, but instead she immaturely (she is a kid still) fills "the fools" bags with rocks. I think in four years she'll know how to yawp. This movie is for the forced march taking vegetarian auraed closested queer child of divorce forced to carry emotional and physical labor bleeders. I felt so damn seen when she instructs Matt (Toxic Masculinity light, alcoholic, schlub) to just not badmouth his ex-wife in front of their kid. I left this movie TENSE! I was grateful for a bit of processing help from the attendees of the Savoy Cinema Club. As someone who has really heavy periods (is it endo? is it PCOS?) and gets car sick really easily I caught on to what this story was and would never be caught dead in her shoes (although the campers they run into very much felt like my last camping experience at a Phish festival) (plus, I have a really wonderful father who has always heard me out and sensitively responded with the thing that will make me feel better-when I told him I was seeing a therapist years ago his response was simply, "I'm sorry things have been hard for you" and this is just one example, God Bless my dad fr fr) and it was all executed so beautifully. Patience and Empathy. YAWP!!!!

[calilili]

Cali Lili Music on Tidal

Cali Lili ‘s music has been compared to artists like Dylan & Melissa Etheridge. Her debut music video was instrumental in helping raise global social & en… — Read on tidal.com/browse/ As we work on the NEXT #album & #movie Cali Lili Music Now on #Tidal ! #TidalMusic !!! Always Fresh Always #handmadetomakeadifference™ & #madeforyou from the #calililiindies™…

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

Relic

“Everything Decays” is the tagline for Natalie Erika James’ debut feature RELIC (2020, Shudder). Apparently, that applies to critics’ memories as much as the aging Edna (Robyn Nevin), whose mental and physical deterioration is a concern for daughter Emily Mortimer and granddaughter Bella Heathcote. The film won praise for its use of thriller and horror conventions to create a metaphor for the effects of aging on both those growing older and their younger family members. The three actresses do some good work, and early on the script by James and Christian White paints a realistic picture of intergenerational conflict with Mortimer trying to convince Nevin she can no longer care for herself alone while also confronting Heathcote over her life choices. But the script writes some checks it can’t cash. At one point, Nevin says there’s something under her bed. Mortimer looks, hears something breathing and then forgets about it. At various points, Nevin has conversations with something that isn’t there, but we never resolve whether it’s some kind of supernatural presence or a product of dementia. Later the metaphor takes over so completely there’s no real sense of what’s going on. The film ends with a potentially powerful image, but it’s presented so baldly you’re just as likely to laugh as to gasp with recognition. If you really want to see a good example of how to use horror to deal with the problems of aging, check out 2014’s THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN (Prime, Tubi), with magnificent performances by Jill Larson in the title role and Anne Ramsay as the daughter who’s not sure if her mother’s problems are dementia or demonic possession.

[highonfilms]

25 Great Feminist Films That You Should Watch

[luvinaeverdene]

Persepolis (2007) Directed by Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud

[thewhizzyhead]

how genderbending the warriors (2024) is done not for the sole sake of "bad-assery"

okay here we go feminist ramble time for our newest chick on the block: warriors. now i'll be honest, prior to listening to the album, when i first heard that the warriors main girls were originally dudes in the movie and the novel, i thought that the decision for the genderbending, in lmm's perspective, were from the following: 1.) girl power move in like a very basic meaning of the word "bad-ass" 2.) simply a twist on a cult movie about big gang bros loved by the film bros, and 3.) a way to have the schuyler sisters back together gjfkdfldf

but when i read more about warriors and its development and how lmm took inspiration from the gamergate controversies of 2014-2015 aka among the peak of gamerbro misogyny campaigns, that's when i realized that Oh Shit Is Serious - because adapting a story about a group being framed and targeted and harassed for something they are accused of doing without any substantial proof other than a man screaming "THE WARRIORS SHOT CYYYYRUUS" with 21st century misogyny campaigns in mind makes the theme of fighting back a lot more complicated and a lot more resonant, going beyond just marketing a cast you can call "badass"

take the hurricanes' quiet girls, for example. the hurricanes (concept album version) is the only gang that lets the warriors off the hook and with a stern warning: quiet girls don't make it home. here, the hurricanes berate the warriors for not saying shit or attempting to defend themselves from accusations they know well aren't true. THIS MESSAGE IN PARTICULAR is what stays and influences ajax, fox, and swan til the very end of their stories.

literally one song after this does ajax show how easily she resonated with the hurricanes' lesson by finally sticking with her gut and actually choosing to fight back against both the baseball furies AND against the sleazy undercover cop. the latter encounter is one of the instances that really solidifies the recontextualization of the story because in the OG movie, ajax (a dude) WAS the sleazy fuck up harassing a woman in a park - and now with the literal character switch, ajax goes from being just a rebellious gangbro dude bro into someone whose want to fight is warranted. such a want to fight is seen in fox seeing as fox is the first to comment on the quiet girls scene and that, in the concept album, she is the one that instigates the rumble against the police in union square - saying that she is sick of being afraid of them and their 'fuckin powder blue' colors (also notice how she is the only warrior that really does say fuck the cops i think that's cool BUT I'LL TALK ABOUT FOX MORE NEXT TIME)

to a less obvious extent, swan also gets the receiving end of this recurring theme - by the album's finale, the usually violence-averse caution-first interim leader becomes a lot fiercer in protecting her crew. but perhaps among what i consider to be the biggest recontextualized change in the feminist sense is MERCY and her motivations to join the warriors in the first place. according to the wiki, her attraction to swan and the warriors and um seeing the orphans as wimps is what led her to switch sides BUT IN THE CONCEPT ALBUM, mercy's motivation to become a warrior is deepened, rooted in admiration rather than attraction - wanting to be like those women who hold their head up high. and again, we see this in Sick of Runnin' when she takes part in the rumble, finding her bravery within their ranks as they fight back. here, mercy becomes less of a swan tagalong and more of someone that wants what the warriors have: pride.

of course now that i type this out i realize that warriors is not based solely on the feminist rhetoric as with their theme of hope amidst adversity, the story is more intersectional and rooted in community struggle and wanting for more than that. but nonetheless, i genuinely believe that the twt filmbros arguments on why the genders should not have been changed in the first place just for "woke" points is kinda like,,,very shortsighted because not only does the narrative of women narrowly escaping unwarranted accusations actually fucking fit, but the act of learning to fight back amidst all odds - be it that of disbelieving, predatory men or the power of oppressive pigs - stays resonant for women yesterday, today, and the days to come.

ultimately, warriors (2024) is not solely a tale of female badassery - rather, it is a tale of the need for such "female badassery" in the face of past and present realities, which is why it somehow fucking worked.

[90s-kid-sad-adult]

...not becoming of a girl

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Kat Stratford: A Playlist

Bad Reputation by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

Cool Schmool by Bratmobile

good 4 u by Olivia Rodrigo

Cruel To Be Kind by Letters To Cleo

Just A Girl by No Doubt

Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill

Lola by The Raincoats

favorite crime by Olivia Rodrigo

Deceptagon by Le Tigre

Cherry Bomb by The Runaways

Celebrity Skin by Hole

The Only Exception by Paramore

all-american bitch by Olivia Rodrigo

Gimme Brains by Bratmobile

Fairytale In The Supermarket by The Raincoats

[it-isbel]

Chantal Akerman (1950 - 2015)

[schlock-luster-video]

On July 4, 1996, The Craft debuted in Australia and Germany.

[calilili]

Cali Lili Music on Tidal

Cali Lili ‘s music has been compared to artists like Dylan & Melissa Etheridge. Her debut music video was instrumental in helping raise global social & en… — Read on tidal.com/browse/ As we work on the NEXT #album & #movie Cali Lili Music Now on #Tidal ! #TidalMusic !!! Always Fresh Always #handmadetomakeadifference™ & #madeforyou from the #calililiindies™…

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

Women Talking

How far should forgiveness go? When does forgiveness become permission? These are the questions at the heart of Sarah Polley’s WOMEN TALKING (2022, Prime). The film is based on an actual case in Bolivia in which men in a Mennonite community gassed and raped 151 women between the ages of 3 and 65. Miriam Toews’ novel transports the action to the U.S., which is important in terms of the women’s options, and has the community’s elders, some of whom were complicit in the assaults and their cover-up, order the women to forgive their attackers or face ostracism. When the women are split between staying to fight or leaving on their own, members of the key families debate the issues. This could make for a very dry film, but Polley wisely breaks up the action visually with images, some from the past, some simply showing the children going about their lives in the community. She has the wisdom to get inside the women’s heads so you can understand people whose positions might be very far from your own. She also captures the power of an approaching utopian moment as women raised to see themselves as objects struggle to figure out how to become the subjects of their own stories. And she’s cast an amazing ensemble — Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Frances McDormand, Sheila McCarthy, Ben Whishaw (as the sympathetic teacher taking notes at the meeting) and August Winter — to bring the issues to life. The script is filled with tantalizing details about their lives. Mara is pregnant after her rape and will be forced to give her child to a married couple, possibly even her rapist. Winter has lived as a man since their rape (some critics have questioned the religious community’s accepting a trans man). McCarthy deals with problems by talking about her horses. It’s hard to single out a single cast member for praise, which may be why the highly regarded film didn’t score acting nominations in any of the major industry awards. But I was particularly impressed with Foy’s complete transformation into the angry Salome who tries to kill one of the rapists at the film’s start. And McCarthy has held a special place in my heart ever since I first saw her in I’VE HEARD THE MERMAIDS SINGING (1987). Her Greta is a masterpiece of understatement. Polley’s direction is clean and totally at the service of the material. It may seem sparse at first compared to the more frenetic films that tend to rule the box office. But if you can adjust to it, you’ll be well-rewarded for your openness of heart.

[whereserpentswalk]

Just saw a "feminist" video essay (by someone who just happens to only talk about feminism in relation to cishet white able bodied women) say that the Hays Code was good for women because it "prevented them from sexualizing women by preventing onscreen depictions of sex". Never before has a video said something that made me vocalize my disgust of it's takes, but this did it.

I didn't think I would have to say this but if you defend the Hays code you are horrible and not in any way progressive. And if you don't know what it is please look it up because it's probably the most important piece of history when it comes to all media analysis in the western world.

[earthpiecevii]

Justine Kurland, Kung Fu Fighters from the series Girl Pictures, 1999

[maxdibert]

They butchered all female characters and it's true, but people can simply don't like Sansa's chapters or don't enjoy her character because she's classist. She thinks bastards are beneath her in earlier chapters and in Alyanne. She's disgusted by Arya spending time with Butcher boy and other peasants because they're beneath her.

I'm not saying she's s bad person or the worst one or that we should blame her for being passive while being hostage. She's a kid, she's s victim, she can still have a positive change. but I'm reminding that saying people are misogynist because they don't like her is a reach. And it's not that people hate her, they just point out things she did or thought about in canon and her fans scream "you hate her! You hate women!" No. It's okay to not like a character, you can point out their flaws, it doesn't make you a mysoginist.

Oh, trust me, the issue isn’t that people simply don’t like Sansa—it’s why they don’t like her and the patterns that emerge when you look at how traditionally feminine female characters are treated in fandom discourse.

See, I don’t care if someone criticizes Sansa for her classism. That’s a valid discussion. I don’t care if someone dislikes her personality. Not every character is for everyone. But let’s not pretend that the dominant criticism Sansa gets in fandom spaces has ever been about her early prejudices. No one’s out here writing essays about how Sansa Stark needs to deconstruct her internalized feudal biases. What do we see instead?

“Sansa is useless.” “She’s weak.” “She’s stupid.” “She just stands there and does nothing while other people suffer.” “She should have done something.”

And that’s where misogyny enters the chat.

Because when you actually break these takes down, what they boil down to is that people resent Sansa for not being proactive in the way that they think a strong female character should be. She’s written as a character whose resilience is passive rather than active, who survives through adaptability rather than aggression, and fandom hates that. This is a known trend in media reception.

Feminist film and literature studies have examined this bias for decades. De Beauvoir discusses how femininity is traditionally coded as passive, and because of that, it is devalued in comparison to traditionally masculine-coded traits like physical strength, direct confrontation, and assertiveness. Susan Faludi discusses how women who embody traditional femininity often face more ridicule than those who adopt “strong” or “unconventional” roles. And the male gaze, as theorized by Laura Mulvey, conditions audiences to respond more favorably to female characters who are active participants in traditionally masculine-coded spaces—combat, strategy, direct rebellion—while dismissing those who navigate systems through softer, less immediately visible means.

Sansa fits this mold perfectly. She does not fight with a sword, she does not make grand speeches, she does not take direct violent action, so fandom deems her “useless.” But here’s the catch—this standard is not applied equally.

Think about how Tyrion is treated for his ability to navigate the political landscape through words rather than force. Is he called “useless” for not picking up a sword and charging into battle? No—because intellect and political maneuvering, even when nonviolent, are still considered active and thus valuable in a way that Sansa’s more passive survival is not.

Now, compare Sansa’s treatment to Arya’s. Arya is beloved in fandom spaces, and yes, she has her own set of haters, but notice how different the tone of that criticism is. Arya is rarely called “useless.” She is rarely ridiculed for being afraid. She is allowed to be traumatized, to make mistakes, to be messy and complicated in ways that Sansa is not—because Arya performs a more masculine-coded form of resilience. She fights, she kills, she runs, she rebels.

And just to be clear, none of this means that Arya’s arc is bad or that her popularity is undeserved. The problem isn’t that Arya is liked—it’s that traditionally feminine resilience is not. The issue is that Sansa is not disliked because of her flaws in isolation, but because those flaws reinforce her femininity, and femininity is what people are actually responding negatively to.

This is why calling Sansa hate misogynistic is not a reach. It’s not about saying that everyone has to like her. It’s about looking at the larger pattern of why she is dismissed, why she is mocked, and why so many people cannot accept a female character whose form of strength does not align with masculine-coded ideals.

So no, I’m not saying that every single person who dislikes Sansa is a raging misogynist. But I am saying that if your criticism boils down to “she’s useless, she’s weak, she’s stupid,” you should probably examine why those specific critiques keep coming up for female characters who embody traditional femininity. Because it’s not a coincidence.