Romeo must Die
Jul. 17th, 2010 10:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethWatched a Jet Li action movie that's mostly in English.
Good thing: not a lot of white people. Black people vs Chinese. The ethnicity-bechdel test therefor passed pretty much constantly. Refreshing change.
Not so good thing: girl bechdel test failed on 'named' in 'two named women'. There is only one. The Girl. She has a short who-she-is scene with her female... co-workers or employees, I wasn't sure. Interacting with them with words and all. But they didn't get names, or scenes where there weren't guys around I think, so, basically, fail.
There were 4 and 4 guys on the two main sides plus 2 white guys there for a business deal, and yet, only the one girl with a name, a couple of employees, and some unnamed female-bodies-in-lingerie. The ratio is ridiculous.
Plus the girl was, of course, only there to be fought over and be in danger. There was one time she did fighting - Jet Li's character decided he didn't want to hit a girl so he grabbed her fist and hit the girl with the other girl. Which I got to admit, comedy gold, but in terms of agency it's making steam come out of my ears. She couldn't kick some arse her own self? No, because it's not that kind of movie.
Which is frustrating, because the motivation of the bad guys could gender flip real easy. They're limited in a traditional and established power structure, so they decide to kick it over and be the boss instead. They're not going to wait for power to be handed to them, they're out to take for themselves. Is that a guy thing? Not so very.
Of course then we'd have female bad guys, which isn't optimal, but it was a movie pretty much lacking good guys, so *shrugs*
Also noticed again how action/martial arts movies have the hero interact with their environment. When the hero is outnumbered they have more awareness of their surroundings, know where they are in space better, know what objects they could turn to good use. There's a lot of traditional martial arts weapons that just started as things you're likely to be able to pick up, so that has a sort of continuity to it. And it means the one in sync with their world can take on the many and win, because world is bigger than many. Plus it gives a certain subconscious boost to them being in the right, because look, the inanimate objects are on their side. But once it's a one on one fight it's not so simple. One side will prove to be more skilled, the other will compensate for long enough to make it a thrilling fight by being more in control of their surroundings. Which side wins isn't fixed. It's interesting.
more stories need more women.
this remains true for a frustrating long time.
Good thing: not a lot of white people. Black people vs Chinese. The ethnicity-bechdel test therefor passed pretty much constantly. Refreshing change.
Not so good thing: girl bechdel test failed on 'named' in 'two named women'. There is only one. The Girl. She has a short who-she-is scene with her female... co-workers or employees, I wasn't sure. Interacting with them with words and all. But they didn't get names, or scenes where there weren't guys around I think, so, basically, fail.
There were 4 and 4 guys on the two main sides plus 2 white guys there for a business deal, and yet, only the one girl with a name, a couple of employees, and some unnamed female-bodies-in-lingerie. The ratio is ridiculous.
Plus the girl was, of course, only there to be fought over and be in danger. There was one time she did fighting - Jet Li's character decided he didn't want to hit a girl so he grabbed her fist and hit the girl with the other girl. Which I got to admit, comedy gold, but in terms of agency it's making steam come out of my ears. She couldn't kick some arse her own self? No, because it's not that kind of movie.
Which is frustrating, because the motivation of the bad guys could gender flip real easy. They're limited in a traditional and established power structure, so they decide to kick it over and be the boss instead. They're not going to wait for power to be handed to them, they're out to take for themselves. Is that a guy thing? Not so very.
Of course then we'd have female bad guys, which isn't optimal, but it was a movie pretty much lacking good guys, so *shrugs*
Also noticed again how action/martial arts movies have the hero interact with their environment. When the hero is outnumbered they have more awareness of their surroundings, know where they are in space better, know what objects they could turn to good use. There's a lot of traditional martial arts weapons that just started as things you're likely to be able to pick up, so that has a sort of continuity to it. And it means the one in sync with their world can take on the many and win, because world is bigger than many. Plus it gives a certain subconscious boost to them being in the right, because look, the inanimate objects are on their side. But once it's a one on one fight it's not so simple. One side will prove to be more skilled, the other will compensate for long enough to make it a thrilling fight by being more in control of their surroundings. Which side wins isn't fixed. It's interesting.
more stories need more women.
this remains true for a frustrating long time.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 11:36 pm (UTC)