How Many of Your Favourite Films Pass "the Bechdel Test"?
- Thread starter darkfox85
- Start date
It was never intended as anything deep and meaningful, it was created in a comic as part of an (admittedly pointed) joke.Aurgelmir said:I find the Bechdel test to be a bit odd. It puts emphasis on two women who don't talk about men. But it doesn't set the man in any sort of context.
I can see where it comes from, and I can see what it tries to prove, I just find it flawed. Heck I can have the strongest female lead in a movie with no other characters and it fails the test.
(Also as the webcomic Dumbing of Age points out: Lesbian porn passes the test most of the time)
People using it to look at movies do so because it's a quick and easy way to draw attention to something, not because it's a thorough examination.
Game of thrones, yes,
Pulp Fiction, the drug guys girlfreind talking about her piercings with her freind
machete, yes, surprisingly, when jessica alba is looking at she's ID
Doomsday, one convo i remember, another is more just staring each other down
Wow, this test isnt hard
Pulp Fiction, the drug guys girlfreind talking about her piercings with her freind
machete, yes, surprisingly, when jessica alba is looking at she's ID
Doomsday, one convo i remember, another is more just staring each other down
Wow, this test isnt hard
Hmm..."The Incredibles", "Repo: The Genetic Opera", "Coraline", "Manos: The Hands of Fate (MST3K)", "Pulp Fiction", "Serenity / Firefly" "Silence of the Lambs", "Saw 2", "Kill Bill 1/2". 11 Films...6% of my collection. I guess I don't apologize for it.
[Edit: Want a thorough examination? It's about their volition. The women must be DOING something, on their OWN, and usually are talking through it--how do we get past this trap, what is this law all about, why wasn't *I* named black mamba? So a movie in which they are romantic interests only, unnamed extras, or appendages of their men, won't pass.]
[Edit: Want a thorough examination? It's about their volition. The women must be DOING something, on their OWN, and usually are talking through it--how do we get past this trap, what is this law all about, why wasn't *I* named black mamba? So a movie in which they are romantic interests only, unnamed extras, or appendages of their men, won't pass.]
My top ten is awkward to list as it is constantly in flux and I very rarely have actual 'favourites' anyway. However, if I have to choose, then I guess at the moment it would be the following:
Romeo + Juliet - Pass (just barely - only three named female characters, and I can think of maybe one conversation that passes, between Juliet and either the Nurse or her mother).
Serenity - Pass, easily.
The Matrix - Pass, thanks to Trinity and Switch.
Resident Evil (whole series) - Every film passes.
Inception - Not entirely sure actually. I don't think so. Do Ariadne and Mal ever have a conversation together, and if so is it about Cobb or not? I'm putting this as a fail until further notice.
Shutter Island - Fail. Almost entirely a male cast, and the only women are insane and don't see each other.
I Am Legend - Fails, but justified in that there are only three named characters and one's a child. Although it may pass if we class Will Smith's character's daughter as a named female character and we count her talking to her mum...
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Absolutely passes, one hundred percent!
The Woman In Black - Fails, but only since there are a very small number of female characters, and one only ever screams and doesn't really talk much anyway.
The Hunger Games - Pass, thanks to Katniss's several interactions with other women, and since she doesn't really talk about guys much as opposed to other, more important, things...
Romeo + Juliet - Pass (just barely - only three named female characters, and I can think of maybe one conversation that passes, between Juliet and either the Nurse or her mother).
Serenity - Pass, easily.
The Matrix - Pass, thanks to Trinity and Switch.
Resident Evil (whole series) - Every film passes.
Inception - Not entirely sure actually. I don't think so. Do Ariadne and Mal ever have a conversation together, and if so is it about Cobb or not? I'm putting this as a fail until further notice.
Shutter Island - Fail. Almost entirely a male cast, and the only women are insane and don't see each other.
I Am Legend - Fails, but justified in that there are only three named characters and one's a child. Although it may pass if we class Will Smith's character's daughter as a named female character and we count her talking to her mum...
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Absolutely passes, one hundred percent!
The Woman In Black - Fails, but only since there are a very small number of female characters, and one only ever screams and doesn't really talk much anyway
.The Hunger Games - Pass, thanks to Katniss's several interactions with other women, and since she doesn't really talk about guys much as opposed to other, more important, things...
Nearly all my favorite movies had female characters who are named and commune to each other at least once. I really can't think of one that doesn't, maybe Paprika or Tekkonkinkreet?
I haven't had the time to read the whole thread so some of these may have already been said.
Once Upon a Time in the West: No (barely any women besides Claudia Cardinale. The wild west is no place for a lady!)
Apocalypse Now!: Not even close (No prominent women in the film, unless you count the Redux, in which case you earn a gold star).
The Godfather: Sorta, not really...(Kate calms Connie down once because of Carlo. Maybe a bit earlier at the party scenes. On the whole not at all. I think the spirit of the test is whether the film has women talking about men without reference to sex like in all the poor romantic comedies we see today. They don't talk about Carlo because they like him...it's cuz he's dead).
Blade Runner: No (I already saw this posted. Only 1 woman on screen at a time, none of them know each other).
Dr, Strangelove: Not even close (Women aren't even in the movie after the first 30 minutes, much of the dialogue is sexual in a satirical way).
Gosh, all my favorites are really manly. Although I won't say they are discriminating against women. They have messages to tell that have nothing to do with sex/gender and aren't trying to slight women.
Once Upon a Time in the West: No (barely any women besides Claudia Cardinale. The wild west is no place for a lady!)
Apocalypse Now!: Not even close (No prominent women in the film, unless you count the Redux, in which case you earn a gold star).
The Godfather: Sorta, not really...(Kate calms Connie down once because of Carlo. Maybe a bit earlier at the party scenes. On the whole not at all. I think the spirit of the test is whether the film has women talking about men without reference to sex like in all the poor romantic comedies we see today. They don't talk about Carlo because they like him...it's cuz he's dead).
Blade Runner: No (I already saw this posted. Only 1 woman on screen at a time, none of them know each other).
Dr, Strangelove: Not even close (Women aren't even in the movie after the first 30 minutes, much of the dialogue is sexual in a satirical way).
Gosh, all my favorites are really manly. Although I won't say they are discriminating against women. They have messages to tell that have nothing to do with sex/gender and aren't trying to slight women.
the warriors-no
watchmen-yes
the exorcist-yes
nightmare on elm st-yes (i think)
ghostbusters- yes
watchmen-yes
the exorcist-yes
nightmare on elm st-yes (i think)
ghostbusters- yes
Tropic Thunder: No
No Country For Old Men: I feel like Llewellyn's daughter and wife spoke at a few points, but I could be wrong.
American Beauty: Yes
Step Brothers: Yes
South Par Bigger, Longer & Uncut: Yes(but not in a particularly supportive way)
Team America: No
Kill Bill: Yes
All that comes to mind...
No Country For Old Men: I feel like Llewellyn's daughter and wife spoke at a few points, but I could be wrong.
American Beauty: Yes
Step Brothers: Yes
South Par Bigger, Longer & Uncut: Yes(but not in a particularly supportive way)
Team America: No
Kill Bill: Yes
All that comes to mind...
Hold on let me think for a second.
Can't think about the Black Widow in the Avengers talking to anyone else.
Don't think that Rachel in the Dark Knight had any other luck.
Same with the Major in Captain America (though with the time period it was a little more believable)
...Christ I can't think of anything.
Can't think about the Black Widow in the Avengers talking to anyone else.
Don't think that Rachel in the Dark Knight had any other luck.
Same with the Major in Captain America (though with the time period it was a little more believable)
...Christ I can't think of anything.
