No, it is not enough to put a female character at the center of a film or series plot for the work to be considered truly feminist. This is what the Bechdel test shows.
If we say macho movie to you, you will think of all those blockbusters stuffed with testosterone where women act as vases (when they are not downright non-existent). You are certainly right … for some of them. Because it is not these feature films in which inflates, explosions and guns go hand in hand that are at the top of the ranking of the most sexist films: some films may feature ultra badass and / or inspiring female characters, however, they are not feminists. At least, they do not pass the Bechdel test, which questions the representation of female characters in fictions, films and series combined.
What is the Bechdel test?
In 1985, the comic book author Alison Bechdel, in collaboration with Liz Wallace, set up a test which made it possible to identify the quality, or not, of the representation of female characters in a film. You will understand, this test bears his name. The Bechdel test is simple to do and it does not require a great knowledge of gender representations and equality between women and men to be able to be applied to a film.
On the same subject
Three questions are asked by the test and allow us to know what place any film gives to its female characters:
- Criterion 1: Are there at least two female characters whose names we know?
- Criterion 2: Do they speak together?
- Criterion 3: Are they talking about anything other than a man?
Take the test with any fiction, it will allow you to have perspective on the representation, but especially the under-representation, of female characters, often dependent on male characters in a plot. According to Fanny Hubert, founding journalist of the Bechdel Club in Paris, it is a way of absurdly demonstrating the low presence of women on the screen. Some cinemas have even used Alison Bechdel and Liz Wallace’s test to direct their viewer to the ice.
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In Sweden, four cinemas have tried the Bechdel test experience
In 2013, four Swedish cinemas decided to use the criteria of the Bechdel test to warn viewers of the degree of machismo of films shown in theaters, without questioning their quality. The three criteria of the Bechdel test cited below have turned out to be fatal for certain films which nevertheless want to be equal. The saga Harry potter, produced by Warner Bros, for example, features one of the saga’s most inspiring female characters, Hermione Granger. However, one of the opuses, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, does not pass the Bechdel test.
The same goes for other big hits in 2013, starting with Gravity, with Sandra Bullock, Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece. If everyone agrees when it comes to the cinema, it does not meet any of Alison Bechdel’s criteria. Among the bad students, we also find Very Bad Trip 3, Oblivion, Pacific Rim, My Life with Liberace or even Jack, the giant hunter and Lord of the Rings, directed by Peter Jackson. What about the films produced by Disney in all of this? If the presence of female characters is undeniable in the fictions of our childhood, the failure of the Bechdel test is total as it is rare to see them discussing with each other other things than men.
Other films, on the contrary, create surprise and pass the Bechdel test with flying colors, such as GI Joe: Conspiracy, Machete Kills, Man of Steel, Only God forgives or Red 2. In total, of the 4,570 films listed by Swedish cinemas, the near majority (55.9%) passed the test, but 10.2% failed at all points and the rest only responded to one. or two of the three criteria. But beware, opinions on the principle of this test and its results diverge. While actress Jada Pinkett-Smith, interviewed by Associated Press, found the initiative interesting, the Swedish film critic Hynek Pallas does not see the usefulness of it. “There are a lot of films that have not passed the Bechdel test, it has not made society more equal or fairer,” he told The Guardian.
Read also : Cinema, series and feminism: How the female gaze brings a liberating gaze
Bechdel’s test, a court of misogyny, really?
What answers can be given to the critic? The Bechdel test does not aim to “punish” films that do not sufficiently highlight the heroines of cinema and series. Above all, it allows a reflection on the mechanics of writing and domination in the cinema, in particular, the general public. The idea, moreover, of these four Swedish cinemas was clear: to promote films representing women in other roles, less stereotypical than those we are used to seeing. Because if all the Harry Potter films of the Warner Bros do not pass the Bechdel test, that in no way detracts from the quality of these films which present an undeniable progressive and inspiring dimension. In reality, the Bechdel test is above all an indicator and is not a completely foolproof method, on the contrary. The example of Gravity, which fails the Bechdel test, is proof of this: it remains difficult for this film to answer it since it is based on a spatial camera based only on two characters, one being a woman. and the other, a man.
Whether we notice a failure or a success in the Bechdel test, the use of this tool does not aim to define the films which do not pass it as being bad, but rather to provide an analysis and a reflection on the gender equality in cinema. Basically, it takes more than a Bechdel test to consider a film sexist or feminist. The initiative of Alison Bechdel and Liz Wallace still remains a gateway to have a better perspective on our favorite pop films and their intrigues.
Read also : Netflix: in “Moxie”, three gender-based violence that we all experienced as a teenager
Films that pass the Bechdel test hands down recommended by the editor
Wonder woman, directed by Patty Jenkins : the first part of the film Wonder Woman takes place on the island of the Amazons. We see Diana, played by Gal Gadot, interacting in several scenes with her mother and other women. She also comes into contact with Etta. At no time does Wonder Woman talk about men with her sisters. The Bechdel test is successful!
Moxie directed by Amy Poehler, on Netflix : in Moxie too, female characters are named and dominate the plot. Their discussions are not related to men but to female friendship or even to their youth and, of course, to knowing who is behind the feminist project Moxie.
Enola Holmes directed by Harry Bradbeer, on Netflix : Sherlock Holmes’ little sister successfully passes the Bechdel test since she is very often in discussion with her mother during flashback.
Captain marvel, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck : Captain Marvel, released in theaters in 2019, is one of those superheroes who don’t need men to save the world, let alone talk about them. On the contrary, she talks a lot with her female sidekick Maria Rambeau, also named in the film. We regret, however, that the Marvel production does not assume a lesbian love story, which would have been logical and important in terms of LGBTQI + representation.
Princess Mononoke directed by Hayao Miyazaki : All the women in this sumptuous animated film by Hayao Miyazaki discuss together and their interests are far from being men and also have a name. Moreover, this is not the only film by Hayao Miyazaki that passes the Bechdel test without problem. This is even what is the hallmark of Ghibli Studios films in general.