Say that, @jes_chastain. pic.twitter.com/H7QHnEE5JA
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 29, 2017
We want our movies to be larger than life. That’s the whole point of projecting them two-stories tall. But we don’t want our movies to be completely divorced from reality. Yes, we want heroes and monsters and aliens, oh my. But the same moviemakers who create whole other worlds and species too often have a failure of imagination when it comes to equal representation. Like, sure, semi trucks that turn into alien overlords are fine, but hold up you want there to be realistic women, too? Let’s not go crazy now. This is a long way around of saying what Jessica Chastain said as a jury member at Cannes was both great and exhausting. Do we really have to keep saying this out loud? When will it finally get through? While television has made significant gains when it comes to female representation (though, like almost everything else, it still has a way to go – especially behind the scenes) film lags stubbornly behind. Male-led franchises fill out cineplexes. Male-led prestige pieces vie for top awards. Women-led projects get called chick flicks. And so on, and so forth. It’s all, well, exhausting.
Anyway, tell them, Jessica (and Will Smith who chimes in on the extended clip about getting POC in there too). And on a related not, I don’t know about you guys, but I have my “Wonder Woman” tickets already.
p.s. It goes without saying that all this applies to LGBTQ representation as well. Always more, always better.
You will enjoy Wonder Woman, I'm sure of it. Gal Gadot, Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen get to play great roles as fearsome Amazon warriors. Although, violence is not a solution, in fiction we simply crave more representation of women who are proactive doers, stubborn and relentless protagonists fighting for justice, or for love. Women can save the day as well as men can. This summer we may experience a boom of emerging Wonder Women, in all sizes and in various ages. Are we witnessing a birth of the next 'Leia' for the new generation...
ReplyDeleteThe more I see of Jessica Chastain the more I like her.
ReplyDeleteI organized a meet up for my group of lesbian friends to go see Wonder Woman tomorrow and another group of friends may go on Sunday. I'm invested in trying to get those opening weekend number up as high as possible.
Go get 'Em Gal Gadot!
Women with their own points of view, whaaaaaat?!?! Burn the witch!!! But seriously I love what Jessica Chastain had to say and good for her saying it. She was a perfect example of what a woman with her own point of view and opinion looks like.
ReplyDelete