I spy some welcome changes in Hollywood
Exciting times in Cannes, where the focus seems to be on what actresses are doing, rather than wearing. Penélope Cruz, Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Marion Cotillard and Fan Bingbing appeared to promote their movie 355, a thriller about a team of female spies. Carey Mulligan spoke about the portrayal of women in Hollywood, noting that female characters are rarely allowed to cheat on screen, despite the fact that men and women are equally likely to cheat in real life.
“I’ve worked on jobs where my character, in the novel or script, has behaved in a way that is morally objectionable or unpleasant,” said Mulligan. “We have done those scenes on set, and then when it’s come to the edit, they are cut. I have asked why they’ve gone and been told: ‘The audience really doesn’t like it when she’s not very nice.’ I think that’s such a misconception. I don’t think that’s true. Unless we show someone’s flaws, we are not showing a full person.”
Wonder Woman last year was a huge moment for feminism in film; then there was Black Panther, featuring mostly actors of colour. Captain Marvel, released next year, will be the Marvel studio’s first female-led blockbuster; six of the seven screenwriters are women, while the co-director is also female. The next Star Trek movie will also be directed by a woman.
In the wake of the Weinstein scandal, could it be Hollywood that is changing? We’re a long way off from seeing Marvel movies fronted by women over 60lb who aren’t drop-dead gorgeous, but when the most recent Thor film features a hard-drinking, kick-ass female sidekick who makes the God of Thunder look a little… well, weedy, things are heading in the right direction.