[ad_1]
Read update
- Disney’s newest animated feature release, Strange World, has unfortunately been a box office bomb for the studio (via ScreenRant), though that doesn’t mean that the movie is without merit, as it has been praised for its characters and visuals (via Variety). With an LGBT main character, Strange World is a step forward for Disney in terms of representation, something that the film world continues to struggle with in multiple ways.
Disney may be famous for its princess movies, but not all the studio’s stories share the same focus on female characters. The Bechdel Test is a measure of female interaction in movies, and requires that a movie contain the following; at least two female characters, that those characters have a conversation with each other, and that their conversation be about something other than a man. Sometimes, there is also an additional requirement that the two female characters are named.
In exploring Disney’s animated works only, including works from the far past and more recent offerings, a picture of the studio’s treatment of female characters emerges. Although the Bechdel Test isn’t a foolproof method for calculating the presence of women in movies, it does succeed in providing a general look into a studio’s patterns.
Updated on December 9th, 2022 by Stacie Rook:
Disney’s newest animated feature release, Strange World, has unfortunately been a box office bomb for the studio (via ScreenRant), though that doesn’t mean that the movie is without merit, as it has been praised for its characters and visuals (via Variety). With an LGBT main character, Strange World is a step forward for Disney in terms of representation, something that the film world continues to struggle with in multiple ways.
Movies That Pass The Bechdel Test
Cinderella (1950)
Perhaps surprisingly, for a movie so concerned with Prince Charming’s affections, Cinderella passes the Bechdel Test. This is mainly thanks to conversations between some of Disney’s worst siblings, Anastasia and Drizella, as well as with Lady Tremaine and Cinderella herself.
Even though the ladies’ conversations about chores and new fashions are not the driving force of the plot, and Cinderella’s character is perhaps meeker than some of her more modern counterparts, the female presence within the movie does help to balance out its focus on Prince Charming.
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
A movie that passes the test with flying colors, Raya and the Last Dragon is one of the best Disney movies without a Prince Charming. It focuses not only on the titular Raya, but has an ensemble cast full of other female characters. From dragon Sisu to Raya’s rival Namaari, to Namaari’s mother Virana, and infant troublemaker Little Noi, the story is full of women and girls who have conversations about everything from dragons and food to alliances and betrayal.
These female relationships anchor the movie, and whilst Raya wishes to save her father Chief Benja, the main focus is on Raya and her own heroic journey, with particular attention given to how she and Namaari start learning to trust one another again.
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
With its lovable trio of fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, and their interactions with Aurora, Sleeping Beauty is an easy Bechdel Test pass. Antagonist Maleficent is also given an epic Disney villain entrance, meaning that there are a number of plot threads that simply do not include the men of the film.
Given that Aurora is asleep for a portion of the movie’s run-time, the movie’s passing of the test does not automatically mean that its female representation is outstanding, but the actions of Sleeping Beauty’s female characters do drive the story. From Maleficent’s curse to the fairies’ arguments alerting the villain to Aurora’s whereabouts, what they do has a real impact.
Tangled (2010)
Tangled may only have a few female characters, including Rapunzel and one of the most dangerous Disney villains, Mother Gothel, but the pair interact frequently, and although they do spend some of their conversations discussing Flynn Rider, they also talk about the supposed dangers of the outside world, and later about the lies that Mother Gothel has told Rapunzel, and the secrets she has kept.
Rapunzel and Mother Gothel have a complex relationship, which affects Rapunzel’s choices and motivations throughout the movie, and although the majority of the cast is male, these two have the most significant screen time. That being said, though, it seems a missed opportunity that the movie’s many thugs were all men.
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
There may not be princesses in Lilo & Stitch, but the story is a refreshing change for Disney as a movie that focuses on female characters without a tiara in sight. There are in fact many ways that Lilo & Stitch broke the mold for Disney, with Lilo and her sister Nani’s relationship being a major factor.
Nani and Lilo talk about many things, from serious arguments over Nani becoming Lilo’s guardian to having fun at the beach. The pair’s dynamic forms much of the movie’s driving force and conflict, even before alien Stitch is introduced, and show the sisters in a notably nuanced way.
Movies That Fail The Bechdel Test
Aladdin (1992)
Though it is considered a Disney princess movie, Jasmine is the only female character in Aladdin that is part of the main cast. Her entire story revolves around being a love interest for Aladdin, or an object of desire for Jafar, and though she has her own wishes, the only people she can talk to about them are men.
Though Disney has taken steps to remedy this—namely in their 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin, where Jasmine’s role is far larger—the animated version remains disappointing in its treatment of her, and definitively fails the test.
The Jungle Book (1967)
Mowgli’s adventures in The Jungle Book may take him far and wide, encountering all kinds of animals and their societies, but what he’s never able to find is a female character that talks. Though in the movie’s opening sequence he is raised by mother-wolf Raksha, she remains silent, and is the movie’s only named female character.
Even later adaptations—such as Disney’s 2016 live-action version of the story, which sees snake Kaa re-imagined as female—do not pass this test. Though it makes some sense that Mowgli’s story is more male-focused, the imbalance of male and female animals in its jungle setting is glaring and strange.
Luca (2021)
Given how recently it was released, it is shocking that Disney and Pixar’s Luca fails the Bechdel Test, particularly considering that the film’s narrative is so focused on inclusion and acceptance.
Whilst it has more than two female characters, including 13-year-old main character Giulia, Luca’s mother, his grandmother, and two elderly women who live on Portorosso, their interactions come only via the movie’s male characters. Although this is disappointing, it is worth noting that Giulia has her own motivations and ambitions in the movie, which she had before ever meeting Luca and Alberto.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Although Big Hero 6 has three significant female characters, superheroes Honey Lemon and Go Go, as well as Hiro’s aunt and guardian Cass, they hardly converse with one another, instead spending most of their time on-screen talking to protagonist Hiro.
Honey Lemon and Go Go’s only exchange of words in the movie concerns the male villain, meaning it doesn’t qualify as a pass for the test. When the Big Hero 6 characters are ranked by power, Honey Lemon and Go Go are shown to be highly capable individuals, so their limited role in the story feels like an oversight. Even so, they have far more prominence in Big Hero Six: The Series.
The Lion King (1994)
It may be one of Disney’s best known and well-loved movies, but unfortunately when it comes to female representation The Lion King falls short. Though there are three female characters, lionesses Sarabi (Simba’s mother) and Nala, and the hyena Shenzi, they are all outnumbered by their male counterparts and do not interact with one another.
While Nala does play an important role in the movie, from encouraging Simba as a cub to persuading him to return to their pride as adults, her character is only seen in relation to his, with her story existing only in order to further Simba’s actions.
[ad_2]
Source link