Are Female Characters Just Not That Great?

I love Empire magazine. I've been reading it since 2003. I have all but 3 issues from that time until now. I love everything about it from the reviews to the articles. Just like everyone else who reads it, I'm sure from time to time you'll disagree with certain reviews. Sometimes I question the focus of some articles or the point for some of them but hey no matter, its a film magazine, there will be disagreements.

BUT the latest cover and focus in this month's issue is about 'The 100 Greatest Characters'. They were voted by the readers. I think I even voted. But do you know how many of these characters were female? 10 out of 100. 10% of the vote. At first I was annoyed as its no secret mostly mem read film related magazines. But then I thought 'wait, does that mean no one thought any female characters were worth mentioning?'

The 10 characters were a mixture of ages and not all main characters either. One character picked was even voiced by a man so, not sure if that one can be counted. The usual 'favourites' were in there, Ripley from the Alien film universe, The Bride from Kill Bill, Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Then there were the ones I was proud to see, Marge from Fargo and Amelie. But Amy from Gone Girl? She's a great character but she's a terrible representation for female characters in film.

While on my journey home I thought of all the great female characters in films that I admire.When I told my dad about the list and I asked him to guess, he started reeling off a list of characters that I hadn't even thought of; Catwomen, Thelma and Louise, Working Girl, just to name a few.

Apart from thinking of my own list of great female characters, this also reminded me of another post I wrote about The Bechdel Test. The rules are that the film has to pass these three rules:

1. The movie has to have at least two women in it,
2. who talk to each other,
3. about something besides a man

The joke is that in the original comic, the two women discussing the test say that the last film they saw was 'Alien'. Thinking about this recently, a film I loved, '8 Women' has only 8 cast members but the film just about scrapes by as most of the conversations between all the woman are about men. It's actually rather disappointing.

Even some of my own ideas I've looked over again and thought it doesn't include enough female characters.

Going back to Rosanne Arquette's speech that brought women, clapping to their feet in support, she was right to say this and I'm glad she did, it was empowering. But I thought that Cate Blanchett's speech at the Oscars. 'The world is round people' is right. Films with great female characters are rare but they shouldn't be. People, the audience do want to see them not just when they are in an action role either, even though Charlize Theron's Furiosa is a strong contender for the list.

Here are just a few characters that I thought were worth a mention; Nina Sayers (Black Swan), Clementine Kruczynski (ESOTSM), Princess Monoke, Eve Harrington & Margo Channing (All About Eve), Norma Desmond (Sunset Blvd), Princess Leia (Star Wars), Mattie Ross (True Grit), Black Widow, Mary Fischer (She Devil), Juno, Leeloo (The Fifth Element), Cher Horowitz (Clueless), Madeline Ashton & Helen Sharp (Death Becomes Her), Jeanette (Jasmine) Francis, Gladys Leeman (Drop Dead Georgeous), Regina George (Mean Girls), Peggy Carter (Captain America), Vera Drake, Sandra Wilkinson (Billy Elliot), Mari & LV (Little Voice), Sister Clodagh (Black Narcissus), Jane Hudson (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane), Vivian (Lauren Bacall), Hana (The English Patient), Layale (Caramel)....

I'm sure there are many many others, so, please let me know which female characters you think deserved to be on that list. I'm hoping to create my own list so it would be even better to hear from everyone.