Feminism In The Crime Film Genre Essay -- Women Females Movies Film Es

Feminism In The Crime Film Genre Throughout motion picture history, women have experienced more than transition in their roles, as a result of changing societal norms, than any other class. At first, both society and the movie industry preached that women should be dependent on men and remain in the home, in order to guarantee stability in the community and the family. As time passed and attitudes changed, women were beginning to be depicted as strong imparted, independent minded characters, who were eager to break away from convention. The genre of the crime film represents such a change in the roles handed to women. Two films that can be contrasted, in order to support this view, be The Public Enemy by William Wellman (1931) and comely &Clyde by Arthur Penn (1967).In The Public Enemy, women are portrayed as naive and/or disapproves of carnal pleasure by men. In this period, women were often categorized as mothers, mistresses, sisters, or ladies. Ma Powers (played by Beryl Merc er), the clear character Tom Powers(played by James Cagney) mother, is easily fooled by Toms fake stories about where he get his money and doesnt rely that her baby boy could be a vile multitudester. At one point during prohibition, when Tom brings home a barrel of beer, she doesnt unconstipated question where he obtained it, but rather takes a drink for herself. Ma Powers is the prototypical mother of the 1930s. She is blind to the ways of the world and doesnt see the danger of things, even in regard to her own children. She is a widow who does not work, but is supported by her sons. She is even blind to the fact that her sons hate one another. even so though, her Tom was sadistic killer and gangster, she always welcomes him back lovingly with open arms. At the end of the movie, she gets a phone call saying that Tom will be coming home from the hospital, where he had been treated for a gunshot. She rushes upstairs to make his bed and get his room ready, when the doorbell ring s and the rival gang drops of Toms gun riddled body. The other women who appear in the movie are portrayed as fast women who are sexual object to be enjoyed by Tom, until he gets tired of them and then throws them away. In one famous movie seen, Tom doesnt appreciate what his mistress moll tummy (played by Mae Clarke) said to him, so he wickedly squeezes half of a grapefruit into her face. She is left there belit... ...onnie & Clyde first premiered on the big screen. The female roles in The Public Enemy were stereotypical of the roles handed to women in the 1930s and also conveyed the zeitgeist of society. During the 1960s, as indicated by Bonnie & Clyde, there was the emergence of the womens role as a central character of the plot, one who was just as capable and omnipotent as the male lead character. She was a character that would not be controlled by societys norms or be held captive to male authority. It is safe to say that Bonnie & Clyde, helped redefined the role for women i n crime and action films. some recent films, such as Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven 1992), Natural Born Killers (Oliver Stone 1993), and The Long Kiss Goodnight (Renny Harlin 1996), have emulated the strong, seductive leading role that Bonnie & Clyde helped define. It also helped further that idea that women can hold their own in the crime film genre, both in the box office and by earth opinion, and through its innovation may have supported the production of such preceding all-women crime films such as Thelma & Louise (Ridley Scott 1991), Set It Off (F. Gary Gray 1996) and climb up (The Wachowski Brothers 1996).