Snow White And The Feminist?

Snow White And The Feminist? 

 

What is the Bechdel Test?

 

It was originally called ‘The Rule’ by very funny writer/cartoonist/humorist/feminist, Alison Bechdel, with regard to whether a movie is worth seeing or not. She asks these three questions:

 

1.     Does the movie have at least two women in it?
2.     Do they ever talk to each other?
3.     Is that conversation about something besides a man?

 

I had heard about this test before, of course, but recently ran across a terrific article in an old Entertainment Weekly from two years ago (which I saved – as in paper – me) titled, ‘I Am Woman. Hear Me…Please!’ by talented writer and critic Mark Harris.

 

He mentions that the final, if ‘particularly brutal’ requirement is this:

 

         4.    Do the two women even have names?

 

Now, not every movie (or show – any work of fiction, really) needs to pass this test in order for it to be interesting. Far from it.

 

But it does make you think.

 

I recently watched two iterations of Snow White: Mirror, Mirror with Julia Roberts (whom I normally enjoy but total snore here), and Snow White And The Huntsman, with the piece of wood (aka Kristen Stewart) and the scene stealing Charlize Theron. Looking at these two movies through the Bechdel Test, I was a bit surprised.

 

We already know the movie has two women in it. Okay, #1: check.

 

Let’s deconstruct the rest, shall we?

 

• Do they ever talk to each other?

 

Yes, they do. Kinda. In the very beginning and at the end (when one woman wanted to kill another and when the evil woman died). Yada, yada, you know the story.

 

Girl power!

 

In Huntsman, there isn’t much chatting between the two characters. It’s almost like there were two entirely different movies going on (which is reflective of the classic story, I suppose): the one where Piece of Wood runs around and falls in goo in the forest, and the one where Theron walks through goo in the castle to visit her mirror (who is, by the way, a dude). There’s also the twist of the Evil Queen’s brother, who also has powers (I’m not sure if he walked through goo though. Yes, yes he did. My god, what’s with the goo?)

 

So. Back to the test.

 

• Is that conversation about something besides a man?

 

Well. Clearly these queens were crazier than loons, so they talk quite a bit of gibberish to inanimate objects about … yea, I lost interest. There was discussion in each about killing Snow White of course, and balls (as in dancing), and quite a bit of running, which frankly made me tired.

 

Do I have a point?

 

Yes. In Mirror, Mirror, they empower Snow to save herself. Which is great. Big happy feminist jump for joy. However, her goal – along with, ya know, not being murdered by Nathan Lane (no, I couldn’t write that with a straight face either, though I do adore him), is to live happily ever after. With a man.

 

My guy says, “So what? Everyone wants to find love. Do you expect her to live alone in that big castle?” and I suppose he has a point. Then my teen daughter pipes up and says, “No, Dad. You’re missing the point. She saved herself from a man, just to give herself up to…another man.”

 

My baby feminist.

 

I kinda dig the whole Evil Queen scenario – riches, power, lots of fabulous shoes, bossing people around. Okay, sure, she’s at the mercy of that evil mirror man, but at least it was up to her when to chat with it.  Him. Whatever.

 

In Mirror, Mirror, Roberts’ Evil Queen’s mirror is her own pale reflection. Which is kinda cool. It was like her id, you know? I assume she died at the end, but in all honesty by that time, we shut it off to watch American Dad.

 

That Stan Smith is one smug son-of-a-bitch. And by the way, that show does NOT pass the Bechdel Test.

 

But it still makes me laugh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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