By Mausam Mehta

Content Warning: mentions of violence against women, sexual harassment and abuse

Cinema has an immense influence on everyone, not just in Western society, but across the globe as well. So much so that it has been named as the seventh form of art. With cinema being such an influential device, it begs the question: how does it impact us all differently?

Well, the answer is complicated, because our society is so diverse. While some people tend to exhibit this influence explicitly, others are much more subtle. For example, a potentially extreme influence could result in copying how celebrities look and behave, or all together worshipping them, while a more subtle variation could be being inspired by a celebrity’s makeup look. The point is, because we’ve all interacted with cinema in one form or another, we, to an extent, have been influenced by it. In this way, the industry has a great responsibility to display narratives that promote important, representative, and diverse values and perspectives to their audiences.

However, I believe the film industry doesn’t take nearly enough responsibility for the power they hold.

Throughout this blog post I will be showing examples of films that have been incredibly influential within popular culture, but which I believe have not done a good job at treating serious issues. As a feminist, it’s clear to me that, in some circumstances, the treatment of women and issues such as domestic violence and sexual assault are presenting the wrong message to audiences, therefore wielding a negative influence upon them. I’m not saying that issues such as these should not be portrayed, but rather their treatment and the resounding impact they leave on an audience is key.

Now, you may be thinking: don’t films have ‘artistic liberty’ to show whatever they want, however they want? If I have a problem, I should click away, right? Well, I could, but that would be neglectful behaviour. As a feminist, I understand that what is being portrayed in some films is wrong, but does everyone? If your answer is yes, then think again. In 2015, Sandesh Baliga, a man in Tasmania, was accused of stalking women in Australia. He came from a remote and rural part of India, and had come to Australia to study accounting. He started stalking women for four months in 2013 by calling, texting and approaching them, and he even called himself their “boyfriend”. His appeal to the court was that this type of behaviour in movies always results in the hero matching up with his love interest.

So, we have a problem here. I agree that not all people are influenced to this manner, but how many people know the difference between what is right and what is wrong?

Key issues I have seen recurring within films regarding the portrayal of women are the following:

Stalking as a means of showing love
Domestic violence and abusive relationships
Sexual harassment and forced love in heteronormative relationships

So, let me get started with my first film. One that did not go down to well with me when I developed an understanding of feminist issues.

The Notebook

I know, this has been a movie where people have not just teared up but cried. But what if I told you that this iconic 90s film, which everyone worships, is actually an anti-feminist film that promotes a serious crime known as stalking.

Let’s throwback to the time when Allie and Noah first meet. Noah is checking Allie out as she enjoys her time in a bumper car. Noah, while asking her to dance (along with several other romantic overtures), faces nothing but rejection. A sane individual would accept that they cannot make this girl their girlfriend, and would simply walk away. But Noah over here reacts slightly differently to a sane individual. He follows Allie to the Ferris Wheel, forcefully places himself next to where she is sitting, and then pressures her to go on a date with him. This is already scary enough, but wait, there is more… When he is told to get off the Ferris Wheel, Noah instead chooses to hang off it, and thinks that threatening to fall will convince Allie that he truly loves her. So, stalking? Check. Pressuring? Check. Threaten with self-harm? Check. Well, this does not seem like a safe relationship at all, but has begun with all the tropes of an abusive one. It’s no wonder Sandesh thought this was an appropriate way to approach and treat women, when characters like our beloved Noah as behaving in the exact same way. This is concerning, not only for the influence on a male audience, but also for what women can expect a healthy and loving relationship to look like, and how they should be treated.

Kabir Singh

Alright, from America, let’s travel for around 15 hours to India, a place that is known for bright culture and artistic representations. Naturally, with well-versed poets like Kalidas, who was known as the Indian equivalent of Shakespeare, we would imagine that this country is capable of producing the most beautiful pieces of art. It is true, Bollywood is a well-loved industry, not just in India, but across the globe, especially with the much-publicised relationship of Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas! Does that mean that Bollywood is as capable of influencing the world as Hollywood? Well, maybe, and prospectively more in the future. The portrayal of women is equally important over there. While Bollywood is appreciated across the globe for evergreen love stories like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge, there are certain times, just like Hollywood, where the problematic portrayal of women and the issues of abuse and crimes against women are neglected. In other words, there may be pieces produced by Bollywood that us feminists would absolutely love, but there are some moments in Bollywood movies that made me pull my hair out and want to punch the TV. Let me give you an example:

This film is titled Kabir Singh, and it was hailed as an all-time blockbuster across the globe, collecting more than $500 million USD. Alright, so the chances are many people have seen this and are being influenced by it. Now, in a scene in this film, Kabir (the male protagonist) is leaving angrily from his girlfriend’s place. She hugs him tightly and tries with all her might to stop him. She tells him, ‘I can’t survive without you’…(groan). He tells her, ‘You only have one identity, you are Kabir’s girlfriend’, and she agrees. She continues to try to hug him, but he breaks free of her grip, moves back, and slaps her across the face.

Kabir is glorified in the film as a loving boyfriend who would do anything for the sake of his girlfriend. Okay. Except abuse and slapping are not expressions of love! This is a dangerous portrayal of women in cinema, where women are so often prone to masculine ego and abuse. So according to the filmmakers, a little bit of physical abuse in a relationship is alright?

Bride of Habaek

Now, from India, let’s travel for about a day, all the way to Korea. I was watching Bride of Habaek with one of my friends the other day, who is absolutely obsessed with K-Dramas. Now, in this film, a scene comes up where Ha–Baek (the male protagonist) grasps Yoon So-Ah’s (the female protagonist) wrist, pulls her in and kisses her forcefully when she is desperate to break free of his grasp. My friend reacts with, ‘oh, so cute, he loves her so much.’

My reaction is a bit different. This is not love, it is sexual harassment. When influential films show sexual harassment as an expression of love, individuals who have not been exposed to a healthy relationship may embrace a similar mindset. Furthermore, individuals who have been taught that women are nothing more than objects, have their views confirmed. Once again, a representation of how films are irresponsible in how they portray women.

There's no doubt that the film industry has played a big role in producing films that portray the treatment of women in a toxic light. These three are just the tip of the ice of the iceberg. But don't fret! It's not all doom and gloom. There are many films that promote gender equality in romantic involvements. Check out When Harry Met Sally for that. There is no love at first sight, there is no ‘if you do not go on a date with me, I will probably die before this sentence finishes’, and there is no forcefulness. This makes it a classic. We embark on the journey with Harry and Sally, and see their relationship blossom, almost like we are third-wheeling. We see their outings; we see their conversations develop as they slowly begin to appreciate each other. A blossoming relationship, where both individuals give the other time to acknowledge their feelings is a truly sensible take on romantic involvement in cinema, and should be more widely appreciated.

when Harry met Sally — Still from *When Harry Met Sally,* Fair Dealing

The point I am trying to make here is that cinema has a profound influence on the masses. When powerful figures working in cinema do not treat issues regarding women responsibly, it acts as a suppressing force to the progress we are working on as feminists.

So, what can be done to help this issue? Will prominent figures in cinema assume correct responsibility? Or will it fall on us to understand how to avoid the influence of films?

So, the next time you watch a film, instead of pushing the thought away, thinking ‘it’s only a movie,’ ask yourself does it portray women respectfully or not?

If you would like to read further on this topic here are a few sources that you will find interesting, and support the claims made within this article.

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