A basic overview of representation of women in film to be used as a starting point in the classroom. The clips are to give students an opportunity to understand the history.

1. Representation of Women in
Film
A Basic Overview

2. Bechdel Test
• To pass this ‘test’ a film has to:
1. Have at least two [named] women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man
• Can you think of any recent films that might
pass this?

3. 1940s – the femme fatale
• http://youtu.be/Gz-5wKegyOw

4. 1950s - Marilyn
• http://youtu.be/e5_GTzZFwwI

5. 1960s - Audrey
• http://youtu.be/buIAtvhEpFQ

6. 1970s – getting more diverse?

7. 1980s – from power dressing to action
to motherhood
• http://youtu.be/AQBAc1qCMOc

8. • http://youtu.be/c4Jo8QoOTQ4
• http://youtu.be/zNE0dlHcmgA

9. 1990s – the game changer
• http://youtu.be/PRr0HY9MPZ0

10. 1990s – or did they change?

11. 2000s – some ideas
• http://youtu.be/kC5L4IJoERM

12. 2000s – some ideas
• http://youtu.be/dad4-gQfhMs

13. 2000s – some ideas
• http://youtu.be/ot6C1ZKyiME

14. 2000s – some ideas
• http://youtu.be/4eHOGvEr15I

15. 2000s – some ideas
• http://youtu.be/KAOmTMCtGkI

16. 2010
• http://youtu.be/5jaI1XOB-bs

17. 2014
• http://youtu.be/io92j2qqEGk

18. 2014
• http://youtu.be/MVt32qoyhi0

19. Did you notice?
• Every film mentioned is American
• They all feature white women
• They’re all slim
• They’re all mainstream films
• Your task: research a wider variety of films and
representations of young women, focusing on
countries other than the US