Since a portion of your assignment is the investigation of film, this first call and response post will be relatively easy. I want each of you to tell me what your favorite film is and why exactly you think it's a worthwhile piece of art. I also want you to apply the Bechdel Test to it. Explain why it does or does not pass the test.
Word.
I personally do not have a single favorite film but I think that Disney's Frozen was a great work of art and mostly passes the Bechdel Test. The two main female protagonists do indeed discuss a man but only shortly and it leads to a major conflict in the plot. The rest of their conversations are geared more toward the two sister's feelings for one another. It may not completely pass the Bechdel Test but, in my opinion, this minor fact is only a passing point that Disney felt that should be addressed as many of it's films are made to teach morals.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film would have to be Sweet Home Alabama. Personally I feel like this is a great piece of art because the actors play their characters very well. I do not feel like this film would have been as successful if it were different actors playing the part. After applying the Bechdel Test to this film, I believe that it passes the test. There are several occasions throughout the film where two of the women characters share a conversation that does not include a man nor refer to one. Therefore, I believe Sweet Home Alabama passes the Bechdel Test.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite movie is Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. I believe it is a worthwhile work of art due to it's dramatic storyline and offering comedic relationships between witty characters. It does however, only pass the first part of the bechdel test because the four named female characters, Irene Adler, Mary Watson, Madame Simza, and Mrs. Hudson, never meet nor speak to each other. Though it does not pass the entirety of the test I still believe that it is a great film.
ReplyDeleteWord.
Interesting first choices, it should be noted that the Bechdel test isn't really about quality so much as it is about the representation of women. As to your choices, Brent, I love the first Sherlock Holmes film and was definitely intrigued by the presentation of SH's deduction abilities. i also like that neither film really hinged on a romance.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn, your choice is interesting in that it is a romantic comedy that passes the test. Why is it a great work of art though?
Austin, Frozen is a very Post-Modern feminist piece and I feel like it is the first truly progressive Disney princess film. In fact, this film is one of the few where the princess doesn't need help from a man. Sisters are doing it for themselves, indeed.
I believe Sweet Home Alabama is a work of art because it is one of those movies that I can watch many times and it never gets old. I learn something new every time I watch it. There are so many life lessons that the movie watcher can learn. Every time I watch this movie I find a new lesson that I had missed the previous times I had watched it.
DeleteKyle Plunk
ReplyDeleteMy favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. It is about Andy Dufresne. Its how he was sent to life in prison for killing his wife and her new man. I don't know for sure if his movie passes the Bechdel Test or not. The movie only has one female roll and that is Andys Wife.But she isn't in the movie for long before she dies.
I would have to say that my favorite movie is Arn: The Knights Templar. It is a worthwhile piece of art based on it's vast cultural aspects that is portrayed throughout the movie (Arabs, Christians, and the Nords). This movie unfortunately does not pass the Bechdel test seeing as there is only one main female character, Cecilia, and she only thinks about her husband returning from the Holy Land.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes Arn especially good? I've passed over it several times, but I always find myself picking something else.
ReplyDeleteA favorite film of mine would be Chronicles of Riddick. The reason it's a great piece of art is because of it's original and dramatic plot. The fate of an entire world (and possibly the universe) rests on the shoulders of a feared/revered escaped convict, Riddeck. Chronicles of Riddick, however, doesn't pass the Bechdel Test. The only female characters in the entire film never talk to one another.
ReplyDeleteThat was a strange sequel. It wasn't really like the original, but it was still very interesting. The Necromongers were a strange set of antagonists.
DeleteMy favorite movie is The Lord of the Rings trilogy ( I can't really pick a favorite ). Except for having the traditional "Good triumphs over evil" ending, there are no other movies that contain what LOTR does. It's an epic that involves mystery, adventure, romance, friendship, and finding purpose in life. Being action packed is a plus too!
ReplyDeleteThese movies don't pass the Bechdel Test. There are only 3 main female characters, and they never speak to one another. One is a powerful leader who guides and advises the Fellowship. The other two are in love with the same man. One tries to prove herself to him on the battlefield while the other must choose between her people and her man.
Women do get the shaft in that series. They are very capable, but relegated to background noise.
DeleteThe movie A Team is probably one of my many favorites. It is full of action, humor, and romance. This movies is perfect for anyone. It does not pass the Bechdel Test because there is only one main female character and she is constantly trying to decide if she should be with the man she loves and lose her perfect career or if she should forget him and move on.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite films is "The Blind Side". I believe it is a great piece of art because of the overall theme and the fact it is based on a true story. The actors closely portray the actual individuals and bring the story to life. It teaches us that hard work and perseverance lead to great things. I believe that "The Blind Side" passes the Bechdel test because the two main female characters discuss how they feel about changes in their lives and the affect those changes may on the family. The fact that the movie is about football is really one of the main reasons it is on my favorites list!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite films is Paper House. The reason I think it is such a great piece of art is because even though I do not fully understand it, I get new meanings out of it each time I watch it. I also love the idea of the story. Anna creates her own world by simply drawing it, and her simple drawings almost cost her her life. She also manages to draw a boy in her picture. In reality he is actually dying. It is such a bizarre and strange film. The movie does not pass the Bechdel Test because two of the female characters do speak about boys.
ReplyDeleteThat's from the early-90's right? I've never seen it, but I recall seeing trailers for it. Is Tommy Lee Jones in it?
DeleteMy favorite film would have to be Fireproof. It is a worthwhile piece of art to me because it shows God's love. A family was falling apart and God fixed it His way. He didn't do one of His, "BOOM! YOUR MARRAIGE IS FIXED!" kind of miracles, it happened slowly and unnoticed then revealed. There was only one main female character and when she talks to other (unnamed) women she only talks about her relationship with her husband. Therefore, it does not pass the Bechdel Test .
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film would have to be The Goonies. This film is a piece of art to me because seven kids are off to find an old pirate ship based off an old treasure map they find in an attic. The main girl character talks to her best friend about how dreamy the older male character is. So no it does not pass the Bechdel Test.
ReplyDeleteAnd the older brother grew up to become the main character in No Country for Old Men and Oldboy. An old favorite. I realized how profane it was for a film starring and aimed at children.
DeleteMy favorite film would have to be "Coach Carter". This movie is a piece of art because of how inspirational it is. It shows that no matter how low you start you can still make good things happen for yourself. You just have to fight for it. In this film all of the women are just support for the team. So it fails the Bechdel Test.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film would have to be "The Green Mile". It is a peice of art because it accurately depicts prejudes ness in this time periode. It also shows how far we as Americans have come from that. I don't believe it would pass the Bechdel test. For one most of the cast are men, and the few women barely speak let alone to each other.
ReplyDeleteWomen are in the film mainly to show the miracles Johnny Coffey can perform. Incidentally, John Coffey = J.C. Clearly, a none to subtle allusion to Jesus Christ.
DeleteI would have to say that my favorite film is The Wizard of Oz. This film is a piece of art because it shows the importance of family and the comfort of home. It also shows that friendship is an important factor in getting through a hard situation. Also that you have to put faith and trust in your friends. I think this film does pass the Bechel Test because in the beginning of the movie Dorothy and Glenda have a conversation that is not about a male charter.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that my favorite film is "The 5th Quarter". This film is a piece of art because it shows how important faith can be. It shows that no matter what happens that if you have faith in God he will help you through any situation. I think that this film does not pass the Bechdel Test because no women have a conversation about a male character.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film would be The Hunger Games. I think that this movie is a worthwhile piece of art because it shows the love of a family. Big sister, Katniss, takes the place of her little sister when she is picked to participate in the annual hunger games because Katniss knows she couldn't survive. This movie passes the Bechdel Test.
ReplyDeleteA Time to Kill is hands down my favorite movie. I love how the movie expresses how different society was back in that time period with events that could have happened in real life. The movie does not pass the Bechdel test. There are approximately four women in the movie but none of them hold a conversation with one another. All the women do is smile and walk off together in the very last scene of the movie.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film is The Other Guys. I question whether the movie is art, but if it is art, then it would probably be because of the two main messages it sends.
ReplyDelete1. Overconfidence can cause you to be killed. 2. Friends are sometimes very different.This movie does not pass the final part of the test requiring that they talk about something other than a man.
"The Help" would have to be one of my all time favorite movies. I think this film is considered art because it tells a story about how something small, such as a book, could make such a huge difference. Also, It is not like all the movies you see today. There is not a lead male role that saves the world or something cheesy like that. It is a woman who comes together with many African maids that everyone treats horribly and tries to make a difference for them. It is questionable to whether "The Help" passes the Bechdel test or not. You could argue either way because yes, most of the movie the only thing most women talk about is finding husbands, but the other half of the time, the other woman have really indepth conversations about life and what is right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that "Bonnie & Clyde" is perhaps my favorite film. I think this film is a piece of art because it shows the world famous history of two lovers in a way that I have before seen portrayed. I believe this film passes the Bechdel test. In the beginning of the movie, Clyde Barrow is portrayed as a macho scoundrel who stirs up trouble while also trying to get Bonnie Parker to love him. Throughout the movie however, you find that Bonnie is actually the mastermind behind most robberies and killings. By the end of the movie, Bonnie, who is overcome with greed and resentment for the law, is now the main character while Clyde unwillingly follows in her shadow.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film would have to be "Money Ball" I believe this film is a piece of art because the overall theme of the movie is that money is not everything and that there are ways to be great other than be the richest. There are very limited female characters in the film and at no point do any of the talk about something other than men so this film does not pass the Bechdel test.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film is "O' Brother Where Art Thou". I believe that this film is a piece of art because it expresses our nations pastimes and shows how life during the depression was. Although there are three female characters in the film, they do not talk one another, just to Everette. Therefore, this film does not pass the Bechdel Test.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite films is "The Patriot". I think this movie is a piece of art because it showed the true horrors of the Revolutionary War that you would not normally know of. Even though the storyline is not a true story, it still shows some realities that went on. I watched this film again today and it wasn't even close to passing the Bechdel Test. There wasn't at any point of the movie that two women talked to each other.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film is "Lonesome Dove". This movie is a worthwhile film because it portrays many truths that went on in the West. It also links together many stories and ties them together in an emotional way. This film does not pass the Bechdel test.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film would have to be "World War Z". This movie is a work of art because of the fact that it shows how one mans determination can save the world as a whole. It does not pass the Bechdel test due to the fact that there is only one female main character and she relies on her husband at first but when he leaves she wants him back to protect her and her daughter.
ReplyDeleteMy all time favorite film would have to be "Blow". The film depicts the harsh reality of the drug industry all the while telling the biography of George Jung, the leading dealer of cocaine in the United States in the 1970's and 1980's. There is only one leading female role in the movie, therefore it would not pass the Bechdel test.
ReplyDeleteThe Breakfast Club would have to be my favorite movie. The movie shows you teens from different cliques bond together and become friends. You get to see behind the front that all the teens put up and you get to know them individually. This movie does pass the Bechdel Test. The two female characters have a few conversations together towards the end of the movie.
ReplyDeleteShutter Island is one of my favorite films because of the dramatic storyline and the unexpected ending. There is only one main female character, so it does not pass the Bechdel Test.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite movie would have to be "The Help". It is a wonderful movie. Not only was it evolutionary but it was heartfelt as well. It opened the eyes of millions around the world. It was, to me, one of the greatest movies created. It passed the bechdel test
ReplyDeleteMy favorite movie is Transformers. It is filled with action around every turn and also has slight humor thrown in for a laugh or two. There is only one female character, so it does not pass the bechdel test.
ReplyDelete"The Sandlot" is my favorite movie. It is a great story about friends who love to play baseball and are always there for each other. This movie does not pass the Bechdel Test because the female characters never speak to each other. It is a worth while piece of art because it teaches you about friendship and it is very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteAustin Hale
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film would have to me "World's Greatest Dad." It's about a teacher who loses his son passed away due to an act that lead to his death. The father continues his life by getting very popular from his sons death by making it look like a suicide. This film does not pass the Bechdel test because there is only two female characters who make no contact.
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ReplyDeleteMy favorite movie would have to be Legally Blonde. It is about a sorority queen who gets dumped by her insanely rich, and popular boyfriend. He is going off to law school and she believes that if she goes there as well, she can win him back. While there, she realizes that she is better off without him. She then becomes a very successful lawyer. This movie, surprisingly, passes the Bechdel test.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite movie would have to be Shooter. Shooter is about a sniper who is abandoned by his commander and miraculously makes it home alive. He is later recruited by an unknown agency to prevent the president's assassination. While doing what he was recruited to do, he is framed as the assassin. The main character who is known as Bob Lee Swagger, proceeds to defend his freedom and put an end to the corrupt agency. Shooter, however, does not pass the Bechdel test.
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