March is Women’s History Month, the perfect time to watch any one of these amazing films, on Netflix or DVD, that celebrate women...
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March is Women’s History Month, the perfect time to watch any one of these amazing films, on Netflix or DVD, that celebrate women...
We often aspire to be like the women we see on the big screen. It’s great to see that modern cinema has given birth to some wonderful female lead characters. Women aren’t just side chicks or supporting actresses anymore. Many dynamic young ladies are now spearheading the movement of independent filmmaking as well. They write, direct and act, giving us stories that are instantly relatable and thoroughly entertaining.
In a time when we are celebrating all things women, it seems only fitting that we’d give a shout-out to our favourite women-centric movies. A fun way to know more about the history and achievement of women is to watch movies that represent women as heroines - movies that go beyond the realms of just entertainment; movies that inspire, empower and generally make you feel proud to be a woman. So, here are some movies, which we have compiled for you, about women who are ambitious careerists, fearless lovers, relentless adventurers, and much more. The emotions here range from sassy to serious, thrilling to awe-inspiring, funny to intense. Enjoy!
Directed by Noah Baumbach, ‘Frances Ha’, a film about a young dancer named Frances, is shot entirely in black and white. This modern delight explores New York, friendship, class, ambition, failure, and redemption. The film follow Frances’ journey through New York, and to various locations, as she struggles with her friendships and limited prospects of becoming a dancer. A carefree character piece by filmmaker Noah Baumbach, actress Greta Gerwig drives the comedy into a place where very clever and high-spirited dialogue prevails. Frances is a charismatic presence in a joyful film that makes young women feel like their stories have a place in this world.
This movie is an ultimate portrayal of women supporting women. ‘The Color Purple’ shows the life of African American women and the problems they faced in the early 20th century including poverty, racism, and sexual discrimination. Whoopi Goldberg brings Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning feminist novel to life as Celie, a Southern woman who suffered abuse over decades. With the help of two other women, Celie Harris overcomes racism and realises herself worth. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film has positive messages about the importance of women’s relationships with other women, the power of the sisterly bond, and the human capacity to overcome oppression. The film marks Spielberg’s first female lead.
Mona Lisa Smile’ is a well-made, feminist-anchored, politically correct liberal film that teaches some good, modern day lessons to its femme audience. Directed by Mike Newell, the film is an interesting look at a 1950’s conservative all women’s college and a teacher who pushes the boundaries to make them think for themselves. Unconventional Berkeley grad Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) takes a position teaching art history at the prestigious Wellesley College for women in 1953 and is shocked to learn that her students view their education as a prereq for a good marriage. Watson fights tirelessly for gender equality and has a big impact on her students as she makes them see that their futures hold more potential than simply becoming wives. Watson’s liberalism versus the institution’s conservatism is what makes ‘Mona Lisa Smile’ a must-watch.
A feast for the eyes...a famine for the ears, this emotional and beautiful film is the true story of Frida Kahlo (played by Salma Hayek). Painter Frida Kahlo was a Mexican self-portrait artist who was married to Diego Rivera and is still admired as a feminist icon. Julie Taymor’s biopic takes us behind the canvas to reveal the artist, the activist, the revolutionary. The film tells about her outstanding professional achievements and reveals her true life story. Her portrait, with that thick unibrow and un-waxed upper lip, has become an iconic symbol of feminism. The script, which has four writers credited, fixes ‘Frida’ firmly in her times (1907-1954). Watch it if history and drama about a prominent female figure is your thing.
Fried Green Tomatoes is an engaging sentimental tale, charmingly handled by producer-turned-director Jon Avnet and flawlessly acted by its four female stars - Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary-Louise Parker, and Mary Stuart Masterson. It’s a movie that’s all about finding the strength within. A woman learns the value of friendship as she hears the story of two women and how their friendship shaped their lives in this warm comedy-drama. Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) encounters an eccentric old woman in a nursing home and listens to her stories about powerful female friendship and drumming up the courage to swim against the tide. These stories spur Evelyn on to change her own life for the better. ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ was based on the novel ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe’ by actress-turned-author Fannie Flagg.
If there is one movie that shows the power of female friendship and support, it is ‘Thelma and Louise’. Written by Callie Khouri and directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, two friends who take a break from their usual lives and go on a seemingly harmless road trip. But things soon get out of hand and they are pitted against the entire world for their survival and they only have each other for help. Wonderfully well acted and with a stunning cinematography, this delicious road movie resonates with a rebellious female intelligence and cathartic revenge against male aggression.
‘The Women’s Balcony’ is an amusing, heartfelt Israeli film about a group of women raising money to rebuild their synagogue’s women’s balcony after it collapses - and challenging their new rabbi’s strict beliefs on gender roles. The women in an Orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem are appalled when their synagogue gets a strict new rabbi who preaches rigid gender roles. The ladies soon decide to fight back against his ultra-traditionalist beliefs, while raising money to repair the ‘women’s balcony’ in the synagogue. Directed by Emil Ben-Shimon, ‘The Women’s Balcony’ is an agreeable, crowd-pleasing film but beneath its gentle, comic exterior is a serious look at social and religious tensions. ‘The Women’s Balcony’ is an equally hilarious and infuriating look at how patriarchies attempt to assert themselves and how terrified men often get when women stand up for themselves.
There’s arguably no better time than Women’s History Month to brush up on women’s history. Directed, produced, and shot exclusively by women, ‘She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry’ tells the story of the American feminist movement from 1966 to 1971 by juxtaposing fascinating archival footage with recently-filmed interviews of surviving activists from the era. Filmmaker Mary Dore pairs historical footage and contemporary interviews with activists to offer a broad overview of second-wave feminism. You couldn’t ask for a more inclusive account of the women’s liberation movement than ‘She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry’. While it is challenging to watch examples of real-life injustice, it’s also highly uplifting to see what these women did, and how their actions paved the way for further progress down the line. It’s a loving portrait of a powerful group of women who demanded a seat at the table for all of us.
