Important Female Characters In Movies

The Bechdel Test, popularized by Allison Bechdel in 1984, was designed to illustrate the lack of important female roles in movies. This test is extremely simple and only has three criteria that need to be achieved in order for a movie to be classed as having a female character that is integral to the plot. These criteria are that the movie must contain at least to named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man (Feminist Frequency, 2012). I think that these criteria themselves show that there was, and is, a big problem with important female characters in movies. These criteria set a shockingly low standards for important female characters, but what is even more shocking is the number of films that fail this test.
While Cinderella’s mother and the Fairy Godmother are not named, her stepmother and stepsisters are and hold many conversation with Cinderella and each other that revolve around numerous things like clothing, chores, nature and kindness. But, people still tend to have a problem with the story, thinking it feminist. In the film, the stepmother and step sisters obsess over their own looks and constantly put down Cinderella, even her name is a mockery. Then there is also the fact that the Prince ‘saves’ her from her life of misfortune and misery. But I don’t think that this is the case. Kenneth Branagh, the director of the film, balances the old with the new. He keeps aspects of the original Walt Disney film while modernising the character of Cinderella. The film focuses on the message that you should be kind to others, even if they are not kind themselves instead of beauty. Cinderella is also shown to be kind, courageous and brave with a unique personality which the Prince fall in love with. Yes, she is beautiful, but the Prince does not fall for her beauty but rather is charm. Also, though the Prince does ’save’ her in a sense, she didn’t really ‘need’ saving and Cinderella does a lot of the ‘saving’