Female rage was all over the movies this year – it makes sense

As a woman who has navigated through the complexities of society and its often unforgiving expectations, I find the current wave of films exploring female rage not just refreshing, but incredibly empowering. The way these stories articulate the raw, primal emotions that women experience every day is something I can deeply relate to.

In the latest film by Amy Adams, entitled “Nightbitch“, a woman’s bursts of anger and unvarnished truth seem more fitting for her imaginative, dream-like scenarios.

Initially, she gives impassioned speeches that merely express thoughts and feelings brewing within her, but are not yet realized actions, as they stem from the depths of her consciousness.

In its rawest form, she feels an intense frustration, as she struggles under the unattainable expectations set by society about what makes a good mother and a respectable woman.

Marielle Heller’s screen adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s popular novel expands the narrative beyond just motherhood, delving into a more relatable theme: the universal desire among women to vent their anger in raw, chaotic ways. It’s about standing up, voicing discontent, and releasing themselves from societal demands of being pleasant, likable, and beautiful.

In discussing the film “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”, Anya Taylor-Joy emphasized a deeper representation of female anger. She clarified that this isn’t about advocating for violence, but rather, it’s about portraying women as full individuals who can react in ways that aren’t always delicate or reserved.

As a woman who has spent countless hours in movie theaters over the years, I’ve noticed a significant change in the way female characters are portrayed on screen. From my perspective, this year, women’s anger is being showcased more prominently than ever before, particularly in films like “Blink Twice” and “Immaculate.

Movies seem to be reflecting, intentionally or unintentionally, the turmoil that women experience in contemporary society: from the high incidence of violence against women, the scrutiny over women’s bodies and personal decisions, to the efforts by some to reimpose a traditional notion of domesticity.

It’s not pretty, and it shouldn’t be.

Anger’s double standard

Women often experience anger, and recent analyses from the BBC based on the Gallup World Poll indicate that this emotion, along with stress, is more prevalent among women than ever before. Notably, this trend shows a significant difference when compared to men.

However, it does feel like filmmakers are getting better at portraying it on screen.

According to Anna Bogutskaya, author of “Unlikeable Female Characters” and “Feeding the Monster”, it’s been common in the history of cinema, particularly western films, to portray women as angry characters who are often depicted negatively.

As a gamer, I’ve often encountered portrayals in films that were downright beastly and uncomfortable, both socially and emotionally. Instead of directly showcasing female rage through traditional means like shouting or screaming, it’s been channeled in more subtle ways, such as subtler performances or narrative devices that hint at anger without explicitly displaying it.

For Bogutskaya, there has been a clear double standard between male and female rage on screen.

In general, male anger has often been portrayed as admirable and appropriate, while female anger has been depicted as chaotic, unacceptable, and only exhibited by women who were somehow flawed. However, rage is actually a multifaceted emotion that all humans experience in various forms throughout their lives, not just those deemed ‘wrong’.

1987’s Oscar-nominated movie Fatal Attraction, with Glenn Close as Alex, vividly illustrates an intense portrayal of a woman’s anger that could be considered “uncontrolled”. After being spurned by her lover who is already married, this character unleashes a destructive fury aimed at destroying the man’s life. This performance solidified the stereotype ‘bunny boiler’, a term often used in a sexist context.

In numerous instances, including Rebecca De Mornay’s character in the 1992 film “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle,” a woman’s anger is often portrayed as being closely connected to madness or hysteria. This portrayal suggests that their anger is unbecoming for women, excessive, and unwarranted. These women are frequently depicted as dangerous villains.

From a contemporary viewpoint, it can be observed that the characters are portrayed as suffering from deception and manipulation, commonly known as betrayal and gaslighting. Additionally, these films seem to express a deep-seated apprehension in men about women expressing anger, even mildly.

In contrast to male characters, where anger was considered honorable, it was deemed unfitting and pitiful for female characters, leading to their unfortunate and severely tragic conclusions.

From my gaming perspective, I’ve noticed an interesting divide: Male rage is often portrayed as heroic and justified, starring in dramas where they take on corrupt systems or protect the innocent. On the other hand, women’s anger is more frequently seen as needing a personal reason to exist, often tied to gender stereotypes. This disparity in representation is quite intriguing.

The author suggests that there’s an individual injustice, unique to her, which can be described as a betrayal. It’s not something that can be generalized and said, “This is what oppresses all women,” or, “All women should be outraged by this.” Instead, it’s a single instance of mistreatment – a poor husband, a toxic boyfriend, a damaged relationship. The author also mentions the loss or protection of a child as a frequent circumstance in such situations.

I’ll rephrase it as: “As a gamer, I often find myself pondering, ‘Why is this character so angry?’ But then I realize, it’s not just about her anger. It’s about the systemic unfairness and injustices that women around the world face every day, injustices so deeply ingrained that acknowledging them might be too overwhelming.

These films, such as Marleen Gorris’ 1982 film “A Question of Silence” and Ridley Scott’s 1991 movie “Thelma & Louise,” often depicted female anger in a novel way that felt more communal, but they frequently sparked social debate.

It seems our assumption might be misplaced as the response to movies such as “Promising Young Woman” in 2020 shows that, despite being in a post-#MeToo era, assertive women can still cause discomfort among some individuals.

From rape-revenge to the so-called #MeToo thriller

Zoë Kravitz’s first directorial effort, “Blink Twice,” which came out in August, tells a story about a young woman (Naomi Ackie) who receives an invitation to visit a tech billionaire on his private island. The plot’s revelations mirror infamous sex-trafficking scandals orchestrated by influential figures such as Jeffrey Epstein and more recently Sean Combs. In this film, Kravitz provides a powerful portrayal of revenge for those affected by these events.

The film encapsulates the shared anger towards sexual misconduct that was publicly expressed on a worldwide scale through the #MeToo movement. In 2017, countless women utilized social media platforms to share their personal stories and condemn their perpetrators, marking a period for societal introspection not only in Hollywood but also beyond.

Although it didn’t completely transform everything, its impact is still noticeable in films and television productions. (Remember that the returning U.S. President was held accountable for misconduct and labeled as a rapist by the court.)

The question seems to be asking if movies similar to “Blink Twice“, that tackle rape culture and have been labeled as “#MeToo thrillers”, are a genuine subgenre or simply a sensationalist label used for attention-grabbing purposes. In simpler terms, is it accurate to categorize these films as “#MeToo thrillers” or is this just a clever marketing strategy?

According to Margrethe Bruun Vaage, an associate professor in film studies and the author of “The Female Avenger, Women’s Anger and Rape-Revenge Film and Television”, she believes that while the idea hasn’t been particularly useful for her, it is correct to highlight a pattern in filmmaking following the #MeToo movement.

In other words, the #MeToo movement represented a distinctive cultural event where many women voiced their frustration, and it’s quite common for movies, particularly works of fiction, to assist us in processing such cultural events.

Films such as “The Assistant” by Kitty Green, “She Said” by Maria Schrader, and “Bombshell” by Jay Roach have tackled the movement in a straightforward, factual manner. However, social thrillers are increasingly carving out their own niche and gaining popularity since 2020.

These films construct unique, darkly imaginative narratives that tackle real-world problems. For instance, “Don’t Worry Darling” explores the struggle of career women finding themselves ensnared in a ‘tradwife’ predicament, while “Promising Young Woman” delves into the shared desire for retribution.

Apart from portraying intense outrage towards influential men abusing women, “Blink Twice” additionally provides a compelling and modern representation of hollow apologizes.

Margrethe Bruun Vaage describes a powerful scene where the male protagonist continually says, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’ She suggests that the filmmaker is expressing frustration with these seemingly insincere apologies from some men in public life, as if there’s a concern we won’t truly trust their remorse.

The #MeToo thriller might be considered as a complex offspring of the rape-revenge genre, a somewhat mysterious category that showcases an intriguing evolution in its viewpoint.

Bruun Vaage explains that the genre is often traced back to exploitation films because they frequently depicted rape and revenge primarily as a means to sensationalize sex and violence, rather than for artistic or meaningful purposes. Consequently, many of these movies sparked significant controversy due to their questionable content.

The genre was closely associated with the Second Wave of Feminism in the 1970s, exploring themes related to empowered and assertive women within the context of the feminist movement, often depicted as “movies dealing with topics concerning assertive and angry women.

The pivotal shift that marked a significant milestone for female portrayal in literature within the rape-revenge genre is this: Instead of a male character avenging the victim, it’s now the woman herself who takes action against the violence inflicted upon her.

A collection of feminist waves – and a rise in numbers of female filmmakers – later, the rape-revenge genre has moved from exploitation to a space where women rage not only against one particular sexual assault, but, in the best of cases, the general impunity of abusers in a patriarchal system.

A fight on screen and in real life

2024 offers a unique vantage point for observing the evolving portrayal of women’s anger in cinema, as filmmakers – notably those who identify as female – redefine and explore this emotion on screen following more than a century of depiction.

Films such as “Nightbitch”, “Blink Twice”, “The Substance”, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”, “Immaculate”, and “MaXXXine” provide a platform for delving into various intriguing perspectives on what it is to embody anger as a woman today. These films offer insights into the recognition and interpretation of rage, regardless of its ugliness or complexity.

Instead, the two ladies in focus within Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” aren’t expressing anger towards males, rather they are hostile towards one another.

Among the buzzed-about films in 2024, it tells the story of a 50-year-old actress (Demi Moore). She discovers a strange substance and uses it to develop an upgraded version of herself (Margaret Qualley). Fargeat, known for breathing new life into the rape-revenge genre in 2017 with “Revenge,” delves into the deep self-hatred experienced by women due to society’s unattainable beauty expectations.

For Margrethe Bruun Vaage, it’s a tale of “internalised misogyny.”

It seems to me that the cultural aspect of how women grapple with aging, their fear, and the internal struggle it often triggers, has been under-examined. This issue also tends to foster resentment and anger among women. I believe the film effectively portrays this complex dynamic by duplicating its main character.

In the movie, the professor indicates a despicable antagonist portrayed by Dennis Quaid, who happens to be the character’s superior in the office. However, the central theme of the film revolves around the protagonist’s self-directed fury towards her own body and aging, which ultimately leads to self-condemnation.

Transformations beyond the natural world appear to be a popular method for delving into the struggles, apprehensions, anxieties, and anger that many women experience daily. This theme is not novel; it can be traced back to the terrifying menstruation in “Carrie” and the transformation into wolf-women in “Ginger Snaps” and “Raw”, which depicted the frequently frightening changes of adolescence. More recently, we see this in films like “Titane” with its unique flesh transformation, and “Swallow”, where the battle for control is subtly portrayed.

A feminist approach to body horror vividly portrays the intricate range of female fury, using fantastical elements and a touch of real-world magic.

In the novel “Nightbitch,” a mother’s metamorphosis into a canine serves as a means for her to tap into a deep, instinctual fury about her circumstances – a once thriving artist now confined to domestic life, with a spouse who offers little support and leaves her feeling inadequate as a woman.

According to Anna Bogutskaya, these films aim to express anger through some form of physical outlet.

In the stories ‘Nightbitch,’ ‘The Substance,’ ‘Immaculate,’ ‘MaXXXine,’ and ‘Furiosa,’ she transforms into a dog, a blob monster, gives birth to the Antichrist, and takes on the appearance of an armored, menacing figure, respectively. I find these metamorphoses and the use of makeup as armor particularly intriguing.

According to Bogutskaya, horror and genre films have often been ideal for expressing female anger due to its intense nature. These genres provide a platform where such extreme emotions can be effectively showcased without disrupting the narrative flow, which aligns well with the characters and settings of these movies. In her book Feeding the Monster, she delves into this parallel between cinematic representations and real-life anxieties.

And there is plenty for women to be scared of (and mad at) today.

Every day, countless lives are tragically lost due to gender-based violence, while sexual and reproductive freedoms continue to face ongoing threats, and matters like harassment, discrimination in the workplace, and uncompensated labor remain largely unresolved.

Anger can be a potent force when harnessed as a driving force for transformation. For instance, it fueled the groundbreaking narrative of personal experiences that emerged from the #MeToo movement, which ultimately led to the downfall of prominent abusers like Harvey Weinstein. Similarly, it has ignited protests worldwide, advocating against sexual violence and championing women’s rights.

Previously, Gisèle Pelicot opted to forego anonymity and advocated for a public trial of her rape case, in hopes that the atrocious actions perpetrated by her ex-husband and 50 other men would become globally known. She expressed her desire to transform society and shed light on the prevalent issue of rape culture.

The victim of sexual assault – regardless if they were drugged or not – should feel empowered to accuse Mrs. Pelicot, demonstrating that they too can speak out. Shame belongs to the perpetrator, not the victim, as it is they who committed the crime.

Expressing and revealing anger can spark transformation on a larger scale, and movies often serve as a means for us to grapple with and comprehend our own feelings of anger.

The rest is on us.

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2024-11-16 11:21