Friday is the (Inspirational) Movie Night: The Little Mermaid (1989)

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It has been some time since we claimed that a classical piece (almost) nobody viewed as feminist masterpiece.... actually was one! (Remember the explosion in both your and our brain caused by the idea that Dirty Dancing (1987) was a feminist gem?)

So here comes another one in the you-would-have-never-called-it-feminist-until-now series*. The Little Mermaid (1989). Yes, the Disney sea-princess garbage where a young girl gives up her family, friends and talents in order to pursue a man she has seen once. Meh... or at least we thought so.

Well, read this paper written by Stephanie Stott, a student in Kim Magowan’s gothic lit class at Mills College called  The Little Mermaid: Our Favorite Gothic Villain and you just might want to give Ariel another try. Or at least know how to reframe the story in order to minimize the damage if young girls around you suddenly want to emulate the little mermaid.

* That's of course not actually true as somebody has analyzed these movies as such and hence we are reporting. But the great majority...

Friday is the (Inspirational) Movie Night: Tangled (2010)

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Yes, I admit a weakness for well done mainstream stuff for children. 'Cause they are the future, you know! If they get decent stuff to watch, maybe we won't be doomed as species. At least not that soon... Anyways, Disney's most recent version of the Rapunzel story - Tangled (2010) - could be considered their test of waters for a (somewhat) new kind of princess (this is before Frozen (2013), keep in mind, and before Brave (2012)).

While far from Disney's most interesting takes on (quite) feminist princesses - think Mulan or Merida - there's a lot to take out from this Rapunzel.

Lesson 1: A sign of personal maturity is to be able to overcome the limits your guardians have set if you feel that something from beyond those is calling you. Obedience is not by default the best choice. Your safe home may turn out to be a secluded tower with no exit. And you may have to jump to get out of it.

Lesson 2: Be ready to use force and cunning when in danger. Obvious, but not very princessy. Real world stuff.

Lesson3: Authenticity is better quest for perfection. Following what just feels right might give you a (messy) prince and a kingdom queendom. Or just make you happy.

Friday is the (Inspirational) Movie Night: El laberinto del fauno (2006)

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"A fairytale for grownups," some commentary said... well, fair enough! The plot El laberinto del fauno (2006, Guillermo del Toro) can be described as "a young girl is informed that she's a long lost elf princess, and that she has to complete three tasks in order to return to the kingdom of her origin". Sounds quite inoffensive, right? Sounds like a fun fairy-tale, suitable for all ages?

No. El laberinto del fauno is rated R for "graphic violence and some language", and is not suitable for small children. At all. Unless you really want to traumatize. The fantasy world del Toro depicts is dark, eerie and very visceral.
But the movie is good, it has a brave, self-emancipating girl protagonist, and we could stop here.

But El laberinto del fauno has a second layer of relevance. The movie is set in right after the Spanish Civil War, depicting guerrilla warfare and some of the choice women could make in this context: (a) trying to survive and not get involved in any political action; (b) enjoying the privilege (and avoiding hunger and danger) if their husbands happened to be part of the new regime; (c) assuming the imminent risk and take part into guerrilla movement, either in the woods or helping from outside; or (d) trying to protect themselves and their children by actively seeking protection of the fascists. While none of these are clear-cut or independent choices, you get to witness the whole spectrum of from adaptation to resistance. That's the special, feminist added value of this movie.

An additional reading on a (slightly) different war that was won by other people and women's destiny after the victory: An Ugly Carnival by Antony Beevor on the social and physical punishments that women accused of collaboration horizontale during the WWII were submitted to.

Learning to be a princess, or what?

Going on with the (critical) princess-talk, here we have the ground-breaking US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor giving career advice on Sesame Street.

While we are most grateful to Sesame Street for giving conscious life-lessons to smaller people, the question to what to do with "girl sections" recognizable from afar by the bright pink and all the other consumer goods that princessize people remains.

Do you assume that the best way to limit their influence is to forbid or to be "optimistic, perhaps overly so, about our daughters' ability to leave the less healthy lessons of princess culture behind as they age," accepting that "the risk in fighting an (almost inevitably unsuccessful) battle against princess culture is the false hope it gives that a de-Disneyed daughter will be a more empowered one" as Hugo Schwyzer does?

(This is not only about small children. Feel free, go on and recount all the wacky ideas about love, friendship, good, beauty and hair that Disney has planted in your own head...)

And as a piece of advice to bigger girls, here is Elizabeth Wurtzel with her own very sober career advice:

"Somewhere between childbirth and a no-fault divorce, a lot of smart women have chosen to engage in some risky behavior. Opting out is not a feminist choice. It's mostly just a bad idea." 

Friday is the (Inspirational) Movie Night: Stories about Anne Boleyn

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Continuing with the princess theme, we are here just to remind you that the much romanticized age of princesses was a very dangerous place to be a woman. And that there is no reason to dream to become a princess/queen. As an example we bring you the life story of Anne Boleyn (c. 1501 – 19 May 1536).

There are many interpretation of her life as the mistress and the 2nd wife of King Henry VIII of England, we shall name just few. In all of them you can see reflected the nauseating relationship between power and lust, manipulation and defeat. It would be too easy to say that this is just about the point when a political need for a male heir and the wish to be the queen (have power!) meets. It is him tearing both England and Europe apart because of the feeling of entitlement. It is her being decapitated (this is not a spoiler, it's general knowledge) for not being able to produce on.
Also, you get to see how religions are made.

Anne of Thousand Days (1969, Charles Jarrot) if you are into movies with patina, and as one from the time when everybody seem to have been comfortable with a tyrannic Richard Burton as the King.

Moving almost 40 years on here comes The Tudors (2007-2010, Michael Hirst) that will bring you lots of hours to watch and lots of characters and relationship dynamics to swallow. Nevertheless, it is quite brilliant and does an excellent job showing the complexity of motivations. With the King in the center and not his wives though... 

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008, Justin Chadwick) is exactly about rivalry inspired in the fact that there is somebody with almost unlimited power to do harm or do good, and conquering their benevolence and trying to maintain it is all you can do. Hard line patriarchy, you know.

Friday is the (Inspirational) Movie Night: Brave (2012)

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This week we stay with the female emancipation and child marriage but through the eyes of Disney/Pixar. We suggest you watch Brave (2012, Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell).

Yes, fair enough, it is not the greatest beacon of feministing to be found in the history of the cinematograph. Nevertheless, we have to admit that Disney princesses are changing for good. This one, Merida, together with the newest Rapunzel being the most advanced ones.

And Brave is good exactly for what it is: not a taming-of-the-shrew story (like, Mulan (1998)). Merida doesn't need to change herself, she just have to find a way to convince her mother that it is not the moment for her to get married + that if she will chose a partner in future, she'll do that on her own... 

Certainly better idea for what to watch together with little children (not only girls, mind you!) than Snow White (1937), Cinderella (1950), or Sleeping Beauty (1959) that are left to more mature audiences that can approach the story critically (and read into the richness of symbols that are by no means innocent).