1930-39
Probably one of the best films of the 1930’s was ‘Top Hat’ with Cyd Charisse in the title role. Here one can observe feminism demonstrating that the woman was not just a pin up girl but she is capable of coming out with dance rhythms too. Kay Francis and Elizabeth Taylor also showed that the woman did have acting talent and was not just a simple bimbo.
1940-49;
Margaret Sullivan started focusing on the more sensual portrayal of the woman in ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ with James Stewart, her acting was definitely something out of the top drawer and actually improved quite tremendously over what we used to see in the 1930’s The Same goes for Lana Turner who started to change the way women were perceived in films especially with her heady expressionism1950-59;
American horror film such as the Mark Yankovich film gave a different aspect to feminism whilst other actresses such as Grace Kelly and Kim Novak lent much more panache to the female figure which was far more appreciated. Gone were the days when the woman was simply regarded as an accompaniment around the house. Women posing in films was also considered as something quite original and cool as the dress code became ever more liberal1960-69;
Feminism continued to increase in female portrayals especially in films such as Bonnie and Clyde with Faye Dunaway and other similarly attuned films where the woman was seen as a heroine. Some scenes also continued to reinforce the view of the woman’s sexual liberation especially with the open smoking of cigarettes and kissing in cars. The James Bond films such as Dr No, Goldfinger and Thunderball were also full of feminist heroines who challenged the concept of male superiority.1970-79;
The 1970’s demonstrated a certain sense of female liberalism in films such as 10 and ‘The Last Tango in Paris. Women showed sexual liberation in the way they portrayed their bodies and this was quite a far cry with what had happened in the earlier decades with times now changing considerably.1980-89;
Feminism continued to refine itself in the films of the 1980’s. Scantily clad women were the order of the day and the politics of liberation were also demonstrated in films such as ‘Dirty Dancing’ with Jennifer Grey showing that she was quite a patch on Patrick Swayze for daring and innovation. The Battlestar Galactica films also showed females in male roles with science fiction being particularly prominent here. Genevieve Bujold is also more than a match for Michael Douglas in ‘Coma’ which positively breathes tension, drama and suspense. 1990-99;
The 1990’s continued with the development of the female theme in films on a popular level. Several series such as Home Alone and Now and Then focused on youth and the way women would dress to show off their assets. The soft porn image continued to be refined in these comic American films but there was also a sense of liberation in them too2000-2013
The noughties and the first years of the teens have seen a radical shift in feminism as portrayed in films. The return of such icons such as ‘Charlie’s Angels’ to the silver screen demonstrates a different feminist aspect whilst with films such as Tomb Raider, the woman has become the female protagonist. ‘Whip It’ also shows the almost masculine notion of femininity with the cyclist theme.
