Both Movies Pass The Bechdel Test Many Times Over
As a reminder, The Bechdel Test is a metric to help viewers consider women’s representation (or lack thereof) in film. It asks us to consider whether movies have two named women who speak to each other about anything other than a man!
For anyone who is unfamiliar with the famous story, Little Women is about the lives of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, during the Civil War Era. The stories of everyday slices of the sisters’ lives provide ideas about their Quaker morality and the desires of each of the girls. As a cipher for both the author and the intended audience, Jo March is usually seen as the most compelling of the sisters. However, Gerwig’s interpretation provides a great deal of emotional nuance for Meg, Beth, and even the typically villainous Amy. Though there are also several men in the movie, there are numerous scenes of the sisters and their beloved mother talking about their own interests.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a much quieter film, telling the story of the artist Marienne, who must surreptitiously paint a portrait of another young woman, Hèloise. The resulting portrait is meant to be sent to Hèloise’s intended husband in Milan. If he likes what he sees, then the two will become properly engaged, even though they’ve never met. Complications ensue, especially when the women recognize and act on their mutual attraction for each other. Every moment is composed like a beautiful painting that’s imbued with meaning about the nature of women as the subjects and creators of art. One significant side plot in the film involving the house servant, Sophie, could very easily involve a man. However, that man’s absence seems like an intentional choice by Sciamma to keep the focus on women and their stories.
The Bechdel Test can’t tell us whether a movie is good or even feminist…but the fact that both movies pass the test many times over is certainly promising.