From the start of July I’ve been applying the Bechdel test (see above and below) to the films I’ve been watching. It would be good if readers could share films that actually pass this test as it seems, shockingly, that not many do. The test is: are there at least two named women who talk to one another about something other than men? Doesn’t seem a high bar does it? I gave up on watching Beaufort (Israel, 2007) because I was finding the self-importance of men nauseating.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Bechdel
I think you forgot to to include the essential part of the rubric which refers to ‘popular’ film. I would hope that several art cinema films get through. I’m guessing that you haven’t been to see White Material yet? In a film starring la Huppert and directed by Claire Denis, it would be odd to not find a conversation between two women (in this case about civil war and plantation work). Having said that the leading director of our times often focuses on men and the strange things that they do.
You’re right I should have included ‘popular’; however, I think we should still put arthouse cinema through the test to see what happens.