Women in the Wes Anderson World PDF

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Woolstenhulme 1 Paige Woolstenhulme Brother Austad HUM 305 13 March 2017 Women in the Wes Anderson World Wes Anderson would best be described as original. Due to his directorial decisions in creating films that are tightly knit together by meticulously framed shots and striking uses of color. The same could be said of the wide array of Anderson's female characters. Just as with his choices of color or soundtrack, Anderson's writing style showcases women differently than as they are portrayed in contrasting works of film. This difference can be seen in his character's ability to change the plot as causes of change rather than as props used for the furthering of the films. As writer of his own scripts Anderson’s view and representation of women on the big screen are authentic. Arguably, as will be discussed in this analysis, these characters are not only noteworthy as embodiments of Anderson’s relationship with women, such as with his mother, but as comparatively truthful portrayals of twentieth century femininity. This twentieth century woman would be defined, in the cinematic sense, as a propelling force that causes to plot to flourish because of her. This is in juxtaposition to the stereotyped representation produced by films made prior to Wes’ work spanning from the 1990’s to today, which contained woman that served as simple props to the plot and the men of the film. These stereotypes include the helpless female, who have little or no opinion or effect on the outcome of the plot. They exist as damsels in distress for their male counterparts and serve to give those men the ability to step in as the hero of the story. Another stereotype include the gold digger, who also serves to display the male

Woolstenhulme 2 counterpart as heroic, or at least as more loveable. In these stereotypes exists the idea that a woman must choose between having looks, having an influence, or having emotions, and must be typecast as such. As female stereotypes have abounded in cinema, Anderson’s take on women is seen as relatively fresh and honest. This includes their relationships with other characters, their general attitudes and styles, and the choices they are made to make due to their gender. This analysis will focus on how Anderson has successfully inspired a fair representation of femininity within his growing filmography and challenged the stereotypical portrayal of womanhood. In order to define the effect that Wes Anderson has had in the cinematic feminist world, Anderson’s life and his influences will be used in order to help define his relationship with women. This will help to describe his background and thus why, as a male director, he has a noteable perspective on the subject. Anderson’s male characters will be evaluated only so far as if they have an effect on the female characters of his films and her choices in the plot. The focus will be centered on feminist film theory, and what, or who, has had more greatly influenced Anderson’s view of women. Included as examples are three of Anderson’s films: Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited , and The Royal Tenenbaums, as these are three of his more well developed films which include stronger examples of modern femininity in film. To evaluate the effects that Anderson has had on modern feminism in film, a look at feminism in films prior to his career, and of a definition of modern feminism, is necessary. This will help in showcasing the difference between those female characters that Anderson has created in his films, and the characters that have previously been displayed in film. This analysis will focus on three films in particular that were influential in their day and continue to have an impact in the film community as prime archetypes of their own styles. These films, which will

Woolstenhulme 3 include Gone with the Wind ( 1939), Casablanca ( 1943), and Hitchcock’s Vertigo ( 1958), all exemplify lead female characters that helped to shape how the stereotyped women is seen today, and will be juxtaposed to Anderson’s characters to more cleanly define why they are outstanding in their definitions of femininity. A succinct definition of feminism would be the equality of women in having equal rights as men. Since Wes Anderson’s medium is film, a definition of cinematic feminism is much less complicated. This definition would mostly comprise of a film’s ability to have female characters that exude individuality in their ability to inspire plot changes in films, in equal accord with men. In films such as Gone with the Wind, Casablanca , and Vertigo, the women serve as negatively effectual to their male counterparts, serving only as carnal objects, or as elusive prizes to be won. This is due greatly to the popularization of the male perspective on women’s sexuality, which arguably still serves as a main proponent for the objectification of women as a whole seeing as this view comes solely outside of a woman's experience. Analysis of these women as individuals would be contradictory as they are portrayed not as forward moving individuals, but instead as props that propel their male counterparts to coming to realizations only about their own humanity. Feminism was created to alter this view of women, and to, in time, allow filmmakers the ability of portraying women to their full potential. The effect of feminism and it’s importance in modernity is beautifully defined by Gloria Jean Watkins, a female social activist who published her works under the pen name Bell Hooks. She states feminism as having had “created profound positive changes in the lives of girls and boys, women and men, living in our society, in a political system of imperialist, white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy.” She continues by stating that “. . . though trashing feminism has become commonplace, the reality remains:

Woolstenhulme 4 everyone has benefited from the cultural revolutions put in place by contemporary feminist movement. It has changed how we see work, how we work, and how we love” (Hooks). This is of particularly great importance in the movies, and is especially true of the messages portrayed through strong characters. In comparison to the definition of modern feminism in film stated previously is the stark contrast portrayed within the characters of early film and literature. An example of these characters is represented in Gone with the Wind , a wildly popular book turned film, portrays southerner Scarlett O’Hara as a simple damsel in distress. Based on the era and social background, it is concurrent with the times that Scarlett be reliant upon the men of her community, but when war changes the world around her Scarlett resorts to the act of using men for the sake of using. This is exemplified with her actions concerning Ashley Wilkes, Charles Hamilton, and Rhett Butler. One could argue that she was a fairly feminist character for her era, but the fact that she is painted as merely sexual throughout most of the plot begs to reason that she was painted through the eyes of a mostly male group screenwriting and directing effort. She is not selfish and witty for her own sake. She gets her way negatively, using her sexuality as a tool rather than viewing herself in terms of her humanity. Although humanity does include sexuality, Scarlett sees her sexuality solely as defining her humanity and, in turn, her most potent key to influencing. This is contradiction with one of Anderson’s first focus’ of femininity; Rosemary Cross. A pivotal role in Rushmore , Miss Cross acts as the love interest of both student Max Fischer and Herman Blume, a wealthy businessman. At first she is seen as a sounding board for the two men, but later seems to outsiders a mere object to be won through outlandish and presumptuous attempts. Throughout the film she grows as a character and begins to change the usual dynamic of a love triangle by deciding midway through the film that neither

Woolstenhulme 5 option is suitable. As a woman Ms. Cross did not want to feel or to be seen simply as a trophy to be won, as did the women in the earlier mentioned films, but rather as she was when she was married and considered in equal regard to her husband. The further along in the film, the more the audience notices that she takes what is offered only when she wants it. This is exemplified by her asking Herman to go on a walk after he finds an excuse to come to her house to say hello, and again when she decides not to pursue her feelings for Herman. Her emotions were rarely taken into consideration when the true fighting between Max and Herman began, but rather seen as moot by the male characters. This did not change the film’s ability to showcase her perspective. Later in the film when Max sneaks into her bedroom one night while pretending to be hurt, he finds that he has actually stepped into the childhood room of her deceased husband. Here he sees that Miss Cross is much more complex than he had previously envisioned her to be. When persuaded by Max to explain why she decided to dismiss Herman as a romantic prospect, she answers with “A: he’s married. B: he hates himself. And C: he smashed up your bicycle. . . What sort of person does something like that?” by which Max’s reply is that “War does funny things to men.” (Rushmore). This conversation is continued by her display of choice in the matter by asking Max what he would do if she ever did say yes to his proposal of a relationship. She points out that his lust for her as the perfect woman would be unsatisfied, seeing as sex could never be the main component of their relationship. What she truly would need is someone to relate with her deeply traumatic emotional issues in order to form a bond. Miss Cross changed her male counterparts perspective on love by showing that their opinions on the matter were not the only ones that mattered. She showed that femininity sometimes meant making no choices when it comes to showing that you expect better from those around you.

Woolstenhulme 6 Also in a wartime setting, as in Gone with the Wind , and arguably, Rushmore, a different side of this lack of equality can be seen in the classic Casablanca . The relationship between Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund showcases the typical dichotomy between men and women in films of the era. As former lovers, Rick’s every move is dictated by how he once felt about Ilsa. With his demand that As Time Goes By n ever be played at the bar by his piano man Sam, we see a flourishing of Rick’s character. But a lack of explanation concerning Ilsa and how her decisions were made other than as a diligent wife and lover, are concerning. The men dominate the film in both emotional and political matters, while Ilsa is a sexualized prop for the forward motion of the film. Even the films ending showcases this with Ilsa forced to leave Rick, thus causing her to become a stepping stone in his journey to becoming the hero of the story. Different from Ilsa is Margot Tenenbaum, played brilliantly by Gwenyth Paltrow. The Royal Tenenbaums , led by a rather large cast, concerned the reparative patching together of a family of geniuses due to the efforts of their father, Royal Tenenbaum. Margot is the only daughter of the family, and was adopted at age two, a detail that Royal often noted to others while she was growing up. This leads to her chronically keeping secrets as a force of habit. What makes Margot different from the characters evaluated previously is the fact that while she is a love interest, Margot takes the time to discover herself beyond what others have perceived of her in a sexual way. She in turn alters what the men around her do by making decisions based off of her own feelings. She is the subject of every one of her adopted brother Richie’s painting, but she is the one that ends up deciding that it will be just them who run off to the African Wildlife wing of the public city archives, leading them to fall in love. As is noted in an interesting montage scene where a private investigator reveals what she has been doing in secret for the past decade or so to her adopted

Woolstenhulme 7 brother and husband, a picture of a deeply affected woman is painted. They find that she secretly is a heavy smoker, had a nine-day marriage in Jamaica, escaped from boarding school, and has had numerous affairs, one of which was with one of Richie’s childhood friends Eli Cash. This news greatly affects Richie, as he comes to the realization that she is not the perfect woman he had envisioned her to be. She has a deep effect on the men in her life. This is in stark contrast to Ilsa’s case, where she seemed to be outwardly emotional in her love affairs, but still did not have the same effect that Margot has on the men in her life. Lastly, in a more modern example, we see the relationship between Scottie and Madeleine in Hitchcock’s Vertigo . As we come to the realization that Madeleine, revealed to be Judy Barton acting as a surrogate, never really existed, we see that she was simply acting as the idea of perfection that is built up to, and eventually shattered, in the film. Hitchcock meant to have this as a main theme in his film due to his attachment to leading lady Grace Kelly, who appeared in three of his films, until her marriage and subsequent departure from the film world. Hitchcock’s search for the perfect woman was then fruitless. His settling for Kim Novak, as she is depicted in the film as almost identical to Grace Kelly in stature and profile, was akin to Scottie’s insistence that Judy appear as Madeleine once did before her faked death. This is without Scottie's full knowledge that Madeline was a character played by Judy, but rather solely as a longing for the sensuality exuded by Madeline. This character no doubt served as a sexual stand in for what Madeline, and Grace Kelly, represented: the perfect woman, with her undeniable good looks and mystery. Though through feminist film theory this idealization of perfection can now be seen as illusory and unconducive to the underlying real world problems addressed through feminism. Madeline was only a propellant for the story insofar as Scottie was

Woolstenhulme 8 sexually engrossed. This is a perfectly understandable viewpoint from a male perspective, but sadly incongruous to Judy Barton as a woman with the ability to change solely for herself. As stated with Karen Hollinger’s description, Vertigo is “a work of mainstream Hollywood cinema that feminist critics. . . have seen in divergent ways as a particularly egregious example of Hollywood’s employment of the misogynist male gaze or as a multifaceted work that does not merely utilize the male gaze but interrogates and critiques it.” Although harsh in her review of the feminist approach to Vertigo, she continues by stating that “However one sees Vertigo in terms of its treatment of its female characters, it offers an excellent example of how a single film might be approached from different feminist perspectives” (Hollinger, 2). One the Anderson side of the argument, is the fact that many of his more notable female characters were deeply influenced by his, mother.While his precise directorial style could be contributed to influences by his father, who provided for the family with the running of an advertising and public relations company, his style and plot points were greatly affected by his mother. Texas Anne Burroughs worked in both real estate and archaeology while raising her children. She would become great inspiration for Anderson’s more maternal female characters. In Jennifer Warner’s biographical look at Anderson, she states that “as for the possible influences that Wes Anderson's’ mother may have had on the filmmaker's career, one doesn’t have to look too far to see striking similarities between her background and some of the well-traveled, maternal characters (usually portrayed by Anjelica Huston) that populate most of Anderson’s films, such as The Darjeeling Limited , The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou , and The Royal Tenenbaums . ” (Warner).

Woolstenhulme 9 Much different from the woman in the aforementioned films Patricia Whitman, played by Anjelica Huston, was a mother of grown adults, and was forced to make decisions due to that. As the absentee mother to boys Francis, Peter, and Jack, Patricia is only seen near the end of the The Darjeeling Limited , in few scenes, and with little dialogue. After the death of the boy's father and her husband, Patricia leaves without notice. This leaves the boys to become estranged in their relationships with one another for a year of attempted healing. This leads to Francis’ planning of a group trip in order to find her. Through her actions as a mother and widower, Patricia inadvertently leads the boys to become closer with one another, serving her purpose as a mother and supporting character, while exploring her own abilities of healing on her own. In the first scene she appears in she questions Francis’ bandaged up face, leading to the answer that he purposefully wrecked into the side of mountain on his motorcycle in a suicide attempt. Her reply is seemingly unmaternal, as she states that she’s “sorry to hear about that.” She next states that “there's so many things we don’t know about each other. . .” (The Darjeeling Limited) . This answer leads us to believe that there have been secrets kept in her past for a reason. This is not the stereotypical answer that a mother would give. Later that night she is confronted by the boys concerning her absence at the funeral, and what she is doing at a mountain top convent instead of at home with them. She looks at them quizzically, then looks behind her to what she describes is an imaginary woman. She describes to the boys that “You’re talking to her. You're talking to someone else. You're not talking to me. I don’t know the answers to these questions, and I don’t see myself this way”, referring to their insistence that it would be better for her if she went with them. Stating that she is sorry that they lost their father, she moves on by saying that “there are greater forces at work here.” Patricia is not a feminist character due to the lack of care she gives

Woolstenhulme 10 her boys in their time of need, as she shows that she cares deeply for them with motherly attention. Rather it is the idea that she did her job as a woman by not humoring dependance on her, but rather on each other as siblings. She instead chooses to focus her attention on charity work and religion, exploring her life in a way that is outside of her gender. The feminist movement is important not only for women in general, but for artists who are in search of a deeper truth concerning humanity. As one half of the population, women should be represented as more than one-dimensional (especially in regards to their sexuality) or solely supporting. Wes Anderson became a part of this movement with his representation of women on equal grounds with the male characters of his stories. He is not an outwardly proclaimed feminist, but with his portrayals of original and well rounded female characters throughout his films, he furthered the feminist movement within the cinematic world. With their own singular and genuine voices, Anderson has been successful in creating memorable, poignant women that build or cause the story to change through their own judgements and decisions. This is in palpable comparison to the women in Gone with the Wind , Casablanca , and Vertigo. As has been evidenced, these women of early film were painted sheer in terms of influence, and at times, acting solely as sexual props reserved for the men of the films. In other words they were merely corroborative structures created solely to further the plot through the use of the male perspective. Remarkably enough, Anderson, as he is a male writer and director, uses both the male and female perspectives to further his plots. Anderson’s use of feminine viewpoint is not exceptional, but easily noteworthy seeing as most of his films are focused on male on male bonding, whether that be with fathers and sons, with male siblings, or with young men and father esque figures. From his first debuted foray into both writing and directing with the little known

Woolstenhulme 11 Bottle Rocket  to his most recent, and m...