MovieChat Forums > The Core (2003) Discussion > The all-knowing Woman

The all-knowing Woman

posted 13 years ago by tim411
12 replies | jump to latest

There's this tendency in movies to make the female lead (or women in general) to be this Jack of all trades and Master of all as well.

Swank in The Core is the best example.
Not only is she constantly receiving the highest accolades for her own work... well by gosh she is also the most knowledgeable and able to do everyone else's work.
Her innocent futzing around with Eckhart's visual system made it even better than he was able to. She constantly corrects the ship's captain, where his foolish moves would have been sure death for all involved, but amazingly enough she was the youngest person ever in space.

it's groan inducing because the agenda is so obvious. Yeah we get it... women are amazing. Don't dare trifle with one!! A quirky smile and a brain that can solve all of the world's ills.

[–] stazza 13 years ago

I agree it is a pitfall of recent movies.

Bring out a MALE HERO once in a while. Sometimes even the male lead hero has a woman backing him and helping bail him out.

Just let the guys kick some total butt on their own once in a while and be a shining example for all the spineless emo baby boys of the modern generation.

[–] mrs_shakespeare 12 years ago

Really?! There are several heroes in this movie and you guys are threatened because one of them happens to be a woman? There is something seriously wrong with your thinking. "Bring out a MALE HERO once in a while"? Seriously?!

[–] mefus2000 12 years ago

What a load of bees wax!
The role she plays is of an ambitious up and comer who has earned where she is by hard work and smarts. This would be common if the second in command where a man just as much. Yes, she has a bit of an attitude, but it comes with the territory being quasi military. Don't be blinded by your prejudice regarding women's roles in society or movies for that matter. In a male dominated world, women have to work harder to get what they want in traditionally male fields. It's just a matter of fact...

[–] Tyler-A-Arse 12 years ago

OP,
It's a little bit weak of you to have that attitude. What about the movies that have men in the exact role you mentioned. Do you see it differently then?

[–] timlin-4 12 years ago

Swank's role was particularly forced. The earnest "character arc" would have worked as well if they recruited a 10-year-old video-game prodigy as pilot (though that kiss would have been awkward).

How silly are you girls that you see nothing wrong with the "special" role here? Ripley was on screen 25 years earlier!

[–] LordManhammer 9 years ago

Why are you assuming that your critics are "girls"? And why use the word "silly" to describe any woman who disagrees with your analysis?

__ __ __
Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"--Pres. Merkin Muffley

[–] svenrufus 9 years ago

Indeed.

I'm not a girl (I might be silly though - I'll leave that for others to judge) but the OP and several respondents are certainly numbskulls to slate a female filling that description in films from time to time when pretty much every movie I grew up on (and now) had men in exactly the same role. Even still, the vast majority of screen dominance is given to men, despite some fantastic women actors. the lack of strong female characters is a blight on the industry. The fact that those who do get the top roles get paid less than their male counterparts is not just wrong ad unjust, it is explicitly indicative of the nature of the problem.

As with race, the movie industry marginalises women, and goes for most of it's heroes in the mould of the... white male movie execs that finance things. Too lazy, so outdated, so predictable. As predictable as the bleating of white men who feel vulnerable to any percieved challenge to their institutionalised advantage.

I speak as a white male...

[–] dolores_medina 12 years ago

* sings* " I am woman hear me roar...in numbers too big to ignore!"

or as a forgotten commercial once put it....

" I can bring home the bacon.....fry it up in a pan.... and never let you forget you're my man!!! cause I'm a Woman!!!!! Enjoli!"

[–] darkness_surroundz 9 years ago

where is the vomitorium?

[–] porfle 8 years ago

Don't forget, she was also the only person who knew how to tie a man's tie.

[–] oregonziggy 8 years ago

Have to say I agree. She could land a space shuttle better than a seasoned pilot. Line up navigation in a few seconds better than the guy who invented it.

I am all for strong female characters but this movie did go over the top a bit.

LOL right the tie.

[–] TheCaliforniaOp (78) 2 years ago

Well, you know what Kipling said.