How has the representation of women changed in movies?

1920s
This period bought in change in the social reform of women in the United States. Women were legislated the right to vote due to the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution. This led to women’s suffrage movement helping women to escape from the out dated way of living. These changes didn’t only give women new rights but it also gave a new sense of freedom. During this time in the media women’s new role was portrayed in movies particularly by a new industry called motion pictures. “The motion picture industry not only depicted what as going on in the lives of women at the time; it also trained women in new fashions and social roles that were being promoted at the time” (Women, Film and the 1920s).

"Movies during the 1920s depicted what a new “modern” woman should be and served as an instructional manual for young women of the time” (Women, Film and the 1920s). Young women of the 1920s looked, dressed, and acted different than their conservative Victorian mothers after viewing popular movie stars of their era (Women, Film and the 1920s). Women began to move away from classic long hair and conservatively dressed appearance. Short “bobs” became a popular hairstyle with women along with wearing make up to appear more attractive (Women, Film and the 1920s). Women began to dress more revealing by shortening their skirts and dresses. One actress, Gloria Swanson, was a strong influence on this fashion change. She appears in several movies wearing a skirt cut just above the knee, a look that she helped make popular during this period. Movie stars, like Swanson, became the idols of many women, causing them to copy their style.
Along with Gloria Swanson, actresses such as Clara Bow, also had short hair and wore heavy make up. “Women now sought to use cosmetics to recreate the faces of the celebrities of the films”(Women, Film and the 1920s). Because movies were so popular amongst women in the 1920s, they were the ones being directly targeted. “A Photoplay article in 1924 suggests that 75 percent of the audiences were women, and in 1927 Moving Pictures World stated that 83 percent of the audiences were women” (Studlar). The movies portrayed these women as glamorous beauties with newly formed fashions and lifestyles. The photos of the two actresses give off the idea that these women are independent, attractive, and stylish.

Women in the movies of the 1920s demonstrated how a modern woman should behave. Women in the movies were seen as progressive individuals with far more independence. This behaviour impacted women of the 1920s, and they wanted to be like their favourite movie stars. This was true even before talking films were made. For example, the movies depicted new freedoms for women such as drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes in public, dancing more provocatively, and going into the workforce (Women, Film and the 1920s). These new carefree women were often refereed to as “Flappers.” You would find images of Flappers in the silent films of the 1920s. Notice the woman has shorter hair and a shorter dress for this period. We can see from the images seen in movies from the 1920s that the Flappers were smoking and drinking in public to prove that they no longer had to be proper; they were challenging traditional moral standards, just like the movie stars. New dances were also invented to better suit the progressive women. Women in the movies performed these dances, such as the Charleston, and the women viewers quickly jumped on board. Women in the 1920s were also portrayed in movies as moving into the workforce. Actresses were seen playing roles such as secretaries, sales clerks, and typists. “The American Film Institute Catalog lists 49 sale clerks, 28 stenographers, and no less than 114 secretaries who appeared on the screen between 1921 and 1930. These films tended to glorify these professions…” (Women, Film and the 1920s). Women who saw these movies were influenced; they found new confidence to seek careers of their own and gained financial independence. The movie, "Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl" (1926), demonstrated just this. In the movie the woman worked her way up from having a factory job, to being a telephone operator, to becoming a model and lastly become a fashion designer. From a historical perspective this was a positive influence of movies in the 1920s because they encouraged women to become independent and successful for themselves. This era of movies was one that brought women into a new light, portraying them as independent, unique individuals, and inspiring them to become more independent and glamorous.

1940s
This era brought a closing to World War II. Men were returning home to their wives, and starting families. “After four years of wartime instability, both women and men seemed to want to return to a patriarchal order, with women in the home” (Banner 137). During the 40’s and 50’s, women stayed at home with the family while men in most cases were the wage earners. This stereotypical image was also presented by the media, in particular the movies. “The women who were featured were limited to family roles. Women were shown doing housework and men were the beneficiaries of their work. On the other hand, men were employed, had careers, and were doing something outside the home” (Stupor). For example, the movie "Picnic" made in 1956 involves a schoolteacher who is desperate for marriage so that she can feel secure with a man. The female in the film is portrayed as weak because it is implied that she is not capable of being independent and needs a man to allow her to feel secure with herself. Many women of that time felt just like the woman in the film. The media and movie influence was that marriage should be a priority, and that caring for the family came along with the marriage.

1950s
“Many have claimed that pictures in the 1950s reaffirmed male dominance and female subservience, that women's roles were confined to sex role stereotypes of pretty, amusing or child-like” (Rose). Male dominance in movies reinforced male dominance in real life. For example, in the movie, "The African Queen", a woman missionary, played by Katherine Hepburn, in Africa during WWI is force to leave her base after her village is destroyed. She runs into a male Canadian supplier, played by Humphrey Bogart, who offers to guide her to civilization, but she wants to travel down the river to sink a German cruiser instead (Reel Classics). The male is the dominant character, and refuses to let her go through with such a dangerous procedure. This movie sends the message that women should not be independent, should not lead, and cannot be successful without the help of a man.
As you can see, there is obvious danger in the background while the man is rescuing the beautiful woman. This example of male dominance was common in the movies and imitated by society during this era. As a result, women during this time were mainly housewives and lacked motivation to go into the workforce. The media, especially movies, reinforced the message to women that they should be highly dependent on the male. During this era, it seems that the depiction of women in the movies slowed the pace of progress and returned them to a more conservative role.




Present
In the era we live in today with the increasing popularity of movies and availability of movies at home, the way that women are portrayed in the media and movies continue to have a significant impact on roles, fashion, and behavior. Women today are generally portrayed in a variety of roles ranging from “sex objects” to dominators, often in the same movie. Additionally, women today are being portrayed as serious professional women. For example, in the movie "Tomb Raider", Angelina Jolie is on a mission to retrieve an ancient metallic triangle that found in a tomb chamber, the typical action movie. However, the plot synopsis, when describing Jolie’s character, says otherwise.

“She is everything you could wish her to be – cool, but oh so hot and totally in control, ready to save the universe. Her soft whimsical sighs reinforce her femininity and vulnerability. She is her own woman: sexy, confident, a dare devil and a tomboy but still a lady, in essence as well as name. And Angelina Jolie embodies the cartoon-like character with curvaceous abandon and extraordinary grace, athleticism, style and charisma. She is fabulous to watch – sexy, sassy and without question, all woman” (IMDb).
The media is unveiling the message to the viewers that the woman in this movie is sexually appealing, and therefore will get more viewers. Women, who see the movie or read the synopsis, get the impression that they must be “sexy” and “feminine” regardless of any circumstance.
In opposition of this claim, in our era there are also movies that show women as real people, not sex objects. For example, in the movie "The Silence of the Lambs", the main female character, Clarice Starling, is portrayed very differently from the Angelina Jolie’s character in "Tomb Raider." “She is intelligent, independent, career-oriented, and has an engaging personality. Furthermore, the film lacks a conventional romantic subplot even though it establishes the expectation of one when Starling is assigned to work with an older male agent” (229). In the movie, she rejects any male passes, wears conservative apparel, and is very successful in her career. A movie such as this one sends women the message that it is acceptable to be a serious professional focused on your work without having to be glamorous or sexy to achieve their goals.
One issue with today’s movies is the increasing pressure on women to be thin, because most female movie stars appear that way. It is very rare that we see women in the movies appear as “normal size.” This may be why the majority of women who compare themselves to the thin movie stars they see in the movies are not happy with their body image. Actresses such as Jennifer Aniston and Mischa Barton are prime examples. Because of this, eating disorders have become common in young women today. “Research suggests that about one percent (1%) of female adolescents have anorexia. That means that about one out of every one hundred young women between ten and twenty are starving themselves, sometimes to death” (ANRED). This has in my opinion had an extremely negative impact on young women of today. Movies in the present era have shown women to be both progressive and independent, yet still in a sense, inferior to men.