Gender Representations In The Movie 'Central Do Brasil'

Even though the road movie ‘’Central Do Brasil’’ contains a vast amount of gender stereotypical references, the movie manages to counter these traditional narratives in a subtle but critical manner. In the initial scenes of the movie, one is under the impression that the women portrayed in the movie are not of importance to the narrative of the movie. The women who dictate their desperate letters at Dora’s desk at the Central Station of Rio de Janeiro are seen as weak, lost and in desperate need of a man to take care of them. The illiterate men who seek out Dora’s help are often drunks and unfaithful to their wives (Salles 1998). However, these stereotypical gender portrayals pave the way for the critical subversion and revision of these contested images. The fact that Dora, a middle aged and

Dora is undeniably not put forward as a sexual object which is meant to fulfil erotic desires of the male protagonist. Instead, when looking at the way Dora is displayed in the road movie, one would argue the opposite as one see’s a middle-aged women, who does not wear any make up and seems to not attach any value to her appearance (Salles 1998). This becomes clear when at one point Josué says in anger to her that Dora is a liar and so ugly that no one will marry her. He continues by saying that she looks like a man and does not bother to paint here face (Salles 1998). This outburst reinforces the idea that Dora is not confined to a passive role to fulfil male erotic fantasies. This is further shown when Dora flirts with Cesar the truck driver. At one point she leaves the restaurant to freshen up and in trying to make herself more attractive applies borrowed lipstick from a waitress. Her sexual advances result in Cesar abandoning them at the truck stop. Dora is rejected however, picks herself up and takes action to ensure that she and Josue get to the next destination (Salles