The Bechdel Test In The Jurassic World

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Recommended: Gender equality in the films industry

Most people know the basic concept of the Bechdel Test, if not by name. Having more than one developed female character whose arc does not rely on a male character is indeed a great thing to strive for in cinema. However, no matter how good it is in principle, there are flaws in the Bechdel Test itself; just because a movie passes does not give it a feminist thumbs up. Just the same, a movie that does not pass the test is by no means automatically a bad or misogynistic movie. Many say that 2015 was a good year in cinema. Star Wars: The Force Awakens broke plenty of records in the box office, and fans were immensely pleased with the female lead character not distracted by a petty romantic interest. Other recognized movies that came out …show more content…

Having seen both of these movies, I want to point out why passing the Bechdel Test alone does not make a female lead more “badass” or more of a strong feminist icon. Jurassic World definitely did well in the box office on its release week of June 12, 2015. The fourth installment of the Jurassic Park series takes place on an unpopulated island off the coast of Costa Rica. This installment is a resort including room and dining, as well as rides and exhibits aimed at all age groups. This movie switches things up a bit by introducing a species that they created with stem cell research. This new creature resides on the restricted side of the island while scientists continue to do research on this new species, the Indominus Rex, before opening it up to the public. Bryce Dallas Howard plays the parks operations manager, Claire. The typical Jurassic Park story includes Claire treating her nephews to an all-inclusive visit to the park. Chris Pratt plays a navy veteran, Owen, who has specialized in training velociraptors for shows at the park. As in most Jurassic Park movies, nothing goes as planned pretty early in the movie. Jurassic World technically passes the test because there are at least two named female characters (Claire and her sister Karen) who speak with each other about something other than another male character. However, the idea of it being a movie that is not sexist stops right about …show more content…

Jurassic World passing the Bechdel Test does not mean that it is immune to sexism and objectification by gender. Passing the test does not automatically make Claire as much of a feminist icon as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. This goes for Ex Machina in the same sense. Yes, Ex Machina fails the Bechdel Test, but that does not mean that the female character is automatically dependent on and revolving around her male characters. Failing the test does not mean that Ava is a weak, underdeveloped character with no importance to the story. In Ex Machina, the movie would be weaker without Ava than without her supporting male characters. Women should not have to pass a test to be recognized as what they are. Women can be weak underdeveloped characters, or strong mind-breaking characters regardless of the male characters with whom they

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