women as superheros

The entertainment industry is a man’s world. Without the entertainment industry we could not have contemporary culture as we experience it, or consider aspects of the culture at which we turn a blind eye to, such as a fascination with violence. The turn of the 20^th century casted a new light on the violent film industry, especially in terms of a woman’s role. It is argued that the release of Thelma and Louise in 1991 was a major turning point - the story of two females, portrayed as outlaw heroines, being chased by federal authorities after killing a man. This essentially changed the way women were seen in popular culture. Although distasteful, it points to the notion that if men can wreak bloody havoc, so can the opposite sex.

The view of the female hero continued to change over the past decade, as demonstrated by films such as Sarah Connor in the Terminator, Carrie-Ann Moss in the Matrix, and Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft. Arguably, films such as those previously mentioned, have paved the way for modern day films, which portray women in a different respect. A prime example is the films of Quentin Tarantino. His films stylize and exaggerate moments of violence, while at the same time “unmask the macho myth by making it laughable”.

The concept of femininity in society is seen as a constructed identity, in which a performance is repeated that involves a re-enactment and re-experiencing of a set of meanings that are already socially established. The gendered body is politically regulated and sustained through corporality and other discursive means.

To instill a simple example, it follows that when a baby is born, the statement “It’s a girl!” is a performative utterance.  This initiates a process of “girling”, which is based on imposed differences between men and women. Femininity is not a product of choice, but merely the citation of a norm, regulated by discipline, rule, and punishment. However, because the formation of identity is attributed to culturally mandated practices, the theory of gender performativity offers the possibility of restyling that same body in a non-normative and often rebellious way. Thus, gender can be radically incredible, which is demonstrated through the examples of transvestism, drag cross-dressing, homosexuality, and ultimate deviations from the standard gender roles in society.

Gender constructions of women, and at the same time the gender constructions of men, are ambiguous. This will be accomplished by a thorough analysis of Quentin Tarantino films, the theory of gender performativity, and respected academic works.

There are many ambiguities regarding the female gender. There is a polarization of representations of women within Tarantino’s films. At one extreme is the stereotypical female, adopting feminine characteristics and a sexualized body. The opposite extreme portrays the female-masculinity performance of violence. However, these two extremes often intersect within the same character, allowing to the ambiguity of the female character.

Tarantino creates hyper-sexualized female characters. Although the women are scandalous, at the same time they are often participating in normally exclusive male battles.  There are obvious examples of this dichotomy throughout his films. For instance, in Kill Bill Volume one – the character of GoGo Yubari, plays the role of an assassin, her weapon of choice is a chain mace. She is dressed in a school girl’s uniform, completed with a short kilt.  In Death Proof, the character of Abernathy is portrayed as a sexy, edgy, young woman. At the same time she is a potty-mouth, who, at the end of the movie is essentially the hero. She kills psychopath stuntman/serial killer Mike.  And in From Dusk till Dawn, the character of Santanico Pandemonium plays the role of an exotic dancer at a night club, who later morphs into a vampire and attacks a character played by Tarantino himself.  These are only a few of several examples of the sexualisation of the woman’s body. However, all of these examples point to the fact that these women are not only “attractive” subjects, but they immerse themselves in events that are otherwise labelled as masculine.

It is seen that other people have adopted the misconception that the female subject, the action heroin, are only enacting masculinity. The question is asked: is the tough woman already the male hero, but in drag? This leads to the notion that active and aggressive women in the cinema can only be seen as phallic, unnatural, or “figuratively male”. In direct opposition, it can be argued that when women behave in ways that  are engendered as male it is illogical to think of her as a ‘figurative male’ just because she is enacting a cinematic style of toughness that has been coded as masculine.

The ambiguity of the female character has resulted in the modern action heroine emerging as a fruitful, but difficult character to interpret. The dichotomy between the sexualized female body and the female-masculine performance of violence, has led to the emergence of the Super Woman. The Super Woman successfully acts as men do, and at the same time follows a comic book, fetishistic vision of women, with impossible bodies and a demeanour of sexual domination. In fact, the most profound example of the Super Woman is found within comic books. A large industry trend known as the Bad Girl genre became very popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s, releasing titles such as Lady Death, Witchblade, and Barb Wire. The common theme was to display a scantily dressed babe striking a revealing pose and carrying a weapon, predominately a gun, sword, or whip. The comic books, in themselves, only further exaggerate the notion of ambiguous female character. The hyper-sexualized action heroine blurs the line, and therefore, combines the symbolic manliness of toughness with the most basic symbols of womanliness. If we draw attention back to gender performativity theory, because these characters enact both genders, this ridicules the very notion of a stable gender position.

Tarantino’s Kill Bill features Uma Thurman, or rather Beatrix Kiddo as the ultimate action heroine.  Beatrix Kiddo is a former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination. She is targeted by her former allies in a wedding chapel massacre; and, four years later ventures on a deadly trail of revenge against the perpetrators.

She is an extraordinary dynamic character in popular culture, as she embodies the same qualities as the Super Woman found in comic books. She is both a mother, and a killer. Beatrix is an assassin, who travels the world committing murder. However, when she discovers that she is pregnant her priorities begin to shift, making the protection of her child of utmost importance. Although Beatrix does not meet her daughter until the end of Kill Bill Volume two, she makes sacrifices for her child throughout the film.  When Beatrix kills Bill – her enemy, her lover, and the father of her child, she is protecting and destroying her family all at once. This resembles the ambiguity between the symbolic murderous “male” economy and the “female” mode of domesticity.

Modern action heroines, such as Beatrix, who embody both female and male codes, are able to critique the normative standards of femininity because of this coexistent sexuality. The ambiguity of the Beatrix character destabilizes the concept of gender traits as being mutually exclusive. By being able to incorporate engendered traits into a solitary figure it effectively critiques the very notion of a stable gender identity. The solitary figure is important, as Beatrix is not a stereotype of a culturally defined female, but does not adopt the attributes of the opposite, heterosexual male identity.

In her role, Uma Thurman is able to move above gender segregation. To refuse to be a woman does not mean that one has to become a man. She discards the gender trap that culture has provided for men and women. By asserting that the body assumes its sex in the socially mandated practices of everyday life, the theory of gender performatvitiy allows an individual to re-innovate itself. Beatrix can fully realize her identity as a woman without assuming a feminine role defined by the culture. “Mommy is a bride with a Hanzo sword”.

It is also important to look at the male subject in Quentin Tarantino films. The male gender construct is ambiguous and thus vulnerable; the films offer two male identity choices: one is part of the masculine code, and the other is outside of it. In one way, Tarantino says look – these are the characteristics that construct the male gender. In doing so, he often exaggerates the social norms, depicting the male subject as a “Super Man”. This is particularly seen in the films Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Male violence counts as “action”, and it is what counts in such Tarantino films as “real”.

Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino’s debut, connects an independent American crime film with gangsterism. The plot follows the events before and after a botched diamond heist. It blends masculinity and violence; they are one and the same. For example, a gang member Mr. Blonde severs police officer Marvin’s ear with a straight razor, dousing him in gasoline, while ironically dancing to “Stuck in the Middle with you”.  In accordance, it is apparent that the film is desperate to preserve screen violence as a white male privilege, to be the oppressor, not the oppressed (homosexual or female). In doing so, it’s described as an insular film – in which women get no more than 30 seconds of screen time. The female is merely portrayed as a sexualized subject, coming into focus only during conversations amongst the male figures – such as the castration threat of “phallic” women like Madonna.

The film Pulp Fiction is an ultimate crime drama, in which a variety of stories come to intersect.  In many ways the film deconstructs the code of masculinity; however, Tarantino still incorporates macho images and rhetoric – allowing for the traditional male hero to exist. The ultimate example is the character Butch Coolidge, played by Bruce Willis, the tough independent all American boxer.  After overcoming the hardships throughout the film, Butch is able to peel away with his girlfriend on a stolen motorcycle after he slaughters two homosexual criminals. In stark contrast, is Butch’s girlfriend Fabienne, who is the stereotypical feminine character. She is portrayed as simple minded, only speaking about blueberry pancakes and children. This serves to exaggerate Butch’s masculine qualities even more so.

Both of these films are described as returning to what was repressed in the film version of 1970’s masculinity – a paranoid, homophobic fear of the other that explodes in kicks and blows, and in blades and bullets.

Without question, the fundamentals of the true hero or the true man are portrayed as valid in modern times, however they are constantly contested. The male heterosexual identity is portrayed as being under attack and endangered. Tarantino, especially in Pulp Fiction, displays the vulnerability of the male subject – emphasizing the femininities adopted by each character. It follows the notion of crisis of masculinity.

To explain the vulnerability of the male subject, it is worthy to begin with the title “Pulp Fiction” itself. “Pulp” is defined as a “soft, moist, shapeless mass of matter” often reminding one of poo. “When it comes to shitting, even the toughest guys become susceptible dangers”. For example, Vincent Vegas a hit man, played by John Travolta, is blown to pieces by Butch while sitting on the toilet reading an action novel. It is seen that the dangers of shitting are correlated with a paranoid fear of the anus. Although it may seem like a radical notion, it is often argued that this so-called paranoia of the anus is a symbol for the contestedness of modern masculinity.

A simplistic explanation draws attention to the physical action of a male sitting down on the toilet, and how this is realigned with the biologically female subject. A second explanation focuses on homosexuality. Marsellus Wallace, the boss of a mob, is said to have thrown a guy off a four-story balcony for touching his wife’s feet.  However, Tarantino disparages this ultimate masculine role, by subjecting Mr.Wallace to a man’s paranoia with the anus. Mr. Wallace is a victim of homosexual rape, revealing the vulnerability of the male heterosexual identity. Pulp Fiction was released in 1994, a time when the acceptance of homosexuality was at a minimum, and was seen as going against the culturally mandated practices.

Another way in which the vulnerability of the male subject is portrayed is through the male sexualized body. Tarantino highlights Hollywood’s mode of framing the bodies of actors to be looked at. He displays men and women in ways that cultural codes dictated by the audience consider being feminine. The spectacle of the male body, as opposed to the heterosexual focus on female bodies, is profound in Tarantino’s film Pulp Fiction. Male characters are objects of the gaze, which are especially apparent in scenes where social norms say women should be.

One prime example is the scene in the taxi. After Butch’s fight, he jumps into the cab, half naked, sweating, and ripping his boxing gloves off. The camera focuses on Bruce Willis’ hard, boxer’s body, while only showing the female cab driver in the review mirror.  Another example is at the motel scene. Butch’s girlfriend, Fabienne, is displayed in the foreground wearing a terrycloth bath robe. In contrast, in the background Butch is having a shower, and the audience can see the outline of his naked body through the smoky glass door.  Butch’s body is highly erotized, at a point that would usually follow the cinematic cliché of a woman silhouetted in the shower. Tarantino is re-gendering this social norm in his own way.

In society when the male gender is subjected to vulnerabilities there are often repercussions. A modern day example is the 1993 United States policy called “Don’t ask, Don’t tell”. The policy holds that presence in the armed forces of people who demonstrate an intention to engage in same-sex acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order, and discipline which are the essence of military capability.

This follows the notion that only the heterosexual male has the ability to fulfill the role of a warrior. The military is an institution which is defined by norms. It would go against the very grain of the Armed Forces to advertise an acceptance of the homosexual. The homosexual is often seen as a threat to masculinity. This notion is especially profound when put in the context of the military – a guerrilla warfare organization. According to the social norm, homosexuals, like the female counterpart, do not belong on the battlefield. This is placed as an example of the detrimental effects that can be caused by the ambiguity of the gender. It reflects a real pattern in western thought: the hierarchy between dominant heterosexual masculinity and its deviant other, which is produced by mandated gender norms.

Simone de Beauvour states that “one is not born, but becomes a woman. No biological, psychological, or economic fate determines the figure that the human female presents in society: it is civilization as a whole that produces this creature”. In many ways, one would agree that for any girl to emerge at the end of adolescence as masculine women is quite amazing. This is because an indifference to female masculinity has ideological motivation, sustaining the social structure that weds masculinity to power. The maintained traditional male and traditional female is demonstrated in Tarantino’s films through the character of Butch in Pulp Fiction and the sexualized female body, as previously discussed.

However, it is possible to restyle the engendered body in a non-normative way. In Tarantino’s films this is especially apparent – the refusal of the traditional woman through the character of Beatrix Kiddo. As such, there arises a symbolic battle between the construction and deconstruction of masculinity; Tarantino film’s such as Pulp Fiction, subject the male characters to vulnerabilities.

There is  an ambiguity of gender. Quentino Tarantino casts a light on the performance of manufactured gender actions, enabling an emergence of the socially established male or female. On the other hand, he re-innovates gender, creating an ambiguity among his characters. This legacy continues, even in his most recent film Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained.