Feminism

I read this really interesting article today on overthinkit.com about the way Christopher Nolan treats the femal supporting characters in his films. The author was having a hard time deciding if Nolan was being sexist or not  by killing off a female character in almost every one of his films in order to drive the main (male) character into action. The author states:

• Memento: A man with amnesia is obsessed with finding the killer of his beautiful wife.
• Insomnia: A detective plays a cat and mouse game with the killer of a beautiful young girl.
• The Prestige: A magician engages in a bitter rivalry with a former friend he blames for the death of his beautiful young wife.
• The Dark Knight: The lives of a masked vigilante and a district attorney are shattered when the woman they both love is killed.
• Inception: A dream thief struggles with the crushing guilt of his wife’s suicide.
• And here’s a bonus: Nolan’s first feature, Following, apparently features a beautiful dead girl as a final twist.

The one movie that doesn’t fit the pattern is Batman Begins. But of course, the love interest dies in the sequel. And there is a dead mom to tide us over.

I thought he brought up a really interesting point. Now, I wouldn't exactly call myself a feminist, I don't advocate for women's rights or anything like that, but I do believe that as a woman I deserve equal treatment (except in a case of like handy work or heavy lifting in which case I am more than happy to let a man step in). I've noticed that in movies when a man gives something life changing up to be with a woman, that's romantic, but when a woman gives something life changing up to be with a man, she's being "anti-feminist." Well, why can't she be romantic?

As for the article, I think that the reason women are so often killed off to drive the male character is because it's romantic and if it were the other way around it would be anti-feminist. Personally, I think that's really stupid, but that's how America and the film industry view life. So while most people say we've come so far in regards to the feminist movement, I disagree, I think we've just changed what it looks like.