Feminist Films of the mid-1980s or experimental feminism hidden in each movie context - debates around the contrasts - Budapest / 2024.01.30. 🗣️🎞️

2 topics. Same release year. Different approach.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

1984

Red Dawn

1984

Interesting is, that 1st takes viewers back in time showing a typical damsel in distress*.
As it would have been in the 30s / 40s all-over the back-in-the-day "media".
The character refutes expectations. Becoming part of the more physical dialogue of violence.

2nd takes us from the mid-1980s to a not too distant parallel universe future.
In this reality, although released as a depiction of fiction in the same year as Indi2,
female characters are head-strong and independent and have to turn into warriors,
stating as teenage girls hiding in a basement. 

The debate is based on the comparison of the 2 lead female characters.
Both exposed to danger and war. Both escaping. Both are survivers in the end.
So the question is : : how do they react to certain situations during their quest to regain their freedom??

Character_1: uses her body for charm, feels rightfully uncomfortable being exposed to violence outside the show-biz environment, the bubble.
Finding comfort in leaning on the male protagonist taking the blows, boxing their way out she is engaging only stepwise.

Character_2.: is forced by circumstances to grab arms against oppression and violence (possible rape) and becomes a killing machine.
She is able to pull through. Male counterparts / allies are destroyed in the long lasting fight. Only 2 members of the resistance escape.

Character_1: Willie Scott

Character_2: Erica

Actress_1: Kate Capshaw / American actress and painter

Actress_2: Lea Thompson / American actress and singer

*The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. Kinship, love, lust or a combination of those motivate the male protagonist to initiate the narrative.- Wikipédia

demoiselle en détresse: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-damsel-in-distress-definition/

Debate will take place in one of the Budapest fine arts pubs highlighted previously on the movie club forum. Start: 19:00ish.