Thursday, April 14, 2016

"Women don't understand film"

Labelled under: Controversial (perhaps)

The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily the views of the author.

I mentioned on a previous post that women don't do top ten films and music, and that men do (because we're geeky and on the Asperger's spectrum etc etc). I asked a female work colleague what her favourite film was (I also asked her what her favourite album was; she said she didn't know the title of any albums). She said her favourite film was Run all Night, a terrible Liam Neeson action thriller from last year. Another (male) colleague said dryly to her, "You may want to rethink that answer" before uttering the immortal lines: "Women don't understand film".

An outrageous statement perhaps but a quick survey in the office reveals women's favourite films to be mainstream at best, terrible at worst: Child 44 (never heard of it; oh, it's a terrible Russian thriller), Steel Magnolias, Dumb and Dumber, Love Actually (there's a great blog post about Love Actually not actually being about love at all), Pretty Woman and "anything with Russell Crowe".

Recently some women at the office have seen Batman Vs Superman (at the cinema; it's had universal terrible reviews) and 50 Shades of Grey (on DVD; the book was dire; the film is worse). Male colleagues have seen High-Rise, Anomalisa and Victoria.

Here's the thing: the average guy, who wouldn't consider himself a film buff, at least knows a potted history of film: classics such as Citizen Kane, Vertigo and The Godfather; a few foreign films; they would have heard of David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Orson Welles. Most women wouldn't.

Mainly women don't care about film or its history (there are great female film critics – Pauline Kael and Dilys Powell spring to mind); they don't care for directors or cinematographers. It's not on their radar. They like sexy actors and a good story. They'll watch what's on. When they judge their favourite film, it's an emotional response which doesn't take in the history of cinema; usually, it'll be something they've seen last week and thought was great.

Now, I'm not completely pretentious (only a bit) and can enjoy a lighthearted film as much as anyone: recently I was in stitches watching Bridesmaids (so there; it's not even very good but I found it hilarious!). But my favourite films would be more along the lines of L'Atalante, Belle de Jour, Mean Streets, Eraserhead, Touch of Evil, Stalker...

Previously on Barnflakes:
Top 10 film critics
Sex and the City 2 Vs. Greenberg

8 comments :

Caspar said...

Assuming you're still alive, having not yet been butchered to death by a gaggle of Hugh Grant-worshipping female cinéastes, I would like to add my tuppenyworth. With many of us men, even among the few who wouldn't consider themselves authorities on film, a degree of knowledge of the work of film directors is considered cool in the way that an analogous knowledge of artists, novelists, etc, is not. Even a geezer who's big on action movies would probably know a fair bit about Coppola and Scorcese. And I agree that women do seem to want to feel involved in characters and stories. I, on the other hand, often pay little attention to the stories. Some of my favourite films barely have any story to speak of - I love them primarily for their look and feel. I'm thinking here mainly about Kenneth Anger's movies (er, not just for the gay bikers) and Tarkovsky. Also Touch of Evil, which has got a whole lotta story, but which I love for the certain visual spell it has for me. Night Tide works the same way for me. In bald, filmic terms it's a pretty mediocre movie - even Dennis Hopper in the lead role fails to quicken the pulse one iota, but I find it as spellbinding as any film by Cocteau.
So on the whole I'd agree with you - although of course I'm prepared to retract that if at any time we both get flak from folk more right-on than ourselves.

Barnaby said...

Thanks for that Caspar. Still currently alive. I remember how we bonded over our love of gay underground American 1950s-60s cinema. There aren't that many people I can say that about. And we're not into gay bikers I should stress! I'm the same with plot - my favourite films don't seem to have any. I'm a fan of Night Tide too, has a similar dreamy feel as Carnival of Souls. Women can have their hunks and plots.

Anonymous said...

I've got my hunk thanks barnflakes đŸ˜‰ Prrrrrr

Caspar said...

Just as long as it's clear to everyone that we didn't bond, you know, physically...
Real life corroboration of your theory: Shortly after I posted my response here, I went out and bumped into this local couple I know. They told me they were going to the cinema later on to see Eddie the Eagle. She was looking forward to it. He wasn't.

Barnaby said...

Haha, a woman at work was going to see Eddie the Eagle too. She couldn't wait! It's got Hugh Jackman in it too – presumably the hunk factor. God, we're terrible snobs...

Bored said...

You are the WORST snobs. And with some very stereotypical, sexist views.
'Women can have their hunks and their plots.'?
Thankfully Ambiance will get you out of our hair for a while. Go and see the trailer. Go now.

Caspar said...

I dunno - it sounds like a chick flick…

Barnaby said...

Hmm... it's actually an abstract non-linear film featuring two performance artists on a beach in southern Sweden. The trailer is seven hours long. There are no cuts. Sounds great – let's go!