When I was a little girl, I was greatly upset that all the guys in books and movies always got to go on adventures and have all the fun in the world, while most female characters got to be their sidekicks at best, but more often than not were there just to be saved from whatever peril the author had invented. That’s why I was so happy when I discovered Pippi Longstocking, the first of the female protagonists I would grow to absolutely adore.
Modern cinema is doing a pretty great job of creating heroine movies. Even in superhero franchises, where females would only appear as a part of a team, they began getting their own standalone movies. Admittedly, every now and then female characters in movies feel unrealistic or have the women in the audience saying “What?”, and that’s because they were created from a man’s perspective. But more and more frequently, we get to see a well-developed, substantial character who acts and talks like a real human and not a desperate attempt to pass the Bechdel test.
Creating a female character requires as much effort as creating any other character, human or otherwise. You must develop a compelling backstory, give your character a relatable motivation – and honestly, we don’t speak about men and makeup as often as some writers seem to think.
In your opinion, which female characters failed the art of screenwriting? Which are your favorites and what do you like the most about them?
#1 Alien
Alien
Director: Ridley Scott | 1h 57 min | 1979
Remember the classic one-liner, “This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo…signing off”? Not only was she a high-ranking officer (which was probably not so easy to achieve for a woman in the 1970s), but Ellen Ripley didn’t think twice about confronting a hostile species to protect her team and herself, while every other crew member kept making one dumb decision after another. Had they listened to her from the start when she demanded quarantine for the returning crew members, she probably wouldn’t have had to be the last survivor. Alien gained so much popularity that later a whole franchise was born out of it.
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#2 Spirited Away
Spirited Away
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | 2h 5min | 2001
Even if you haven’t seen a single anime in your life, chances are you have seen this feature-length animation by the legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki. Basing the lead character on his friend’s 10-year-old daughter, Miyazaki created a beautiful story of a girl who has to rescue her parents from the hold of the spirit world and stay brave even when things seem absolutely hopeless. Spirited Away was an incredible success worldwide and won most awards it was nominated for.
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#3 Princess Mononoke
Princess Mononoke
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | 2h 17 min | 1997
Even though many believe that Mononoke was her name, the female lead of this masterpiece by Miyazaki is called San. In Japanese, the word “mononoke” is used for supernatural, shapeshifting beings that possess people. Although Princess Mononoke is a fantasy story, it is set in the real historical period of Muromachi. San, a human child, was raised by wolves and hates humankind for the damage they bring to the forests. The theme of the environment and how humans can choose to either protect or destroy it carries a strong underlying message throughout the film.
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#4 Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Kill Bill: Vol.1
Director: Quentin Tarantino | 1h 51min | 2003
If you were to name the most dangerous female action stars, the Bride would definitely be in one of the top positions on that list. In her iconic yellow tracksuit with a sword in her hand, she became a personification of strength and perseverance, showing every woman in the world that no matter how hard others might try to finish you, you can turn the tables and be the one who dictates the terms.
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#5 Amélie
Amélie
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet | 2h 2min | 2001
Whimsical, free-spirited, letting her imagination run wild, enjoying small things like dipping her hands in a grain sack – this is Amélie, a Parisian girl who decides to do things that bring happiness to others. She might not be particularly strong physically or be doing heroic things, yet she is very brave and definitely is someone to look up to because it takes a very strong person to bring happiness to others as well as to allow yourself to be happy.
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#6 All About Eve
All About Eve
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | 2h 18min | 1950
What’s better than a movie with a strong female character? A movie with two strong female characters! The creators of All About Eve definitely were thinking along the same lines when they gave us Margo Channing and Eve Harrington. Admittedly, at least one of these women is not the usual ‘heroic’ type you would like to be your role model, but that only reflects the reality of life. The final message of the film shows that what goes around comes around.
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#7 Room
Room
Director: Lenny Abrahamson | 1h 58 min | 2015
Some people are born to be heroes, but for others, courage comes from a place of necessity. In the case of Joy Newsome, it’s the necessity to protect her child. They both live in captivity, controlled by the man who abducted Joy five years earlier. But when the relative safety they have starts vanishing, Joy summons her courage to escape the place. She briefly loses courage after coming in contact with the outer world but soon comes around and starts adjusting to life together with her son. Room was considered to be one of the best movies of the year and won multiple awards.
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#8 The Help
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#9 Million Dollar Baby
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#10 The Passion Of Joan Of Arc
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer | 1h 54min | 1928
It must be very difficult to portray a protagonist based on one of the iconic female characters in history, don’t you think? The figure of Joan of Arc has always caused admiration and controversy, and the portrayal of her trial in a 1928 silent movie was no exception. It is largely considered to be a landmark of cinema and is usually praised for the direction, production, and performance of the lead actress. However, due to some objections from the authorities, a censored version of The Passion of Joan of Arc was initially released, with the full director’s cut only found and re-released in 1981.
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#11 Gone Girl
Gone Girl
Director: David Fincher | 2h 24min | 2014
Gone Girl is another example of how a strong protagonist is not necessarily a positive, exemplary heroine. Let’s just say there are no role models among the characters of this film. Amy Dunne and her husband Nick keep betraying and framing each other in ways most sane people would find unspeakable. Director David Fincher explores the topics of gender, the media, and interpersonal manipulation in this 2014 venture based on the book of the same name.
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#12 The Exorcist
The Exorcist
Director: William Friedkin | 2h 2min | 1973
Can you imagine playing the protagonist for a horror film that is considered one of the most terrifying works of its genre even half a century after it was released? And you’re not even a seasoned actress, but a 12-year-old girl. Linda Blair won the role in The Exorcist after many young and more famous actresses were rejected or couldn’t commit to the role. Even though the filmmakers did replace her with a much older actress for the most disturbing and psychologically heavy scenes, as the girl possessed by a demon, Blair definitely did an unforgettable job.
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#13 The Sound Of Music
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#14 The Wizard Of Oz
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#15 Kill Bill: Vol. 2
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#16 Fried Green Tomatoes
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#17 Persona
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#18 Thelma & Louise
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#19 Three Colors: Red
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#20 Black Swan
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#21 Kiki’s Delivery Service
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#22 Nights Of Cabiria
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#23 Erin Brockovich
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#24 The Color Purple
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#25 Carrie
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#26 Driving Miss Daisy
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#27 Brave
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#28 Moonstruck
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#29 The Devil Wears Prada
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#30 Mystic Pizza
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#31 Dancer In The Dark
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#32 Our Little Sister
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#33 Boys Don’t Cry
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#34 Steel Magnolias
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#35 Run Lola Run
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#36 Heathers
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#37 My Fair Lady
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#38 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
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#39 The Birds
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#40 Juno
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#41 Pretty Woman
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#42 9 To 5
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#43 My Girl
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#44 Rosemary’s Baby
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#45 Sybil
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#46 Breakfast At Tiffany’s
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#47 The Hunger Games
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#48 Panic Room
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#49 Frozen
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#50 The Bride Of Frankenstein
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