Anna Torv, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Elizabeth Mitchell |
E-mail
Print
It's easy to miss the difference between women who kick ass and women-like characters who kick ass. Telling them apart can be tricky. The latter are more two-dimensional, and though they seem to operate by their own rules it's still imperative that they look great in garters and a gun magazine. Luckily, a panel at Comic-Con was dedicated to to the other kind of heroine. The panel "Women Who Kick Ass: A New Generation of Heroines," featured actresses Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong, Jena Malone, Anna Torv and Elizabeth Mitchell, who gave their thoughts on what makes a strong female protagonist.
A lot of the discussion focused on actual physicality of being a woman who kicks ass on screen. Wong is training in Taekwondo. Torv can run through the woods and fight with all the fire of a UFC athlete. Malone can now dead-lift 300 pounds and re-load a magazine clip while dangling upside-down. She can also conduct a high-speed car chase in high heels. But probably the most exciting thing about these women is that they don't need the heels to convey femininity.
Take Torv's character on "Fringe," special agent Olivia Dunham. Generally, she sticks to an asexual suit and a no-frills ponytail. Some would argue that wearing the suit is Olivia's attempt to fit in a man's position, but Torv disagrees.
"I think of it as the uniform of her position," says Torv during the panel. "She has a job, and she dresses appropriately."
Torv received a few loaded questions from the audience regarding the tension between her character and the largely male cast, but Torv doesn't see gender as an issue at all.
"I always thought about Olivia as being the man, going around and doing the tough stuff," Torv says, "The boys were the ones sitting around chatting in the kitchen."
Likewise, Malone likewise hasn't experienced the gender divide other working actresses have. Her first two films were directed by women, which she credits as the source of her confidence and unwillingness to play a hyper-sexualized stereotype.
"I've never really been into being an apple and trying to sell them an orange," Malone says.
Judging by the projects coming up, the new generation of action heroines might be headed in the right direction. Malone will star in an all-female ensemble cast in the upcoming "Sucker Punch," Wong and Winstead will play rivals in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," and Mitchell's role in "V" will become increasingly important as a dedicated mother and the main protagonist against another female actress, Morena Baccarin.
But there are still some concerns. The two female leads in "Scott Pilgrim" don't seem to be much to emulate. Wong's Knives Chau spent her time chasing an uninterested boy around in the original comic book and Winstead originally has no power over her own love life and relies on her new boyfriend for liberation. (In the comic book that turns out not to be the case later on, so here's hoping Hollywood won't screw it up). Corsets, garters and even a manga-like mini sailor uniform adorn the actresses in the promotional posters for "Sucker Punch," along with nicknames like "Babydoll," "Sweet Pea" and "Blondie." Where's Beatrix Kiddo's Bruce Lee-inspired track suit when you need it?
A lot of the discussion focused on actual physicality of being a woman who kicks ass on screen. Wong is training in Taekwondo. Torv can run through the woods and fight with all the fire of a UFC athlete. Malone can now dead-lift 300 pounds and re-load a magazine clip while dangling upside-down. She can also conduct a high-speed car chase in high heels. But probably the most exciting thing about these women is that they don't need the heels to convey femininity.
Take Torv's character on "Fringe," special agent Olivia Dunham. Generally, she sticks to an asexual suit and a no-frills ponytail. Some would argue that wearing the suit is Olivia's attempt to fit in a man's position, but Torv disagrees.
"I think of it as the uniform of her position," says Torv during the panel. "She has a job, and she dresses appropriately."
Torv received a few loaded questions from the audience regarding the tension between her character and the largely male cast, but Torv doesn't see gender as an issue at all.
"I always thought about Olivia as being the man, going around and doing the tough stuff," Torv says, "The boys were the ones sitting around chatting in the kitchen."
Likewise, Malone likewise hasn't experienced the gender divide other working actresses have. Her first two films were directed by women, which she credits as the source of her confidence and unwillingness to play a hyper-sexualized stereotype.
"I've never really been into being an apple and trying to sell them an orange," Malone says.
Judging by the projects coming up, the new generation of action heroines might be headed in the right direction. Malone will star in an all-female ensemble cast in the upcoming "Sucker Punch," Wong and Winstead will play rivals in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," and Mitchell's role in "V" will become increasingly important as a dedicated mother and the main protagonist against another female actress, Morena Baccarin.
But there are still some concerns. The two female leads in "Scott Pilgrim" don't seem to be much to emulate. Wong's Knives Chau spent her time chasing an uninterested boy around in the original comic book and Winstead originally has no power over her own love life and relies on her new boyfriend for liberation. (In the comic book that turns out not to be the case later on, so here's hoping Hollywood won't screw it up). Corsets, garters and even a manga-like mini sailor uniform adorn the actresses in the promotional posters for "Sucker Punch," along with nicknames like "Babydoll," "Sweet Pea" and "Blondie." Where's Beatrix Kiddo's Bruce Lee-inspired track suit when you need it?
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon