A nincompoop, hysterical, fatal, authoritarian… In the cinema, women are very often portrayed in a unified and caricatural light, far removed from the complexity that characterises them. While this tendency is widespread, some filmmakers have managed to capture this complexity in masterpieces where women are in the limelight.
They are French, Spanish and Italian, talented filmmakers who have used their sensitivity to give depth to their female characters. They explore their struggles, their emotions and their triumphs with brio, while respecting the representation of women.
François Truffaut
One of the great French filmmakers of the second half of the twentieth century, François Truffaut accurately portrayed the emotional richness and psychological complexity of his female characters. In so doing, he contributed to a more nuanced and empathetic portrayal of women in cinema.
His most notable film in this respect is Jules and Jim (1962), which tells the story of a love triangle between two friends, Jules and Jim, and Catherine, the woman they are madly in love with. Catherine, played by Jeanne Moreau, is a strong character who defies the social conventions of the time. She is free, passionate and unpredictable.
Truffaut’s complex female characters are also to be found in a number of his films, including The Bride Wore Black (1968) and The Story of Adèle H. (1975).
Pedro Almodóvar
A more contemporary Spanish filmmaker, Pedro Almodóvar is renowned for his colourful, multifaceted female characters. He explores the themes of motherhood, female solidarity and resilience with sincerity and depth. He was also one of the first filmmakers to portray a transgender character with sensitivity, consideration and truth.
All About My Mother (1999) is Almodóvar’s most accomplished film about women. Manuela tragically loses her son, whom she has been bringing up alone since he was born. She decides to go in search of her dead son’s father, who has become a transgender woman. In this film, several female characters shine, struggling with their challenges and pains and focusing on solidarity between women.
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini was a visionary filmmaker and showman of the last century, known for capturing the dreamlike, surreal dimension of beings and things. He created evocative portraits of women, often as muses or symbolic figures, exploring their place in society and their inner worlds, their quests for meaning and identity.
Fellini made many films imbued with symbolism and emotion. La Strada (1954) is one of them. In this film, a simple young woman named Gelsomina is sold by her mother to a brutal travelling showman. Touching and vulnerable, the character of Gelsomina is characterised by an innocence and kindness that contrasts with the cruelty of the world around her. The filmmaker’s exploration of purity and suffering is heartbreaking.
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