For long, Hollywood superheroes-be it a Superman, or a Rambo or a Bond had a favourite pastime-to save the damsel in distress. But the good news is that the damsel can look after herself now. Dubbed as the perfect form of women’s emancipation, this is a positive shift as the women on silver screen are breaking the stereotypical rules.
Just as the strong female characters are making their way, the traditional style of superheroes movies driving on basic theme of saving a damsel in distress seems to be fading away too.
Margot Robbie- who plays Jane in upcoming The Legends of Tarzan has made it clear that the Tarzan story would be narrated differently and she will not play the traditional damsel in distress.
“I think she’s just always actively seeking a way to problem solve and find her way out of a situation she is in, and she’s very defiant,” said Margot about her character. Talking to New Zealand Herald, the actress narrated how the entire movie has a line which pushes aside the damsel concept. A sequence in the movie actually mocks at the whole obsession for damsels. The villain tells Jane-scream for me and Jane says, “What? Like a damsel” and then she spit on his face.
While most movie plots revolve around the heroine being in captive (mostly in a villain’s den), but waits endlessly for the hero to turn up and save her.
Margot dresses up in boots, a skirt and a blouse as she jumps around in the wilds. Legends of Tarzan may not present Jane as the new Charlies Angle doing the freaking action, but the message is clear that ‘Jane can take care of herself’.
There have been a flood of female characters, which are a departure from the typical gooey-eyed, coy girl who can do nothing but cry for help. Movies now are full of examples which has strong women, capable of holding their own battle and capable of looking after themselves when caught in really dangerous situation.
Batman trilogy: Rachel Dawes is the fearless Assistant District Attorney in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Through two films (and played by two different actresses) she stands up to mobsters as one of the last fighters for Gotham City’s soul.
The Dark Knight: Rachel Dawyers, played by Maggie Gyallanhal was shown taking a plunge into dangerous situations, going alone to Arkham Asylum, refusing to hide when The Joker shows up looking for her boyfriend.
Raider’s of the Lost Ark’s: Marion Ravenwood played by Karen Allen drinks with men and fights off Nazis. She joins the forces with Indiana Jones, but eventually it becomes Jones job to save her from the Nazis.
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