Something New On Screen: Strong, Flawed Women As The Focal Point Of Movies

Women are still massively underrepresented in movies, and no, that hasn’t statistically changed at all, sadly.”What is harder to define, but does seem like a genuinely positive trend, is a shift in the narratives of female-led biopics, a change in the kind of stories that get told. Previously, the main criterion for biopic treatment seemed to be a set of male genitalia, and failing that, royal blood or a singing career. The Hollywood approach suggested that women’s stories were more valuable if youth and beauty were key plot points. And for some reason, doomed and tragic tended to be an easier sell to financiers than difficult and complex. Now, bad behaviour is not just permitted, it’s positively encouraged.”