In the past month or so I’ve seen two movies. This past weekend I saw “Tomb Raider” and back in February I saw “Black Panther” (on opening day). Both of these movies blew me away. One of the elements that I loved about these movies were the amazingly strong leading ladies.
Alicia Vikander, in my opinion, was a fantastic Lara Croft. She brought this new, young energy to the film. She was witty, sarcastic, and resilient. Under Vikander, a new Lara Croft is taking shape for a new era of women. Without giving away anything about the movie, scenes varied from tenderhearted, to nerve-wracking, and to complete badassery. There was something so innately strong and feminine about her. She was a real, rounded character. Rounded female characters can be hard to come by.
Lately, it’s becoming more common to find these rounded female characters; like in “Black Panther.”
“Black Panther” has been leading the box office since the movie came out more than a month ago. Not only is it a beautiful movie, with a fantastic culture, and killer acting but the leading ladies were a vastly essential part of the film. From the Dora Milaje (female soldiers tasked to protect the King), to Nakia (a spy), and the brilliant Shuri (mastermind and tech maker).
All of these women and more helped make “Black Panther” a powerhouse. These women are tough, they love their country, and they don’t back down from a fight. They were sassy and smart. I loved Shuri; she had some of the best lines of the movie. She’s young and unapologetically herself. It doesn’t matter that the king is her brother she will still make fun of him.
Women are seeing themselves in movies. Not that women weren't in film before, but now they are being shown. They aren’t sidelined characters, there to accentuate the appeal of a man. They aren't given toss away lines. They are now leading these films, and as seen with “Wonder Woman,” they are vastly popular.
If I could fix one aspect of the new “Tomb Raider,” its that I wish there were more women. Other than a few scenes at the start of the film, there aren’t many women other than Lara. While this is disappointing in ways, I won’t let that take away what an enjoyable film it was to me. It’s a start, which I hate to say, but it is. There’s been a long history of women being in films but having no real purpose other than being beautiful. Every step forward is impressive.
In this new era of girl power and the third wave of feminism, it’s amazing to see its shift into film. It’s incredible to go to a movie and see the diversity that makes up our everyday lives. Its great for kids, especially girls, to see women who are strong and look like them. I believe this is a new era of movies. And I know movies still aren’t perfect in their representation, but I think a visible shift is occurring and a much-needed change is coming.
