Women’s historical subjugation in society is well documented; however, what is not as commonly discussed is how popular films, laced with misogynistic views towards women, contribute to this gendered phenomenon. The early days of cinema typecast characters.  Men were seen as powerful figures, but women were portrayed as the beautiful housewife or the girl who is nobody without a man by her side. This gender divide is rooted in two realities. First, there is a lack of women directors in Hollywood. And second, the politics of gender roles structured how women were viewed in the public sphere and shaped their depictions in films. Clara Bow, for example, was an “It Girl,” born in 1905, who became increasingly popular during the 1920s silent films. She grew to resent the sex symbol roles she would play in films, as the studio she was contracted to, Paramount, refused to allow her to play a serious role with any depth. This problem did not only impact the life of Clara Bow, but many other women to come, such as Marilyn Monroe and Mae West. As seen in Baby Face, My Fair Lady, Just One of the Guys, and Women Talking, these male directed works feature patriarchal outlooks on women that influence the multitude of decisions women make on screen. Such positions broadcasted, can alter the way in which society responds to and views them. 

The connection between the time in history films were released and historical events that took place during a similar era demonstrates a compelling historical resonance that proves instructive to our understanding of gendered fictions and realities. Baby Face, released in 1933, occurred during the Great Depression. Women alive during the depression worked even harder both in and out of their homes to learn to navigate and make do with the reduced income. Furthermore, because it is a pre-code film, there were not strict regulations against sexual and racy content, giving the film more freedom to touch on topics that would soon after be silenced. Baby Face made bold commentary for the time by touching on women’s experience in poverty and their perspectives. Focusing on the exploits of Lily Powers, the film brought to light the lack of mobility for women within the workforce as Lily is not taken seriously for her brains and is perceived as worthy for only her body. 

Additionally, My Fair Lady was released only a few months after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbade discrimination against religion, race, and sex in the workforce. As this law was so recent, the sexism towards women and any desire of theirs to gain more knowledge is incredibly apparent in the film, as the male figures are constantly mocking women. Eliza is even bribed with chocolate to allow Professor Higgins to work on transforming her, exemplifying the way Eliza is treated as if she is an object (if not a child) in a paternalistic experiment that deceives the audience into believing women can be easily bribed into becoming the object of male desire. Higgins linguistic profiling reveals the view of the wealthy towards those less fortunate, as he even mentions that Eliza can’t get a job at a flower shop, due to her cockney accent, further connecting the film’s treatment of women’s curtailed opportunity in the workforce let alone limited opportunities for success in general. 

Just One of the Guys, released in 1985, depicts a girl who is still mistreated, simply for being a woman. The film can interestingly be read against the women's rights movement, the battle for the Equal Rights Amendment, which was unsuccessful, and the fact that these two events prompted a period of backlash against the feminist movement. Thus, Just One of the Guys is swirling in both regressive and reactionary politics circulating at that time. However, while society is still very much dominated by the male population and their opinions, misogynistic comments are no longer overlooked by women, as instead, they are taken seriously and utilized as a push for change in school systems. The film brings to light how while women are beginning to be recognized as being mistreated on a wider spectrum, they are still not granted respect on a daily basis. 

Lastly, Women Talking, from 2022, is based on a series of true events that took place from 2005-2009, where hundreds of women from the Manitoba Colony were drugged and then raped in their sleep. The fact that the movie is based on such recent situations demonstrates that even though much progress has been made, our world is nowhere near perfect and gender inequities and violence against women is still prevalent. The film’s historical and cultural fidelity depicts the women in Mennonite costumes. Due to the lighting and clothing mimicking period pieces, the film’s subject matter–Mennonite women– inversely shows us how these violences against women are historically continuous as a contemporary issue, rather than a historical problem. 

In addition to these historical tethers, the four films described are also shaped by the gender of their directors. Earlier on, the industry solely consisted of male directors, but as more women began to direct, the struggles women faced were depicted more realistically. Alfred E. Green, who directed Baby Face, provided a male perspective, as the film sparks from the advice of a man to Lily, who suggests that she uses her body to gain power, after understanding the poor treatment Lily endured from her father. George Cukor, the director of My Fair Lady, offered yet another male perspective, which provides a reason for the significant amount of misogynistic comments. Furthermore, the film is based on George Bernard Shaw’s play, Pygmalion, which contributes to how the male view that dominated the film. There is a lack of individualism in Eliza’s voice, as Higgins transforms her into the lady he wants her to be, which connects to how men treated women in reality. Higgins and Eliza end up together, even with their minimal chemistry, giving the audience the idea that a woman’s primary role is to get married then work for their husband. The first woman director amongst these films, Lisa Gottlieb, directed Just One of the Guys, which is the first film that truly explains how women do not necessarily want to be men but want the same opportunities as them. From this new perspective, it permits the audience to understand how Terry hearing the sexual comments from her teacher remarking on her good looks felt and we could truly follow her own journey, regardless of the outside criticism. In the end, while Terry still ends up with a man, he is someone who is truly accepting of her goals in life and views her as an equal, which thoroughly contrasts the men in the other two films. Sarah Polley, the second woman director in this list, directed Women Talking, which had a primarily female cast. Throughout this film, it was entirely based on the point of view of the women, as we do not see the violence from the men and it is simply like the title states, a movie of women who are talking and we get to understand their journey and experiences. 

In each film, women have different roles or positions they hold, that are primarily guided by the men in their worlds. In Baby Face, Lily Powers is manipulated by her father, Nick, where in order to make deals in his speakeasy, he gets his way through engaging his daughter in sexual interactions with a multitude of businessmen. Lily was not given a quality job where she could utilize her brain, making her crave more fulfillment in her life. Only after her father dies, is she provided a sense of freedom. She is no longer tied to her life at the speakeasy and can search for new opportunities she was not given the liberty to explore. Even Lily’s own father did not see more value in Lily than just her being a good-looking woman, and she was exploited because of it. The repercussions of being seen as beautiful made men unable to provide women with any sort of serious opportunities, as they only saw them as valuable for their looks. 

Similarly, in My Fair Lady, Eliza is not taken seriously due to her cockney accent, which reveals that she is not a part of the upper class. Her role in the film revolves around being a doll for Professor Higgins to play with and win his bet about being able to make her ladylike. Additionally, the film is very dull in color at the start, but as Eliza grows in society, the colors become more vibrant. All of the elements become bigger, brighter, and better to symbolize this transformation Eliza undergoes. Even as Professor Higgins’s poor treatment continues, Eliza’s life is beginning to shift in the way other people perceive her. However, Eliza notices this lack of sincerity, as demonstrated during Professor Higgins first song, “Why Can’t the English?,” which is about knowing where people come from and what their place in society reveals about them. Eliza felt insulted by Higgins's constant expression of disgust towards her background, and this emotional turmoil she experienced allowed Eliza to recognize how trapped she was in her situation. Furthermore, due to his distaste for anything that is not a sign of wealth, even once Eliza has a notable change in the way she both expresses herself and appears, he still only sees her for who she first was, which results in much judgment from him. 

In Just one of the Guys, Terry is not taken seriously as a journalist because she is judged by others as being too beautiful to be capable of serious work. The men in her life, including her brother, teacher, and boyfriend, view her as no more than a pretty face. When she is expressing the struggles she faces with her aspirations to be a journalist, her boyfriend simply suggests she should try out modeling, explaining it’s a career that is probable for a woman like her to succeed in and she could make more money than she would as a journalist. Furthermore, when Terry goes to speak with her journalism professor, she overhears him talking with another teacher about her looks and how they love to take in her beauty or stare at her legs. Just One of the Guys is a prime example of the objectification women experience on a daily basis. The lack of professionalism demonstrated by her teacher and her boyfriend's poor advice explicate how women are not viewed as intellectual equals. Terry recognizes these issues and works to fight them, as her passion for journalism is immensely strong. 

In Women Talking, the women are drugged while they sleep, are raped, and kept away from the outside society. Here, we can see how women are not just taken advantage of for their looks but also their bodies. These women are unable to read or write, and there is an intense patriarchal view and presence looming throughout the entirety of the film.  The men are only discussed, but never physically appear, making it compelling to imagine the patriarchy as a kind of atmosphere that weighs on the film. There is much emotional vulnerability captured from within the women in film. These women feel lost regarding how to navigate the circumstances, particularly due their extremely religious upbringing. The film embodies the sense of hopelessness and need for community these women share. At the start of the film, we see a woman laying down, asleep, with bruises all over her body. She has clearly been through a lot and it vividly illustrates the role these women play in their community. Pleasing men in whatever manner they want and no matter the harmful implications is prominently displayed in contrast to their everyday appearance. During the day time, these women all dress entirely covered up for religious purposes, but it is also symbolic for a form of protection these women utilize their clothing to be, as their outfits hide their bodies from others.

Additionally, the desires each woman shares are separate in what they are. And yet, they all express a similar craving for more in life than what they’re given. In Baby Face, Lily’s primary goal is to be able to make money for herself and sustain her own lifestyle, but she recognizes that since women are not taken seriously in the workforce, she needs to discover new tactics, in order to gain the privilege of being viewed as intelligent. After being manipulated for money by her father and used for prostitution, Lily wants a change of pace. She is aware that the world does not make it easy for women to flourish and be successful, but she still has a bold personality. Her ability to hit a man to prevent herself from being taken advantage of, knowing he not only wanted to engage in sexual relations, but was a coworker of her father is a sign of her strength. In the end of the film, she rethinks her desires in life and claims she should have gone for love, rather than money. While it is a sentimental and thoughtful reflection, in her reality, her stated aim is not entirely possible. Lily does not truly have the same opportunities as men. Lily’s desires demonstrate how she is tired of enduring the patriarchy and how her actions are a result of the polarizing options for women—love or money—presented during this time. 

In My Fair Lady, as a response to Professor Higgins’ clear distaste for the lower class and their particular dialect, Eliza decides she wants to learn to speak properly, with the dream of one day being able to open a flower shop. Eliza is simple minded, yet bold in her speech. She knows what she wants and does not plan to settle for anything less, but she is still depicted as a very stereotypically emotional woman. She internalizes all that the men say about her in front of her, particularly insulting commentary. Moreover, Eliza’s desire to blend in seems to make her lose a lot of her sense of self. She finds herself lost in merging with the ideals of the patriarchy, which she originally took a firm stance against, which correlates to how the film establishes the lack of individuality amongst women. While she originally wanted to change her accent for her own individual purposes, the reason behind her desire for a shift in her persona became to fulfill the vision of men, which takes away the potential for female empowerment. 

Terry’s primary goal throughout Just One of the Guys consists of winning the journalism competition, in order to land a summer internship and have her writing be acknowledged for once. Men, even including her journalism teacher, have always belittled this lofty aspiration of hers. Many of her female peers did not share this same objective, thus signifying she was one of the few women in that field. Though yes, her desire is to have her work submitted for the competition, Terry truthfully just wants to be taken seriously about her future profession. She constantly demonstrates her disgust towards the male view on women to people, such as her brother, whose posters of nude women flood his room, along with him constantly expressing a desire to have sex with any girl, explaining the way in which men objectify women. Terry continuously notices this with repugnance and wants to be viewed as more than just a beautiful woman, but someone who is considered intelligent and talented as a writer. 

Throughout Women Talking, the priority of the women is to settle on a solution for the cruel actions they have experienced from the men. They each have very separate views on society, although they can acknowledge that the treatment both themselves and their daughter's receive is inhumane. During their discussion, there is still a major lack of confidence within the women about the sureness of what to do, as their voices and access to the outside world has been suppressed. While what these women have endured is both mentally and physically straining, they are still able to communicate their needs to one another. The women were viewed as humans towards one another, along with the sole male, August, who respected the women and acknowledged their power. Each woman shares a similar desire of wanting men and women to make decisions collectively and wanting women to be able to learn to read and write.  These particular skills being denied are all about a removal of agency. Thus, a film that focuses on the idea of communication, words having power, and women being valued for what they say is significant, since they are working together to establish their rights.

In order to fulfill their needs, the women in these films have a strong agency to reach extreme levels that permit them to reach their goals. Lily, in Baby Face, uses sex to make her way to the top of the workforce and disregards the consequences it may have on other individuals. Men are fired, due to Lily’s manipulation, as they become entranced by her sexual offering. As a response to the German philosophy a man provides her with that recommends she uses the gift of her body to influence men, Lily begins to realize she can get what she wants through sex. After being caught on the train, without a paid ticket, Lily utilizes sex to manipulate the man to forget about the problem at hand and just be entranced by her looks. She starts to understand the power her beauty holds and learns to work it in a way that allows her to reach a higher position in her career than she would if she were trying to move up in her job, solely due to intelligence. This idea becomes so enticing to Lily, because for once, she feels in power and wants to continue growing the feeling. Given the time was 1933, a women’s sexual agency does not have to be a bad thing, as she learns to understand it and its power, as she is deciding when, where, and how to use it, since it is her choice to use her body. The problem this choice entails though is the fact that using sex for power is her only choice and the film wants us to villainize her for this, when in reality, there were no other opportunities or ways Lily could have an income. 

In My Fair Lady, Eliza goes to the home of Professor Higgins to learn to completely alter her accent. While she originally found him because she wanted to have the ability to open a flower shop, as time goes on, she also begins to want Higgins romantically. Eliza alters her entire personality to be accepted by Higgins and the upper class because of her extreme goal to be one of the wealthy. During her many lessons, Eliza becomes more and more committed, which corresponds to her romantic interest in Higgins. She no longer just wants to be seen as wealthy, but as an equal who is sufficient enough to be a lover. She tosses away a majority of her values and mannerisms, with a notable example being how she stopped always saying, “I am a good girl” to repeating the refrain “I am unlovable.” This shift demonstrates how her confidence has diminished, and therefore seemingly permits men to both judge and walk all over her. It is upsetting to see this shift and how the idea of becoming a lady is not freeing in this upper-class society, as it appears her assimilation made her more trapped and made her lose track of her genuine identity. 

In Just One of the Guys, in order to achieve her dreams of being a journalist by winning the contest at her school, Terry enrolls in a separate school as a man to get professional criticism, without her looks being considered. She cuts her hair and begins to dress manly and embodies masculinity to be able to tackle her goal. The motivation Terry has is clearly like no other. She craves professionalism at school and the extreme lengths she must go through for it are absurd. She does not want to be boxed into a role by men, as although she is not trying to be a man, she just wants male opportunities. Terry must take on an entirely new gender, even though as a woman at her school, she was one of the more focused and well-written journalists in comparison to her male peers. The film’s humor is derived from showing the lengths a woman must go through to be a journalist. However, misogyny is no laughing matter. The film’s progressive depiction of cross-dressing is only a reaction to the regressive gender politics that demand Terry pretend to not be a woman to get ahead.

In Women Talking, the extreme choice they must make is the unanimous decision to leave the colony, as many women believe leaving is against their religion because it shows a lack of forgiveness towards the men, further demonstrating the brainwashing of these women. In the end, the women decide on leaving the colony in search of an improved and more fulfilling lifestyle. While the women do not explain exactly what has happened to their bodies, we can understand the emotional toll it has had on them. Although these individuals might not have a voice towards an outside audience, they are able to utilize their voice to articulate their beliefs towards one another and realize improving their future and the way they are treated can overpower the need for forgiveness. We see them make a decision their community would claim to be selfish and against their religion, even though it is not, as the fact that it is one of the most conservative groups of women making this decision makes it incredibly moving.

As observed in Baby Face, My Fair Lady, Just One of the Guys, and Women Talking, critical male perspectives on women  impact the variety of decisions made by each woman in the film, which changes the manner in which the world acknowledges and perceives them. Each female figure has endured a variety of obstacles simply for existing in life as a woman from men who find themselves and their own personal goals or lives to be significantly more important. Over time, women’s agency on screen has progressed, but these depictions are not anywhere near perfection, as in reality, there are still difficulties women face on a daily basis that are working on being shared. Empowering female voices through their ability of self-expression and sharing their stories makes way for more equity in the industry, as it becomes possible for more women to feel heard or have the ability to relate to one another, since many topics are no longer hushed. Each of these four films push boundaries in different ways by communicating a message of gender inequities to the audience. It demonstrates the way in which films can be utilized as not only a form of entertainment, but as education.