I'm not all happy with this movie from a feminist point of view, but all in all it's OK
IMDb 7.5 - Rotten Tomatoes 87%
V Bechdel test
V Mako Mori Test
V Sexy Lamp Test
V The Crystal Gems Test
X F-Rating
V Sphinx Test
X The Feldman Score
2? Maybe 4...
X Furiosa Test
V The Roxane Gay Test
V Women in Refrigerators test
X The Landau Test
The primary female character ends up dead
V The Tauriel Test
X The Willis Test
X Molly Haskell test
I can't say... because she only has a short time of happiness in her life before she dies... but I don't think she is being punished.
There is this terrible need, want, desire to belong... and the idea of an own home, own place.
She was also bossed around and ran over. Even when she was sort of a willing victim, she was nevertheless a victim.
Then we have mrs. Markway... When she comes, she is assured, decisive and tells her husband what to do. When the movie ends, she's a shivering pile of damsel in distress who seeks support from her husband.
We have the little incident when Nell finds out John is married, and then puts the wife in harm's way.
Then we have all the stereotypical stuff.
"Nell, this is HAPPENING TO YOU!" She isn't making it happen - although we don't quite know. It is quite possible that that is exactly what is happening. That it is Nell that makes it all happen. But it's like a rape fantasy, she is an innocent, helpless victim, and just have to let the house have its way with her, and she'll be happy... and I don't like that part one bit. "an object is passive, being acted upon"
Also, the women's "adventures" in this movie are emotional and inner adventures. The men's adventures are physical and active.
In all, this is a stereotypical feminine movie. It's all about Nell and her psychological development.
Then we have the romance between Nell and John. I get the feeling that he is drawn to her, romantically, and she most certainly is infatuated with him. He keeps telling her how beautiful and attractive she is, and that's totally inappropriate. And she is flirting with him, changing her hair and dressing as prettily as she can, and things like that.
There's also talk about clothes and hair and such between the women.
Age of primary and secondary actors?
The main character is Julie Harris as Eleanor Lance, and she was two years older than the main male character, Dr. Markway. Lois Maxwell as Grace Markway was 10 years OLDER than her husband. The other female lead is almost as old as Eleanor and John, but the last member of the central four, a male, is youngest of them all, almost 10 years younger than Nell.
On the other hand, the fact that he is given more self-determination and responsibility becomes then a bit offensive...
V the MacGyver Test
X the Raleigh Becket Test
Now, this is a bit grey, too, as there is a central male character whose narrative arc requires the development of a female character BUT there is something romantic between these two. It is not strong, sexual thing, it never becomes anything but an apparent mutual attraction, but it is there.
V Puer Aeternus – Peter Pan syndrome – Man-child
V Kuku test
V The Maisy Test for sexism in kids' shows
V Gender Balance - Gender Representation:
The cast is about 2/3 female. The narrator is male. The crew is about 9/10 male.
Now, I don't have the possibility to measure screen time or words, but I believe men have the most words and Nell gets the most screen time. Julie Harris gets the billing position. She is the only one in the movie poster (though there are versions where the three others are in the lower part of the poster. There's a very interesting little detail there... look at their shadows. Looks like a child standing in between two adults holding their hands.
V Gender Freedom:
Now, this movie was made in the 60s, so the fashion was what it was. The women wear skirts, but they make decisions, they drive - in one scene the MC tells a man that the car is hers and she is going to drive, and the man doesn't protest, just moves aside. Everybody is scared.
V Gender Safety:
I am going to give it pass even though there are some sexual harassment and innuendos going on.
There's no sex or nudity, no-one is wearing anything revealing or sexual.
X Social Justice and Equality:
Well... there is a prominent LGBTQ+ character, who isn't stereotypical,, depicted negatively, is not the villain and doesn't sexually harass or threaten the main character. She is treated with respect, like eceryone else. Eleanor is comfortable with her and even though she calls Theo's homosexuality "unnatural" and "nature's mistake", when she's angry with her, she isn't in any way treating Theo differently from other people. More importantly, the movie isn't treating her any differently.
But - there isn't much support for equality and social justice in the movie, no. It's very white.
B The Representation Test
X Kent test
X The Duvernay Test
X Aila test
X The Waithe Test
X The Ko Test
X The Villalobos Test
X The Uphold Test
X The Rees Davies Test
X The White Test
V The Hagen Test
V The Koeze-Dottle Test
V The Peirce Test
V The Villarreal Test
So - how could it be better?
Obviously, more women in the crew, more diversity and representation in the characters. Now, this movie was made with all white cast and crew to all white audience, and because it was made in the 60s, this can be overlooked, but the remakes... not so much. We should know better now.
Also, the cast is 2/3 female, so maybe add some more males? Now, the only one who I could think of genderswapping here is Theodora. She could be Theodor, the gay designer, who becomes Nell's BFF.
On the other hand, there are a lot of movies where the division is more like 9/10 of one gender, and usually it's 90% male, so I'm not too bothered by this. 1/3 of women would be totally acceptable for me.
I am not bothered by Nell being kind of submissive, a doormat, a grey mouse, because she has a core of steel... or something. Also, feminism isn't about making every woman a Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel. There's nothing wrong with submissive, mouse-y doormats. Those women exist, and need representation and acceptance just as much as fierce warrior queens. I like the soft, feminine women, the "boring" Melanie Wilkeses, homemakers, housewives and Evelyn Couches, even though I am a tomboy feminist, who idealise the warrior queens.
I am bothered by how people push Nell around all the time, even though she protests. Her protests aren't listened to or respected, she's just pushed around. That should change.
Beat sheet comparison
Feminist Halloween: The Haunting
Suddenly a shot rang out: Haunted Femine
IMDb 7.5 - Rotten Tomatoes 87%
V Bechdel test
V Mako Mori Test
V Sexy Lamp Test
V The Crystal Gems Test
X F-Rating
V Sphinx Test
X The Feldman Score
2? Maybe 4...
X Furiosa Test
V The Roxane Gay Test
V Women in Refrigerators test
X The Landau Test
The primary female character ends up dead
V The Tauriel Test
X The Willis Test
X Molly Haskell test
I can't say... because she only has a short time of happiness in her life before she dies... but I don't think she is being punished.
There is this terrible need, want, desire to belong... and the idea of an own home, own place.
She was also bossed around and ran over. Even when she was sort of a willing victim, she was nevertheless a victim.
Then we have mrs. Markway... When she comes, she is assured, decisive and tells her husband what to do. When the movie ends, she's a shivering pile of damsel in distress who seeks support from her husband.
We have the little incident when Nell finds out John is married, and then puts the wife in harm's way.
Then we have all the stereotypical stuff.
"Nell, this is HAPPENING TO YOU!" She isn't making it happen - although we don't quite know. It is quite possible that that is exactly what is happening. That it is Nell that makes it all happen. But it's like a rape fantasy, she is an innocent, helpless victim, and just have to let the house have its way with her, and she'll be happy... and I don't like that part one bit. "an object is passive, being acted upon"
Also, the women's "adventures" in this movie are emotional and inner adventures. The men's adventures are physical and active.
In all, this is a stereotypical feminine movie. It's all about Nell and her psychological development.
Then we have the romance between Nell and John. I get the feeling that he is drawn to her, romantically, and she most certainly is infatuated with him. He keeps telling her how beautiful and attractive she is, and that's totally inappropriate. And she is flirting with him, changing her hair and dressing as prettily as she can, and things like that.
There's also talk about clothes and hair and such between the women.
Age of primary and secondary actors?
The main character is Julie Harris as Eleanor Lance, and she was two years older than the main male character, Dr. Markway. Lois Maxwell as Grace Markway was 10 years OLDER than her husband. The other female lead is almost as old as Eleanor and John, but the last member of the central four, a male, is youngest of them all, almost 10 years younger than Nell.
On the other hand, the fact that he is given more self-determination and responsibility becomes then a bit offensive...
V the MacGyver Test
X the Raleigh Becket Test
Now, this is a bit grey, too, as there is a central male character whose narrative arc requires the development of a female character BUT there is something romantic between these two. It is not strong, sexual thing, it never becomes anything but an apparent mutual attraction, but it is there.
V Puer Aeternus – Peter Pan syndrome – Man-child
V Kuku test
V The Maisy Test for sexism in kids' shows
V Gender Balance - Gender Representation:
The cast is about 2/3 female. The narrator is male. The crew is about 9/10 male.
Now, I don't have the possibility to measure screen time or words, but I believe men have the most words and Nell gets the most screen time. Julie Harris gets the billing position. She is the only one in the movie poster (though there are versions where the three others are in the lower part of the poster. There's a very interesting little detail there... look at their shadows. Looks like a child standing in between two adults holding their hands.
V Gender Freedom:
Now, this movie was made in the 60s, so the fashion was what it was. The women wear skirts, but they make decisions, they drive - in one scene the MC tells a man that the car is hers and she is going to drive, and the man doesn't protest, just moves aside. Everybody is scared.
V Gender Safety:
I am going to give it pass even though there are some sexual harassment and innuendos going on.
There's no sex or nudity, no-one is wearing anything revealing or sexual.
X Social Justice and Equality:
Well... there is a prominent LGBTQ+ character, who isn't stereotypical,, depicted negatively, is not the villain and doesn't sexually harass or threaten the main character. She is treated with respect, like eceryone else. Eleanor is comfortable with her and even though she calls Theo's homosexuality "unnatural" and "nature's mistake", when she's angry with her, she isn't in any way treating Theo differently from other people. More importantly, the movie isn't treating her any differently.
But - there isn't much support for equality and social justice in the movie, no. It's very white.
B The Representation Test
X Kent test
X The Duvernay Test
X Aila test
X The Waithe Test
X The Ko Test
X The Villalobos Test
X The Uphold Test
X The Rees Davies Test
X The White Test
V The Hagen Test
V The Koeze-Dottle Test
V The Peirce Test
V The Villarreal Test
So - how could it be better?
Obviously, more women in the crew, more diversity and representation in the characters. Now, this movie was made with all white cast and crew to all white audience, and because it was made in the 60s, this can be overlooked, but the remakes... not so much. We should know better now.
Also, the cast is 2/3 female, so maybe add some more males? Now, the only one who I could think of genderswapping here is Theodora. She could be Theodor, the gay designer, who becomes Nell's BFF.
On the other hand, there are a lot of movies where the division is more like 9/10 of one gender, and usually it's 90% male, so I'm not too bothered by this. 1/3 of women would be totally acceptable for me.
I am not bothered by Nell being kind of submissive, a doormat, a grey mouse, because she has a core of steel... or something. Also, feminism isn't about making every woman a Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel. There's nothing wrong with submissive, mouse-y doormats. Those women exist, and need representation and acceptance just as much as fierce warrior queens. I like the soft, feminine women, the "boring" Melanie Wilkeses, homemakers, housewives and Evelyn Couches, even though I am a tomboy feminist, who idealise the warrior queens.
I am bothered by how people push Nell around all the time, even though she protests. Her protests aren't listened to or respected, she's just pushed around. That should change.
Beat sheet comparison
Feminist Halloween: The Haunting
Suddenly a shot rang out: Haunted Femine
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