Feminism_in_the_Crime_Film_Genre

Feminism in the Crime Film Genre Feminism in the Crime Film Genre Throughout motion picture history, women have experienced more transition in their roles, as a result of changing societal norms, than any other class. At first, both society and the movie industry preached that women should be dependent on men and remain in the home, in order to guarantee stability in the community and the family. As time passed and attitudes changed, women were beginning to be depicted as strong willed, independent minded characters, who were eager to break away from convention. The genre of the crime film represents such a change in the roles handed to women. Two films that can be contrasted, in order to support this view, are: The Public Enemy by William Wellman (1931) and Bonnie &Clyde by Arthur Penn (1967). In The Public Enemy, women are portrayed as naive and/or objects of carnal pleasure by men. In this period, women were often categorized as mothers, mistresses, sisters, or ladies. Ma Powers (played by Beryl Mercer), the lead character Tom Powers’(played by James Cagney) mother, is easily fooled by Tom’s fake stories about where he get his money and doesn’t believe that her "baby boy" could be a vile gangster. At one bonnie, clyde, women, 1960’s, gun, played, one, public, out, first, tom, movie, gang, crime, women’s, while, texas, roles, ranger, hamer, film, character, because, time, society, shows, scene, role, norms, male, just, home, genre, films, even, enemy, doesn’t, about, youth, takes, take, system, sexual, saying, portrayed, poem, picture, pair, own, order