Heather Donahue in The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Louise in Thelma and Louise (1991), are not the “rampaging female” cliché (Inness, 1999) but they are perceived as strong and independent women.

Examining The Blair Witch Project’s Heather first, she is the strongest character within the movie at the start and appears to be very focused, determined and rather domineering, taking full control of the map, compass and excursion. This is evident in the opening scene, which she completely dictates. Her voice is heard from behind the camera so she is the one in full control of the film at that point, framing the men thus avoiding the point of view of male gaze. They are an extension of her vision instead of her becoming an extension of their vision, as per the traditional representations of women in Hollywood (Nelmes, 2012). She effectively becomes the dominant viewer and therefore dictates their identities whilst imposing hers on the film, thus demonstrating agency that had typically only been afforded to men. Although this does not cast her in the typically male role of the physical hero who essentially shoots all the bad guys, it does render her a tough woman because she asserts herself and bucks typical gender roles. Heather cannot be cast as the female equivalent of the tough guy stereotype but she does adopt a specifically female form of toughness. This is further evidenced by her monologue scene in which she turns the camera on herself. In this scene she accepts responsibility for the project, which is indicative of her mental strength. However, this scene also affirms gender stereotypes because she is perceived as vulnerable and is once again subject the male gaze, her fear rendering her helpless despite the earlier image she constructed. In effect, the tough woman does not appear to be a stable figure and therefore the reversion to type is problematic.

Thelma and Louise’s Louise, is perceived as a strong and independent woman in a way that is sharply different to the characterisation of Heather, although Louise does not initially appear to be an archetypal tough guy. She is self-sufficient, working to support herself and making decisions based on her own desires and needs. This reaffirms her status as an independent woman who is not dependent on a man. However, Louise does occupy the male-dominated role of the outlaw after she shoots and kills Harlan (Sartelle, 1997); and rescuer when she prevents Thelma from being raped. In this sense, she becomes a female version of the tough guy, acting only when forced to do so and becoming a reluctant hero who is physically able to take care of herself and those she loves. However, this is undermined when she later becomes dependent on Thelma when JD steals from them and leaves them penniless. Their relationship that is essentially grounded in the notion of dependency, reinforcing stereotypical female traits but in a context, thus presenting Louise as a tough woman with female rather than archetypal masculine qualities.

These points challenge the stereotypical female traits of Hollywood cinema. No longer are they physically unable to endure hardship because they are able to take measures in order to survive. However, that is not to say that the strong, independent woman is in the same vein as the male tough guy. The toughness exhibited by Louise and Heather is typically female, drawing upon paradigms of control and rationality over and above physical capabilities. There is a specifically female version of toughness that emerges from these films, which is one that does allow for some moments of weakness and insecurity in line with a realistic portrayal of problems that the modern woman faces.

Bibliography

Inness, S., (1999). Tough Girls: Women Warriors and Wonder Women in Popular Culture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Nelmes, J., (2012). Gender and Film. In J. Nelmes ed. Introduction to Film Studies. 5th Ed. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 262-297.

Sartelle, J., (1997). Dreams and Nightmares in the Hollywood Blockbuster. In G. Nowell-Smith ed. The Oxford History of World Cinema. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 516-526.

The Blair Witch Project, (1999). Dir. by D. Myrick & E. Sanchez. USA: Artisan Entertainment.

Thelma & Louise, (1991). Dir. by R. Scott. USA: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Villarejo, A., (2013). Film Studies: The Basics. Abingdon: Routledge.