Essay on Feminism In Movies Inspired By Bonnie & Clyde

This is the first 1,000 characters of 1951 words (7.8 pages) in the essay titled Feminism In Movies Inspired By Bonnie & Clyde

Feminism In Movies Inspired By Bonnie & Clyde

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 point during prohibition, when Tom brings home a barrel of beer, she doesn’t even
question where he obtained it, but rather takes a drink for herself. Ma Powers is the
prototypical mother of the 1930’s. She is blind to the ways of the world and does

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