Bechdel Test Movie List

The film is directed by Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, adapted from Murakami and awarded the Screenplay Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.It has several main female characters, Oto (Kafuku's wife), Misaki (the driver), Lee Yoon (the mute actress plays Sonia), Janice Chan (the Taiwanese actress plays Elena). There are other minor roles like the producer, the two actresses who play Maria and Marina.

Oto does not meet any of the other women. Misaki is taciturn by nature. She remains silent during the meal at Lee Yoon's house.
She meets the other women but does not speak with her out of shyness. All the actresses have rehearsals together where they perform the play Uncle Vanya. There is a long rehearsal scene between Lee and Janice. They talk about happiness in life and the reasons for Elena's remarriage.

It should be noted that Lee, although mute, uses sign language and is the most talkative of the female characters. Many of the characters do not speak the same language and can only communicate via translators. Jane speaks Taiwanese and English, Lee speaks Korean sign language, the others speak Japanese.

Yusuke and Koiji, the two main male characters, talk mainly about Oto. I think the film passes the test.

This is a beautiful film, but it doesn't pass the Bechdel-Wallace test. Two actresses reading lines from the play Uncle Vanya doesn't count as talking to each other. Moreover, the men in this film talk endlessly while the three lead actresses remain silent: the dead wife who remains a mystery to her husband, the deaf actress, and the virtually silent driver. This should be a 1 out of 3 Bechdel score.