Bechdel Test Movie List

All of the action in this movie revolves around the mostly-absent master of the house. When the wives aren't talking about him, they are talking about each other in an attempt to jockey for the position of favorite wife.

Aw, c'mon. Songlian and Meishan talk about opera, just one example off the top of my head. This film is full of conversations between women - just because they take place in a very misogynistic environment doesn't mean they're exclusively about the Master.

This is an interesting case study for the Bechdel test. There might be a conversation or two between the female characters about something other than the male master. But a major theme of the film is the deterioration of an educated, independent woman by systematic sexism and oppression. I think this film would raise more conversation about women's rights in our own world (the metaphors in this film abound) than say Captain America: Civil War, which had a scene just to pass the test. I think that RTRL passes the test in spirit, if not by the word. I'm open to other opinions though.