Bechdel Test Movie List

As this is largely an ensemble movie, conversations that involve the three main female characters usually also involve the male characters too. The female characters are involved in moving the plot forward, e.g. Diane giving the group an acting masterclass in how to walk and talk like zombies.

However there is one moment I can think of in which two of the female characters, Barbara and Liz, have a conversation away from the group.

(Spoiler alert)

In the pub, before the main zombie attack, Liz takes Barbara to one side and asks if she's okay. Barbara says how nice it is to have finally met Liz, unaware that Liz and Shaun have split up. Knowing that she's about to die, Barbara gives Liz a piece of jewellery as a keepsake, and confesses to Liz that she's been bitten.

One might argue that Barbara and Liz are discussing Shaun's reaction to Barbara being bitten, but I do agree that the main premise of the conversation was the bite, not Shaun's reaction to it.

> Barbara says how nice it is to have finally met Liz

I don't think that passes rule #3, the two women are only talking because of Shawn. Barbara only says it's nice to finally meet Liz *because* she's her son's girlfriend. This is all about Shawn, a man. She only gave her the ring because she's her son's girlfriend.

It's like two women talking with each other to discuss who's prettier because they each think they deserve the man more than the other. Even though they're talking about each other, they're only doing so because of a man.

(Me again)

Think of it this way: if Shawn didn't exist, would the two of them have talked? Would that scene have happened? No. That's because it's all about Shawn, the man, not the women.

The Bechdel test doesn't require that the conversation itself exists entirely outside of a man's influence. It only requires that two named women talk about something other than a man. Shaun of the Dead clearly passes.

As much as I love this movie, I think the rating should be changed to 2/3.

Whether or not you argue that the crux of the conversation between Liz and Barbara is about Shaun or about the piece of jewelry that Barbara gives Liz, Shaun is still mentioned/talked about during the course of the conversation... His name is literally mentioned between the women four times in under two minutes. There is not a single conversation during the entire movie that lasts more than 10 seconds (literally) between two women that pays no mention of men. Contrast that with the numerous conversations between men that are not about women and that have no mention of women, and it becomes quite clear that this movie fails miserably.

Not sure I really want to get involved in picking through a film to prove a point, however... When teaching the group to act like zombies, Diane speaks directly to Liz (who admittedly only responds with an 'uuuhhh') and then to Barbara, who responds 'sorry, I was miles away'. That's definitely two named women talking to each other about something other than a man. And that proves...

Jdc is on the money as far as the test is concerned.

The original example of a film passing the test was Alien (the women talked about a monster that was literally based on a giant penis)

A film doesn't have to be a benchmark of feminism to pass. It is supposed to be easy- and that just makes it so much more embarrassing that so many films fail.