Bechdel Test Movie List

Tanya and Mason are talking about a boy, Tanyas son, of an age of 5 years.

The only exchange between two women in the whole film is a very brief question and answer about where a boy is. Just because that boy isn't full-grown doesn't mean this passes the test.

That said, it's kind of a shame, because this film does have more than the usual number of interesting, significant, named female characters: a tough mom hero, a gamine-ish young clairvoyant, a gun-wielding villain, an insane and hilarious teacher, and a propaganda mouthpiece with no humanity whatsoever. (Played by Tilda Swinton, no less.) They just don't talk directly to each other.

Mason interacts with the schoolteacher. I'm fairly sure that each of these women addresses lines toward the other. They speak about Wilford, but they speak about other things too.

If this teacher isn't named then I suppose this scene technically doesn't qualify. That said, the teacher is an interesting character and Mason is an interesting (and prominent) character and the scene in which these two interact is among the best in the movie. It tells us so much about the culture of the world of snowpiercer. The "name" specification is in the Bechdel test to differentiate between characters and non-characters (so a film doesn't pass when a random waitress says "yes ma'am" to a woman who orders a cup of coffee). That said, sometimes films have well-developed characters and we aren't told their names. Does the bride in Kill Bill vol. 1 count as a "named character." How about the waitress in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Mr. Big in Sex and the City?

So many other points where it maybe passes, but it never clearly hits this ball out of the park, like:

Mason and Claude are clearly speaking to each other during the tunnel mayhem. We can't hear what they are saying to each other, but they clearly are saying something like, "run, don't get stabbed," or something else that isn't specifically about the men in their lives.

Yuma and Claude have a big fight sequence at the end. Do they ever exchange any lines?

Whether this film technically passes or not, we should remember that the Bechdel test is for assessing the film industry as a whole and not for evaluating a single film. This film doesn't exactly have 50/50 gender representation, but it does have a number of well developed female characters. And it has such racial/ethnic/cultural diversity among the cast of characters (even if the principal hero and villain are both white guys). I mean, how many action films give a middle aged black woman something interesting to do? And I love the end of the film where it is implied that the "new Adam and Eve" consists of a black boy and an Asian girl.

So, maybe it passes and maybe it doesn't. And it isn't completely free from gender/ethnic stereotypes (but no film ever is). All in all, the film is taking strides in the right direction. People of all genders, races, and and nationalities fill roles as heroes, villains, sidekicks, sages, and kooky comic-relief rolls.

And (the biggest shocker) not one of the myriad female characters (not even the pretty 17-year-old girl) was shoe-horned into a love interest role. I don't believe there were any romantic plots anywhere in this film. Everybody in this movie (even the teenage girl) had more urgent things to worry about than their crushes.

I recall a conversation where Tanya supposed aloud to Mason that they must only have sushi once a year because they didn't have enough fish, and Mason replied by explaining that the issue was actually sustainability, followed by a brief summary of the concept. Mason's lines were heard by the men as well, but the reply was to what Tanya said. (In fact, directly before this, Mason offered the sushi, and Tanya was the one to agree that they should have some.)

It's not a pass to get up and cheer about, but I think it passes.

People need to stop to try to excuse movies just because they have strong female characters. Representation is beyond that, it stands for women to be shown as people, not plot devices and resources. Claude, the mother, is a great character, sure. And Yona and Manson. THey are more interesting than most of the male characters. Yet they don't interact in any way meaningful for this test

This most certainly does NOT pass the test. The women do not speak to each other AT ANY POINT IN THE FILM, on any matter other than that of a brief mention of a male character.

Miriam was right about the sushi scene in the 2014 post above - it's starts at 1hr5min and it's a clear Bechdel Pass in an excellent film:


Mason: Do any of you feel like sushi? [which if you won't accept because it's not aimed at only a woman, just you wait]
Tanya: Hell, yeah. Line that shit up. Right? [which if you won't accept because the last word is directed to the guy behind her who says nothing, just you wait]
*the sushi is prepared*
Mason: You people are very lucky. This is only served twice in a year. In January and July. [what do you mean "you people?" r u still not trying to have a one-on-one conversation here?]
Tanya: Why? Not enough fish? [at least someone is trying]
Mason: Enough is not the criterion. Balance, you see... [etc etc deep philosophical point, beautiful direction, she says 'closed ecological system' as a mother walks by with her child in the back of the shot, we got out Bechdel *ding*ding*ding*]


Last two lines are a clear 'del - but as a side note, I'm sure we don't hold by the idea that a conversation between two named women must be private and not heard by men in order to pass (nor that either line need be directed only at another woman in order for the other's response to complete the conversation)... right? - so like 10 points to Miriam, and we can remove the dubious marker from the page.


PS (Post Snowpiercer) - thank you Lauren for pointing out that none of the women get love-interest'ed, that's gotta be a test in its own right...