Bechdel Test Movie List

/bech·del test/ n.
1. It has to have at least two [named] women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

[[3]] Wo hu cang long (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) (2000) [imdb]

This movie passed 3 of 3 tests. It was entered by theskiesabove on 2010-05-27 22:42:02.

Reviews

Comments

WannabeTesla said:
Shu Lien and Jen discuss a few different topics including the warrior's life, calligraphy, and the identity of the thief of the Green Destiny. Jade Fox and Jen discuss their training and the stolen Wudan scrolls.

Overall, this film is pretty feminist-friendly. When the police are chasing the disguised Jen after she steals the Green Destiny, they assume she is male. The legends of Jade Fox as well as the wanted poster of her assume she is male. When Jen poses as a traveling warrior, she successfully pretends to be male, and then defeats a restaurant full of male warriors. The warriors, clearly embarrassed, later pretend they were bested because her sword was too powerful.

Jen is portrayed as a wushu prodigy who could one day surpass Li Mu Bai, so Li Mu Bai expresses his desire get her into the traditionally all-male Wudan monastery. The movie also suggests Jen should break tradition and follow her own heart and marry Lo instead of accepting an arranged marriage. (On the other hand, she is also sexually assaulted by Lo in the desert, but she likes it, so mark this as a strike against.)

Jade Fox mentions she was used by Li Mu Bai's master for sex, yet he refused to teach her. She murders him, and Li Mu Bai seeks revenge. In the end, when Li Mu Bai mortally wounds Jade Fox, he is surprised to learn that Jade Fox was not trying to kill him but Jen. Her conflict was with another woman, while Li Mu Bai's quarrel meant little to her.
Message posted on 2011-06-10 19:17:02
Salle said:
@WannabeTesla- you posted this over 5 years ago so you probably won't respond but how was she sexually assaulted by Lo? It looked consensual to me.
Message posted on 2016-08-31 01:15:24
JD said:
It was, but we are brainwashed to a point that we only consider sex to be consensual when it was initiated by a woman.

If the man is the one that initiates it, someone somewhere will scream rape.
Message posted on 2016-09-26 19:10:08
Larry Barthel said:
If you watch the scene, it's the classic "pin her down until she submits" scene. She's fighting against him in the beginning, he has to physically pin her down, and *THEN* the trope shifts and "she likes it" only after being pinned down.

Typical movie trope - the woman says or displays "no" and then "he" overpowers that with his sheer sexuality, and "convinces" her to like it. Just another promotion of rape society.
Message posted on 2018-08-06 12:21:33

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