Query

[caitri]

Working on my Maleficent paper, and.... is it just me, or do her wings in glass recall the good ol' diagram of women's reproductive organs?



I mean, sometimes the Sacred Feminine is just the Sacred Feminine, but...

Comments

[aadarshinah.livejournal.com]

A little stylized, yes, but otherwise I say, "This is supposed to be a kids movie?"

[caitri.livejournal.com]

Okay, glad it's not just me with my Feminism glasses on.

Rewatching, and aside from the whole rape recovery narrative, I just noticed that Aurora's room in the castle has wallpaper that imitates the Moors, eg. domesticated femininity. Also, the whole "the Moors have no king or queen" but Maleficent as the strong protector vs. the conventional patriarchy of the human kingdom... Just, dude, SO MANY FEELS!

[aadarshinah.livejournal.com]

It's been a while since I've seen it, but I agree with the overall character assessment. The whole thing reaps of rape recovery narrative, and if no one calls them out on it they'll just keep on writing them as the only way a woman can become strong. Or some other nonsense like that.

[caitri.livejournal.com]

In this case, I saw Maleficent's rape recovery narrative as being about the reclamation of her power (esp. with her wings, which are taken from her and which she regains in the end).

But yeah, 300: Rise of the Empire "this is how women become strong and fight back" thing makes me want to go live in a Joanna Russ-ish lesbian utopia, please and thank you.

[aadarshinah.livejournal.com]

(nod) I've nothing wrong with the narrative itself. It's more the, "women can only become strong if they've been damaged," thing going on in the background. But I'm on a bit of a lesbian-utopia kick myself.

[caitri.livejournal.com]

ooh ooh--any recs? :D

[aadarshinah.livejournal.com]

Nothing I'd rec to anyone else. It's more of a general feeling. I got screwed over by a guy lately and it's left me with this sort of bad taste in my mouth when it comes to all things patriarchy.

[caitri.livejournal.com]

Ah, gotcha! Yeah, I know (too well) how that goes. FWIW I recommend Bradley's Mists of Avalon as some fictional salve.

[aadarshinah.livejournal.com]

I'll be sure to give that a shot. The stuff I've been reading lately is a complete crapshoot.

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

That's true for Maleficent (the character), and it's definitively a much too prevalent cliche. But on the other hand, you have Aurora, who becomes strong (more in the sense of having strong principles than power) because Maleficent nurtures her.