The Bechdel Test and The Hunger Games

In my writing 140 class, we learned about the Bechdel test, which is a self-reflexive test that a simple question. Is there are least one scene in the movie where to named female characters talked to each other about something other than a man? What an easy thing to pass, everyone thinks. However, there are hundreds of movies that fail this test. Many of these films are extremely popular and financially successful. While I think the test itself is rather limiting, it is an interesting way to view a film from a feminist perspective. Even though passing the test only means that you passed the test, it is an indicator that has people worried about how women are portrayed in the film industry. However, the test is rather limiting in that it does not take into account how female characters are depicted. Even if two named women speak to each other about some major plot point, are they doing so in a way that furthers female equality? In many cases, passing the test does not indicate whether or not female characters in a film can hold their own against men.

However, this seems to be changing in recent years, as more and more protagonists are women (or girls). Take The Hunger Games as an example. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has conversations with her sister, mother, guide Effie Trinket, and with just about every other character in the movie. And this isn't just because the studio wanted to pass the Bechdel test. In fact, the Bechdel test probably wasn't on their radar. Rather, because the protagonist is female, we can assume she will interact with the most characters. Meanwhile, there is only one scene I can recall where two men speak to each other about something other than Katniss (a woman), so the film barely passes the male version of the Bechdel test (if there is one). I think as Hollywood realizes films with female protagonists earn a comparable amount at the box office, that more films will pass the infamous Bechdel test.