Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Is Friday Feminist - Or Feebleminded?
Hildy Johnson is a confident career woman who can compete with men (and defeat them) in the dog-eat-dog world of journalism. She is even willing to divorce her man if he doesn't treat her right. Yet, at the same time, she seeks the domestic joys of children and caring for her man -- and in the end returns to the rascal whom she left in the first place. What is the role of women in this film? Does it tell us anything about "modern" women in 1940's America?
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Although Howard Hawks's His Girl Friday seems to provide a new, progressive archetype of a female protagonist with the character of Hildy Johnson, the film counterproductively subtly encourages stereotypical gender roles of women at the same time. In the beginning, the film introduces Hildy as an innovative female character in the sense that she's not soft-spoken or submissive as the gender roles at that time would suggest. Hildy is from the very start exemplified as a sharp-witted character with a strong tenacity who is not afraid to speak up for what she wants. We see her in action when she banters with her ex-husband Walter Burns about their divorce until eventually asserting that he stop contacting her for she's getting married to somebody else. In this scene, she lights a cigarette herself after Walter which subtly suggests that Hildy can handle herself and is unafraid to "play with the boys." In this first introductory scene, we see that Hildy is immediately established as a strong presence in the room who is unyielding against men who want to control her. However, although she keeps up the same sharp wit and creative comebacks throughout the entire film, there are moments that seem to align with the gender roles of women of that time period. For example, while in the newsroom, one of the newsmen makes a comment that Hildy was a "Dollfaced Hick" and she wittily concedes that that may have been the reason why she got the job as a reporter. This off-hand comment aligns with the stereotype that women cannot establish a successful career without being physically attractive. Another example of the film's regression is the fact that Walter always seems to be one step ahead of Hildy. He is always actively scheming to win Hildy back and although she does catch him some of the time, she is more reactive instead of preemptive. This idea that Hildy can never "catch up" with Walter also puts forth the message that even the most quick-witted women can never be as smart as a man. Of course, the resolution where Hildy eventually falls into the trap that Walter set up for her by falling back in love with him also aligns with gender roles of women because she is shown as a women who, despite all her tenacity, still ends up becoming manipulated. Although Hildy Johnson seems to be a strong female character in breaking down the gender roles for women in that era, there are moments exemplifying regressive stereotypes that become counterproductive to the meaning of her character.
ReplyDeleteThe role, which women played at that time, is indeed very characteristic for the film. The Character of Molly Malloy, the wife of the soon-to-be-killed Earl Williams, represents the role of an ordinary woman best. She does not get any attention at all and is ignored by the reporters. When she gets angry, she has to be taken out of the room and seems to be helpless and not at all powerful. The only time the reporters do not ignore her, is when she jumps out of the window. This is an actual representation of how women were treated at that time: they were inferior to men and were not to have an own opinion or to rebel. Hildy Johnson breaks out of that gender role; she is not at all shy or holds herself back. She says exactly what she wants and is somehow respected by the reporters. They listen to her and even seem to admire her skills of writing and storymaking. This results in her seeming superior to the other reporters and even to her man Bruce Baldwin. Walter Burns is the only one not to be affected by her feminine charm and the two seem to be on the same intellectual and social level. We could call Hildy a “modern” woman in my opinion. She is independent in her actions and is not dominated by a man. She plays an important part in her workplace, which can be seen, as everybody wants her to write the story as her writing seems to be better than the ones of the other reporters. She is an important and useful member of society and represents todays view on women very well.
ReplyDeleteThroughout Hawk’s “His Girl Friday”, it is evident that there was some attempt to break certain gender role stereotypes and be progressive about the portrayal of women in film. However, though it comes off as a progressive film at its surface, delving deeper into the film reveals stereotypical behavior and some very regressive plot vehicles and events. The movie should be commended for at least trying to be more progressive for its time because it most likely was compared to other movies from the 1940’s, as it portrayed a strong female main character, Hildy, that is not only successful in her career, but seems to be witty and intelligent compared to many other characters in the movie. Taking a closer look, though, shows that there are many points within the story that she is simply outsmarted or completely tricked into doing something by another male character. When Hildy is talking to the news reporters in the press room, there are times which she accidentally gives up details about what she is doing because they come off as more cunning than she is. The most evident of these cases is towards the end when she is fooled into writing up the story for Walter as her fiancé, Bruce, calls repeatedly and tells her he is leaving for Albany. This is ridiculous to watch because she acts completely oblivious in the scene and is dumbfounded once she realizes her situation. If we take a step back from the movie and view the plot as a whole, this happens many times. Though she looks like a strong woman that is successful, the story is almost entirely about two men fighting over her and which one will be victorious and claim the girl. There are various times in the movie that Hildy seems as if she has no will power or effect on the plot at all as she is often just drifting through the events and not influencing them. Her biggest contributions to the happenings in the film are when she hides Earl and when she writes the story, one of which was not entirely of her own volition, as previously stated. While Hildy is portrayed in a much more progressive light than is expected from a movie from this era, she realistically has little power over her situation and the things happening around her and this is why “His Girl Friday” is not a truly progressive film.
ReplyDeleteWhile it may seem as though director Howard Hawk had the intention of creating a progressive female dominant character in his film His Girl Friday, there are holes in the plot that undermine Hildy’s powerful presence in the film. There are scenes where Hildy can be viewed as a progressive feminist figure like when she outsmarts Walter and tells Bruce to put the money he received in the pocket of his hat, or when she controlled the newsroom and demanded respect from the other journalists in the room. While those scenes were well intentioned, the fact that in the end Hildy is once again a step behind Walter and he still gets Bruce arrested for holding counterfeit money, and it is an important part of the film to remember that the respect that she had from the other journalists does not solely derive from her talent. She was arguably the best journalist; however, one cannot forget that she was intimate with the boss and that gave her opportunities and leverage to improve her skills. Continuing with this idea, the only reason why Walter took Hildy under his wing was because of her appearance. This is common with the time because women were not viewed for their character or intellect, but by how attractive they were. Along with that, the reasons Hildy wanted to leave and ended up staying in the journalism business are problematic. She originally wanted to leave something that she was passionate about for a guy, and she wanted to leave to have a more “common and normal” life of having and taking care of children. This is describing the role of the domestic woman, and this was the lives of many women: being subjected to staying in the house. Not only was that bad but she eventually ends up staying in the journalism business for a guy. This shows that woman can be easily persuaded, and will always just follow men. Overall, there are some personality traits of Hildy that may seem to help change the depiction of women in the 1940s, but she along with the other women in the film are just portraying the domestic woman who’s beauty is more important than brains.
ReplyDeleteHildy Johnson is a visionary for most women in 1940s America. Being a strong independent women, she supersedes the stereotype of men being the breadwinner while the women stays home to cook the meals and to take care of the children. Even though this isn’t her first thought when it comes to her life she essentially portrayed the daily life of women in reverse order. She already has a career and it playing and competing with the boys and she wants to move far away from all of the hubbub and the take it slow to transitioning into the housewife life in the suburbs. This, (in my own experience of watching cinema), is one of the only times I have seen this for this time period which was one of great change in occupational experiences and opportunities (men were off the war so women might have gotten these jobs). This film portrays women (especially Hildy Johnson, who theoretically wears the pants in her relationship and somewhat taking charge of everything that Bruce does by bailing him out of prison) as being sort of the man stereotype for journalists as being to the first in the crowd to write for a once in a lifetime story. She essentially exhibits the first known instances of Me Too over 70 years before the movement was at its height. Essentially she is a visionary for women everywhere and she should be looked up to and studied in women’s studies seminars and other things like that for years to come.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough the film portrays its heroine, Hildy, as a dominant, independent lead character, ultimately, it is through this characterization that His Girl Friday argues that no matter a woman’s ambitions, talents, or desires, her primary role is to serve as an accessory to a man. From the beginning of His Girl Friday, Hildy is shown to be extremely self-sufficient and strong. Within the first few scenes, a tracking shot confidently follows her stride through the newspaper office, providing Hildy with an air of control. Quickly, a full image of her character becomes clear; Hildy is a woman who will do anything in her power to achieve her goals. However, despite her strengths, Hildy’s desire to leave the newspaper business in favor of raising a family in suburbia is intentionally shown to be irrational. Her fiancé, Bruce, is a quiet and mellow man who is starkly unable to keep up with the fiery, quick-witted Hildy. Juxtaposed with Hildy’s sly ex-husband, Walt, Bruce’s incompetence serves as a representation of everything wrong with a woman’s judgement; Hildy simply cannot make logical and fitting decisions for herself. Despite being intelligent, dominant, and confident, the film ensures that the audience is aware that Hildy’s intention to build a family with Bruce is far from an ideal situation. Even the film’s title, His Girl Friday, insinuates that Hildy is an unpredictable force that must be conquered; just as Friday in Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Hildy must be ‘civilized’ by a man strong enough to control her. Clearly, the traits a modern perspective perceives as feminist strengths only incriminate Hildy as a being to be tamed. Bruce, with his slow dialogue and blunt honestly cannot hope to constrain Hildy. Walt, in contrast, literally traps the heroine with his slick and sharp words. In fact, by the end of the film, Hildy concedes that she truly belongs with Walt, completely forgoing her own insistent desires for the will of a man. She is shown to be the prize that was rightfully caught by Walt, the deserving victor. In a modern film, the traits possessed by Hildy would be more than indicative of a strong female lead; however, in His Girl Friday, Hildy’s independence is synonymous with her shortcomings. To address these faults, to complete her character, Hildy is convinced she must have a man to keep her in check, and in that, almost as profoundly as the murder, lies the true tragedy of His Girl Friday.
His Girl Friday is a perfect example of a film that has aged extremely well, but still offers a glimpse into American values and ideals almost eighty years ago. While many aspects of this film seem dated in our 2018 perspective, the majority of the elements push a feminist agenda. The most obvious example is the characterization of Hildy Johnson, our main character. From the get-go, she is portrayed as a strong, independent woman who is respected by every man around her and is as smart and witty as her former boss and ex-husband, Walter. A perfect example of this is during the opening scene where Hildy is greeted by her former coworkers and is begged to return to the journalism industry. In the proceeding scene (Walter’s introduction), Hildy keeps up with Walter’s fast paced comments and quips and responds just as well (one of the most breakneck scenes in the entire movie). Secondly, the two most prominent women in this film, Hilda Johnson and Molly Malloy, are determined to spread the truth about Earl Williams, a stark contrast to Hildy’s male coworkers. For example, when Malloy interrupts a game of poker to attempt to tell the reporters the truth, they first heckle, then dismiss her, and one man even tries to push her out of the room. The only person who seems to have an ounce of respect for Malloy is Hildy. The male journalists are portrayed as slacking, opportunistic men who gleefully partake in Yellow Journalism. While the ending seems to unravel the message built up throughout the entire film, as Hildy returns to her manipulative ex-husband, I would argue that the ending serves to culminate the critique of the institution of marriage (which had been built up using Hildy’s relationship with Walter and Bruce), rather than downplay the feminist messages.
ReplyDeleteThe film “His Girl Friday” portray Hildy as a strong, powerful woman who is struggling with gender stereotypes. It is clear that Hildy is one of the best journalists at her paper and in her town. People at the paper respect her and Walter, her ex-husband and owner of the paper, greatly appreciates and relies on her work. The film begins with Hildy returning to the paper so she can tell her ex-husband that she is getting re-married and will not be returning to her job. She expresses a desire to settle down and fulfill stereotypical housewife duties. As the movie progresses and Hildy gets caught up with the escape of a charged killer, it becomes obvious that Hildy absolutely loves being a journalist. In the end, she calls off her new marriage to Bruce and returns to her journalism job and her ex-husband Walter. I believe that Hildy never really wanted to settle down after all. I think that she was feeling pressure to fit into the cookie cutter ideals of women from that time. There were very few women that were as accomplished and powerful as she was at this time and I think she began to feel out of place. Hildy felt like she was failing at her housewife duties and that she needed to conform. Eventually she realizes that journalism will always be her true passion and it is okay to be different. I think other people may have seen Hildy as not a real women. She did not have children, she was not utterly devoted to her family and I think for a second she let that affect her. In the end Hildy’s strength and intelligence brought her back to the paper where her heart really lay.
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