Film & TV

The Importance of The Bechdel Test in Films

Words By Molly Grenfell

What is the Bechdel Test? 

The Bechdel test ÔÇô a term coined by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in 1985 ÔÇô is a way of measuring female representation in TV and film. To pass the test, a film must feature at least two named female characters having a conversation about something other than a man. Almost four decades since the emergence of the term, most films still fail to meet its criteria, so why is it so hard for filmmakers to pass the Bechdel test despite the incredibly low bar for passing?  

Half the world left out? 

Women make up over half the global population yet are given just a third of speaking roles in films. This extreme underrepresentation of such a huge demographic can be harmful as studies show that seeing yourself reflected on screen is vital for self-development and identification. The reason for the lack of female representation in film is due to the structure of the production process ÔÇô in the top highest-grossing U.S. films last year, women made up only 18% of directors, 19% of writers and 31% of producers (according to The Celluloid Ceiling, 2022). This means the majority of box office hits are essentially produced by men, for men.  

Even films produced with female audiences in mind are often centred around romance narratives, meaning female characters in genres like chick flicks and rom-com’s don’t talk about anything else but their male love interests. In action movies, the only role of female characters is often to drive the narrative, giving the male hero someone to save or boost his ego in times of woe. These one-dimensional, romance-centric female characters reinforce traditional stereotypes of women and suggest that women are nothing without a man and that we have no lives of our own.  

Do any films pass? 

Only around 60% of films pass the Bechdel test, which might seem like a solid number. However, if we put the test in reverse and think about films that feature two named men who have a conversation about something other than a woman, over 95% of cinema would passÔǪ 

I digress. Let’s hear some noise for last year’s films that pass the Bechdel test!  

Some of the films above pass the test with flying colours ÔÇô ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ needs no explanation; ‘Disenchanted’, the sequel to the 2007 film ‘Enchanted’ passes the test, despite its slightly clumsy script and crowded plot the female characters do show agency. I’d have been surprised if Olivia Wilde‘s mystery thriller ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ didn’t pass the Bechdel test due to its majority-female production team and utopian plot, which criticises traditional gender roles.┬á┬á

I love to see a sequel/ franchise action films passing the Bechdel test, like ‘The Batman’ and ‘Jurassic World Dominion’, because it means producers have intentionally subverted the genre conventions of action heroes being strong, independent, macho characters who generally save weak, vulnerable female victims. The inclusion of feminine heroines in action movies promotes female agency and empowers women to see femininity and strength as one in the same.  

Is the Bechdel Test really all that?  

While the Bechdel Test was only ever meant to be a jokey, tongue-in-cheek way of showing a lack of female representation in the media, it really took off as a measure of female agency in TV and film. However, our contemporary media landscape is wildly different from that of the test’s origin in the 80s, and many criticise the Bechdel test for being over-simplified, minimum requirements for diversity which overlook other problems around underrepresentation in the film industry such as race and sexuality. 

Some other tests have been proposed over the years, such as the Peirce Test, proposing that films feature at least one female character who has her own narrative arc and exists authentically with her own desires that she pursues; the Landau Test, which a film only passes if their main female character doesn’t end up dead, pregnant, or causing plot complications for the male protagonist; the Waithe Test, which asks that a film features a black woman who’s in a position of power and in a healthy relationship; and the Vito Russo test which requests that a character be identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender, not solely defined by their sexual orientation/ gender identity, and should be significantly tied to the plot. 

I think it’s clear to see that while it’s not enough to measure equality and diversity nowadays, the Bechdel Test was a great starting point and deserves credit where it’s due.  

So, which of your favourite movies pass the test?