Gravity (2013)

Dr. Ryan Stone is the lead protagonist and one out of seven named characters, one of two female characters, and the only character to survive. She is a medical doctor with very limited (six months) astronaut training, and very clearly out of her element, struggling to survive in a very hostile situation. Gravity portrays a woman that has so excelled in her field of expertise, Biomedical engineer, that she has bypassed years of training and is sent up as a lead on her own project - her very first mission to space. She's quiet and reserved, analysing the situation, attempting to solve the problem (Houston receiving no data). in the first scene, when debris attacks the explorer and she is sent hurtling away Stone is anxious, panicking and alone, drifting through space. Kowalski finds her and brings her back to the ship, setting out the initial plan, stays calm throughout the situation, but this by no means sets Stone as the stereotypical inadequate, crying woman, as he was known to be the experienced, better equipped leader on his last hurrah. Whats more impressive, someone who happens to be better equipped for a situation, or someone who's clearly unequipped and yet ultimately succeeds out of sheer will, determination and intelligence?

Despite not knowing what to do in her situation, Stone still keeps her wits about her. She hallucinates Kowalski, simply because her was her mentor figure, not because he was a man, and shows that she did have the knowledge to save herself, but because she's been so battered by the experience she doesn't trust herself to figure it out. Despite looking to the more experienced man to help her, she's discovers she's actually capable of rescuing herself.

This is not a heroine who magically transforms from scared girl to fearless warrior in one smooth transition. Dr. Stone has weaknesses, moments of self-doubt and frustration, outbursts of rage and defeat. But this is what makes her human, and her success all the more triumphant.

http://www.annekesmelik.nl/TheCinemaBook.pdf

"The narrative structure of traditional cinema establishes the male character as active and powerful: he is the agent around whom the dramatic action unfolds and the look gets organised. the female character is passive and powerless; she is the object of desire for the male characters."

"Within the narrative of the film the male character directs his gaze upon the female characters. the spectator is made to identify with the male gaze because the camera films from the optical POV of the male character. this creates three levels of the 'cinematic gaze' (camera, character and spectator) that objectifies the female character" (Mulvey)

Updated Film Choice

Speed (1994)
Gravity (2013)
Charlie's Angels (2000)