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The Ides of March Has A Woman Problem

by Nisha Chittal | 7:45 am, October 14th, 2011

» 58 comments

I went in to The Ides of March wanting to like it. I really wanted to! It has West Wing-esque political drama, following a candidate and his campaign for the Democratic nomination for President. It boasts a stellar cast including George Clooney and (feminist!) Ryan Gosling. It has already garnered significant Oscar buzz and is seen as a potential Best Picture contender. But five minutes in, it became glaringly obvious that even the combined star power of Clooney and Gosling couldn’t save this film from its major problem: the women.

In a cast full of all-star talent, there are two women in this movie and both characters are vapid, one-dimensional, and function only to prop up the male characters. As the film opens, the first female character (Evan Rachel Wood) is bringing coffee to a team entirely of men – she’s an intern. From what I can see in the film she is the only woman working on the entire campaign – was it really necessary to make her an intern?

Later it is revealed (spoiler alert!) that she has slept with multiple men on the campaign staff and repeatedly calls herself a slut. Altogether, her character in Ides exists for two reasons: 1) to sleep with the men and 2) to bring coffee for the men.

The other female character is a reporter played by Marisa Tomei who hounds Ryan Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman for scoops. Her character gets probably no more than 15 minutes of screen time and is more an archetype than a complex character. She functions largely as a pawn in the male characters’ twisted schemes and betrayals, with no real storyline of her own. This is the role given to Marisa Tomei, an actress who has won an Oscar – and been nominated three times. It’s a terrific waste of talent to relegate her to a role of such little significance.

Towards the end of the movie, suddenly, we’re introduced to another woman. Maybe there’s hope, I thought briefly! Nope, turns out she is just a new intern, still fetching coffee for the men.

Tomei and Wood are both talented actresses and both give strong performances even within the vast limitations of the roles they are handed. But I left the theater with the persistent nagging feeling that the women in this movie are so one-dimensional they’re one step away from being props. Much like The Social Network, this is another critically praised film where women are portrayed as ballbusters, sluts, coffee-fetchers, or helpless damsels whose men cheat on them (that’s Clooney’s character’s wife, who appears on screen only a minute and barely speaks). In the world according to The Ides of March, it is men who make all decisions, men who run for office, men who work on and run campaigns – politics is still entirely a man’s world and the women are just messing it up for them.

And while American politics is still largely dominated by men – it has come a long way in the last several years, farther than the all-dude environment in Ides would lead you to believe. There have been dozens of prominent women running for office and even more working on campaigns in the last few election cycles: there have been Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Sarah Palin, and countless others. Patti Solis Doyle ran the Clinton campaign in 2007 and Donna Brazile ran the Gore campaign in 2000, to name just a couple. Yet nowhere in do the writers even consider the possibility that women may have had something worthwhile to contribute to politics.

Someone suggested to me that perhaps the absence of any meaningful female characters in Ides was deliberate – meant to be a reflection of the current reality of our political system and a nuanced commentary on the low numbers of women in American politics today. Oh, I wish Hollywood were that progressive! But women are regularly marginalized on screen, and Ides is not the first film to do so nor will it be the last.

The Bechdel test for women in movies tests whether women have a meaningful presence in a film by looking at three basic criteria:

It has at least two women
Who talk to each other
About something other than a man

Seems so simple, but in The Ides of March, Tomei and Wood never cross paths – both are on screen so briefly and they never speak to each other at all.

Flip that around and ask yourself, not just about Ides but any movie: are there at least two men? Are they talking to each other? About something other than a woman?

I can’t name a single movie in Hollywood that fails that test.

bechdel test, Evan Rachel Wood, George Clooney, ides of march, marisa tomei, Ryan Gosling, the ides of march

Anonymous

George Clooney hates women. ;)
Anonymous

George Clooney hates women. ;)
Anonymous

Could you get me a cup of coffee while I read this ? Just a splash , really .
Thanks , honey .
http://www.facebook.com/tony.westover Tony Westover

Oh shut thefuck up!
Anonymous

Come to think of it , there was a serious lack of chicks in The Longest Day , Ice Station Zebra and Escape from Alcatraz .
http://twitter.com/JoeyKeyport Joe Wedick

Why does every movie have to have every frigging PC box checked in order to be considered?
How many movies are there where the male roles are all constructed to make them look like idiots, knuckleheads or somehow short a card in their respective decks and no one wants pillar the movie makers for creating such a movie.
I’m sick of people who wake up in the morning looking for nothing else than to be offended by something during the course of their day. Somehow the day isn’t worthy if they haven’t found some perceived oppression and empowered themselves by making someone else look bad.
This is a movie, not a publicly enacted policy or educational course – get off the high horse already
Anonymous

In other words, it’s just like a Bollywood film, huh, Nisha? Except without a good item song.
Anonymous

If women are so important & needed in politics, we must wonder how many articles Nisha Chittal has written in praise of Sarah Palin & Michele Bachmann?
http://twitter.com/Good_Lt Good Lt.

Not THOSE women, because they’re not real women if they’re not liberal women.
Ladrone25

I started reading this article wanting to like it. I really did! But then I noticed there were not two words written by men. The only time men were even mention was to align them and make them sound sexist. How dare Hollywood make a movie that focuses on a male-dominated area of culture and not show a strong, leading woman who speaks her mind and kicks all the men in the balls just for being men! How dare they show men as smart and strong. How pathetic of them.
Anonymous

from deadline.com , it says the movie was from a play written by a Howard Dean presidential campaign staffer. Maybe this is just how democratic campaigns go, but I assume the lack of women is because that’s how the writer wrote it…
http://www.deadline.com/?s=ides+of+march
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

Lol!! They’re real women, but also real ignorant!! Only Republicon think those two are fit to hold Office and lead this country!! It has nothing to do with them being female and everything to do with their intelligence!!
South East Asian

obligatory “THAT’S RACIST” reply.
http://www.facebook.com/wdarling Wendy Darling

I’m glad that there are people who see this stuff and speak up. Even a lot of women miss it. Thank you for drawing attention to the marginalization of women. While I agree that not every movie has to be “integrated,” as it depends on the story, time period depicted, etc., the way this movie turned out is representative of an overall trend.
http://ryanstephensmarketing.com/blog/ ryanstephens

As a progressive liberal I would have preferred to see you criticize Clooney for not taking any risks. He played it safe and didn’t condemn many of things he would’ve liked to, opting instead for a couple of throw-away lines (i.e. taxing the rich) here and there.

Like Joe, I feel like you’re just looking for something to be offended by.
Mhersey

if you’re going into a movie “wanting” to like it you’ll more often than not be disappointed. Kvetching about there not being more “women” and there not being more “women-like” roles in movies like Ides is bit disingenuous – politics in American culture has been dominated by stories of scandal with women who have, as seen by this male observer, played to “type”, you know “slut, ball-buster, marm, loyal to a fault, etc etc”. Oscar Wilde famously claimed that life imitates art rather than the reverse, perhaps Ms. Chittal you might do better remembering that in your future movie critiques.
http://twitter.com/maggiefanelli Maggie Fanelli

George Clooney dates blow-up dolls (with accents) and has no intention of ever marrying. If all he sees in his life are vapid, useless women then his films are going to reflect that.
http://twitter.com/maggiefanelli Maggie Fanelli

Did the character’s campaign implode when he skipped around the stage at the Iowa Caucus going “Yeeeeeeahhhhhh!!!!”?
Anonymous

Nisha, you’re obviously unaware of THE feminist movie of the century – Faster, Pussycat! Kill Kill!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktaCqhiF4mA
Anonymous

Personally I thought the movie had more of an “idiotic plot” problem. I don’t want to expound any further though, since there’s probably some people on this thread who wish to see the film.
SlyFox

Well…if you are looking for a movie that has women in it that has the appeal we all should strive for may I suggest ‘Courageous’….Oh, I forgot….traditional women are such a drag..
http://dkdnewmedia.com Diane Danielson

Actually, the movie does depict real life. While we’ve been focused on women candidates, people are starting to notice the lack of women in major positions in campaigns. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yashar-hedayat/why-dont-we-have-more-wom_b_865803.html. So, unfortunately, for now, this movie might be more realistic than we’d like. I’m still interested in seeing it!
Anonymous

Tomei and Wood obviously don’t share your penchant for substance or feminism but then again Solis Doyle and Brazile aren’t exactly role models in that respect, given their blind obedience to Obama. It’s a liberal thing, all talk………
Jacobjakeu

“Flip that around and ask yourself, not just about Ides but any movie:
are there at least two men? Are they talking to each other? About
something other than a woman?

I can’t name a single movie in Hollywood that fails that test.”

UM… “STEEL MAGNOLIAS.” “THE HELP.” “BRIDESMAIDS.” “CHARLIE’S ANGELS.”
Yeas_international

Just another threatened man, I see. When someone posts about equality in a shitty movie that everyone loves, there’s always a scared man ready to strike them down. Good to see that you’re perpetuating that sterotype.
Yeas_international

Go to hell, douchebag, and let her fucking talk.
Yeas_international

In other words, you completely fucking ignorant.
Yeas_international

This makes no sense. Just because you’re writing about a movie ABOUT politics, doesn’t mean you have do the same for the other. That’s like saying, “This person wrote an article about this movie that was completely racist towards African Americans, so where’s all their other papers about Malcom X or Martin Luther King??” Sorry, but your argument is stupid. If someone sees something “off” in a film, they have a right to bring it up. Besides, I am far from being a Republican and don’t agree with most of Palin’s arguments, but I think it’s fucking awesome that a woman has got as far and as much limelight within the political spectrum as her. Why can’t you be less of a douchebag and just acknowledge that?
Laura Shaffer

Sounds like this “male” observer needs to expand his ideas of “types” of “women.”
Yeas_inernational

Oscar Wilde is a misogynist, so…
Yeas_international

Because, Joe, male characters have dominated film since the late 1800′s. Honestly, I can’t think of any movie where the male characters are “constructed to look like idiots” and “knuckleheads”. If there are, good. There should be more of them. Waaay more. Also, in film theory, art theory, literature, there is a thing called “the other”. White men usually and can never be “the other”. Why do you think that is? Why don’t you get off your damn high horse and try thinking for once? I’m a white guy, so why don’t I go make a movie about killing black people? or gay people? or black gay people? Wouldn’t that be pretty fucking terrible? Oh wait. It’s just a movie, not a “publicly enacted policy or educational course”. So, I guess it’s ok.
Yeas_international

As someone who claims to be a progressive liberal as well, I did not walk into this movie wanting to be offended. Yet, I was. The female characters in this film were not represented well. At all. End of story.
Limpbaals

I’m still waiting for my coffee bro, the time for words is over.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Theresa-Darklady-Reed/581698361 Theresa ‘Darklady’ Reed

Yeah. Stupid women wanting to be represented in films.

It’s like blacks thinking they deserve roles other than domestic help, pimps, prostitutes, and drug dealers!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Theresa-Darklady-Reed/581698361 Theresa ‘Darklady’ Reed

Right, because the only way for women to properly opine on anything related to women is to praise women they don’t agree with, even those who would gladly sell their rights down the river.

Talk about a defensive knee-jerk reaction to an observation about a movie.
Yeas_international

I’m still waiting for you to grow some balls of your own, get off your ass, and get your own damn coffee.
Limpbaals

You don’t have to be so mean and barky all the time :(

I don’t know what you expected coming to comment here, these are Fox Nation Rejects, people too stupid or ignorant to meet FN’s nearly non-existant standards. My comment was at least clever and referenced the critiqued female chars in said movie.

I watch My Little Pony, thats all the feminism I need to do. BRONY POWER- Friendship is Magic bitches(Note to easily offended persons, JESSE PINKMAN RULES)
Yeas_international

I’m sorry. It’s hard to denote sarcasm on these comments. Please accept my apology. I think living in a college town where “bros” are the norm – I may have jumped down your throat a little too quickly.
Anonymous

If what you say is accurate – then the movie will be dismissable. Depressing enough that much of it was filmed in Cincinnati. (AKA “Tehran-On-The-Ohio”) We’ll see. Thx.
http://twitter.com/JoeyKeyport Joe Wedick

Wow, really have a chip on your shoulder, eh? A work of fiction made into a movie and your off and running about the problems with white guys in general. You have my sympathy, really – I don’t what or who did you wrong, but it wasn’t me or 99% of the white guys out there.
http://twitter.com/JoeyKeyport Joe Wedick

No stupid people thinking EVERYTHING needs to be PC all the time – nice and neat – can’t have one thing outa place or we’ll feel that somehow we’re not empowered, strong, equal. It’s a movie and if its’ ommissions leave you feeling, I don’t know, somehow exposed or weak then maybe there’s something else going on there that a Dr. Phil or someone needs to deal with.
Limpbaals

I didn’t really give much of a clue to go on, other than mentioning coffee ;>

Some people like saying bro in a semi-sarcastic way, like maybe someone who is MTF perhaps :O

There are bigger problems in Hollywood, like female writers. I think Women in America are enabling these trends to continue among other negative trends not connected to movies.

We are moving backwards as a society, and these people that you see being ignorant on this page are the symptom, not the problem. It is no one’s natural state to act like a dismissive and obtuse bully who hates anything that isn’t like them, people have to be pushed into that mentality.

Powerful forces are at work manipulating things(aka rich white men who support republicans), I think women’s issues are collateral damage in this fight. The same way that a Rising tide raises all ships, attacking traditional democratic voter groups like Labor and Women figures into the Republican strategy. It is a sick game that they play.
Yeas_international

Hahaha. This made laugh. Thanks for making my day. Yup, you got me pegged!
eviltwit

Always thought he might be gay…
Froin

Well it sounds like people are complaining that they dont like the art that is produced in film. Its a viewpoint, its biased and I am sorry but if you don’t like it then start pushing the movement towards woman working towards actually getting into positions in which they can produce a Film how they would like, instead of asking the guys to change it for them. Yes you have rich and powerful ladies, get them to help you or you can make an Indy film which are not overlooked by anyone these days. I am sorry but when I see more women’s exclusive clubs and organizations I really think your pushing it beyond equality, you want superiority. Your not going to get it by complaining about art.
Froin

Well it sounds like people are complaining that they dont like the art that is produced in film. Its a viewpoint, its biased and I am sorry but if you don’t like it then start pushing the movement towards woman working towards actually getting into positions in which they can produce a Film how they would like, instead of asking the guys to change it for them. Yes you have rich and powerful ladies, get them to help you or you can make an Indy film which are not overlooked by anyone these days. I am sorry but when I see more women’s exclusive clubs and organizations I really think your pushing it beyond equality, you want superiority. Your not going to get it by complaining about art.
Anonymous

Well that gay guys latest blow up doll says the sex is great

check her out

http://fantasy4040.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/stacy-keibler.jpg

http://www.wwedivas4u.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/stacy-keibler-george-clooney-300×208.jpg
Anonymous

have you seen the latest one he hates
http://www.facebook.com/tony.westover Tony Westover

Yeah, because we haven’t heard this enough. Woman weren’t prominent in the result of the creative process.

Oh those poor victims! Poor, poor victims! We all feel sooooooo sorry for them.
Anonymous

Nisha, thanks for the article. Good thing to have people talking about.
caconservative

I’d like to hate her!
Tommy Telephone

Sexist Pig liberals? Say it ain’t so!
Anonymous

damn right

I want to have some smart comeback but

Sheeesh
Mhersey

apparently Laura, you didn’t read what I wrote – I suggest starting at “dominated by stories of political scandal” – prove me wrong that’s all
Mhersey

Um, great non sequitur
http://twitter.com/plasticman2008 plasticman2008

wow, that’s quite a projection, wow
http://www.commonplacebook.com electrasteph

Wow. There are a lot of guys commenting who are really threatened by the idea that women should have better roles in movies. That’s pretty sad.
blehhhhhhhhh

I guess this girl wants all movies to be like Twilight…………………….

Well I finally saw the movie and didn’t like it. However, the female characters were more complex than she gives them credit for, I was expecting it to be dreadful. And if the writer of this article feels women in this movie are represented as ballbusters/sluts, I could say that men in this movie were represented as deceptive liars and cheaters. I’m a little late here but this is a pretty pathetic observation.