CULST370 Week 2B by Anna Byron

Assignment Overview

abyron057 — 2024-01-13 19:23:37 UTC

In this CULST370 assignment I was told to choose three different vigilante women in film and tv, and hypothesize whether these characters are feminist. I chose three characters that I have never watched before and was also interested in learning more about.

Using my skills built up from the past week and a half of CULST370 I was able to make strong analyses of these characters using various online sources.

Chosen Vigilante Women

abyron057 — 2024-01-13 19:31:15 UTC

Cassie - Promising Young Woman

The Bride - Kill Bill

Billie - Alley Cat

CASSIE THOMAS

abyron057 — 2024-01-13 19:34:54 UTC

PROMISING YOUNG WOMEN BY EMERALD FENNELL

Who Are They?

Cassie was an aspiring med student until her best friend Nina was raped and committed suicide as a result. For fun she often found herself at bars pretending to be too drunk, waiting for a "nice guy" to take care of her. These "nice guys" inevitably take advantage of her actions, giving Cassie the chance to scare them into never harassing another woman again. Cassie decides that justice must be served and creates an elaborate plan to get back at all the people complicit in Nina's death. She goes after each enabler on her way to revenging the murderer himself.

Motivations

Cassie was horrified by the actions of her peers, she felt disgusted that none of them faced consequences for these actions. Cassie made it her purpose to punish men who have done other women wrong by threatening them. Because the law ignored the criminals who killed Nina, Cassie decided to take the law into her own hands. They needed to feel the consequences of the death of Nina.

THE BRIDE

abyron057 — 2024-01-13 19:35:48 UTC

KILL BILL BY QUENTIN TARANTINO

Who Are They?

The Bride is a former assassin who was almost killed in a massacre on her wedding day, leading to the death of the wedding party and her not yet born child. She makes it her life goal to get back at all the people who led to all the suffrage she has faced over the past 4 years. The Bride makes a hit list to start her journey of revenge.

Motivations

The Bride's main motivation is the death of her child and motherhood. After a fast-paced life of killing, she is finally ready to settle down with someone she loves with her child. Although that was all taken away from her and she wants to earn that back with revenge.

BILLIE

abyron057 — 2024-01-13 19:37:22 UTC

ALLEY CAT BY AL VALLETTA, ED PALMOS, VICTOR M. ORDONEZ

Who Are They?

Billie takes revenge on a gang who attacked her grandparents, along the way using her martial arts skills to attack others who she believed deserved it. This film was certainly more difficult to get a grasp on without watching it myself. Going off online reviews that was all I retained. It seems to be a pretty shallow character that goes on a vigilante journey, serving justice to those who wrong her grandparents.

Motivations

Billie is motivated to go on this revenge journey by the gang who got away with stealing her tires and attacking her grandparents.

Is This Vigilante Feminist?

abyron057 — 2024-01-13 19:43:00 UTC

During this film, there is a scene where Billie attacks a rapist who was not going to get the consequences that Billie thought he deserved. Although this is really the only scene in the film made with feminist intent. The character of Billie is not motivated by something that falls under feminist ideology. Billie is a woman vigilante who is getting revenge on a gang who wronged her, but she is not overall a feminist character.

Is This Vigilante Feminist?

abyron057 — 2024-01-13 19:43:42 UTC

Despite controversial takes on this question due to multiple interpretations of the character The Bride, I choose to believe that she is a feminist character. Many people seem to disagree, especially throughout the mixed messages of this video linked and comments. Although due to what I believe is her main motivation, motherhood, I believe she is a feminist character. The Bride is fighting for her right to have the slow life that she has always dreamed of, that was taken away from her.

Is This Vigilante Feminist?

abyron057 — 2024-01-13 19:44:19 UTC

Cassie is a beautiful example of a Vigilante Feminist in film for many reasons. Women have been harassed and abused by men at unproportionate rates in her community. Cassie has experienced this first hand through the rape and suicide of her close friend Nina. She has watched these perpetrators walk freely with no consequences, continuing to harass other women in the community. Cassie uses her vigilante actions to help protect the women in her community and serve justice to Nina's killer.