Heroines: Movies vs. Reality

         Most of the Hollywood movies about “masculine females” feature strong, proactive women warriors who fight evil and become the champion to the delight of fans. They are all independent and intelligent. Most of time in their lives they have no choice other than to be be tough. Selene in Underworld is a latex and leather clad, death-dealing vampire goddess with luminescent ice blue eyes and has perfectly pale skin. She is proficient with many weapons, both medieval and modern. As a vampire, Selene frequently demonstrates superior physical abilities to defeat males effortlessly. She uses superhuman strength to pin Michael against a wall with one hand to his throat several feet off the ground, performs spectacular leaps, manhandle four police officers and strike her enemies with tremendous force. Resident Evil is another movie portraying a masculine heroine born from a video game. This character, Alice, is portrayed as tough and rugged as she is a genetically enhanced victim of the Umbrella Corporation. Alice wakes up to find Raccoon City populated by flesh-eating zombies and flashbacks of what has come to pass. Alice has to kill zombies to get out of the company basement in order to find freedom. Her superhuman abilities, as well as the use of various styles of martial arts and gun play have made her equal to the female heroine type of character. Lastly, Mulan, is the only daughter of aged warrior Zhou. Facing to the conscription notice which requires one man from each family to join the army, Mulan pretends to be a man and takes her father’s place during a general recruitment to counter the Hun invasion. Mulan tricked everyone at the camp in believing she is a man and successfully trained to become a skilled warrior at the training camp. Mulan then fought for many years and became a successful warrior.

          In most Hollywood movies, although those females somehow are forced to fight for their lives, they all become successful at the end of the story in one way or another, however, this happy ending doesn’t always happen in the real life.
          Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. She was a village girl born in eastern France who had visions of religious figures and of Saint Margaret who told her to drive out the English and bring the Dauphin to Rheims for his coronation. Joan of Arc asked for permission to travel with the army and wear the equipment of a knight.  She wore male clothing and kept her hair cut short. Joan of Arc rejected the strategy that characterized French leadership during previous campaigns and guided the French army by her own way to lead army to several important victories during the Hundred Years’ War, paving the way for the coronation of Charles VII. Even thought she contributed so much to her country, she was accused of being a witch. She was then captured and transferred to the English for money and burned at the stake when she was only 19 years old.

Media often misleads the audience in thinking that the struggles many heroines go through will lead them to success. We must consider the real-life heroines and their struggles that may have brought success to others, but forced these women to make the ultimate sacrifice.