Feminism Through Film

The films we viewed this week are Gidgit and Blue Crush.  Both of these films have a very dominating central theme - the woman's experience trying to be a part of a male dominated sport. Both Gidgit and AnneMarie have to work twice as hard to get to the same level of respect and acceptance as the men in these sports. Gidgit had the added difficulty of not being a little sister to the group that she wants to be a part of. AnneMarie has her own mental battles of getting hurt in the rip curl of the big pipe surf again.  Both of these heroins have enough determination and put in enough effort to reach their goals in the end. The most shocking aspect of these two films: they were made 40 years apart. Gidgit was made in 1959 while Blue Crush was made in 2001. We can see that not only was it difficult being a woman in a man's sport back in the late 1950's but it is still just as difficult in the 21 century. For that matter, unless vast cultural changes don't occur, it will always be just as difficult to be a woman in a man's world- be it sports, occupation, or anything else- and the women who can persevere through the challenges will forever be Heroins in their field.