Women In Films User Or Victim Essay

Women In Films: User Or Victim. Essay, Research Paper

Women in Films: User or Victim.

Robert L. Dye Jr. English 1013

Women in Films: User or Victim.

Designed to prove that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary

film, Evita, is now shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan Parker=s Evita is

a reflection of the much-publicized images of two popular self-made heroines of

different era, Evita and Madonna. The discussion of this essay will show us how

these ladies got far and revered once by their followers.

The life of Evita Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction,

about the tale of a young and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty

and poverty of her hometown, and Aflees to the big city to become a movie star,

fights her way to the top through succession of men, marries her country=s

president, only to die at a young age of 33″ (Harbinson 154). Eva was born

illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her

childhood life under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides being poor, Eva and her

sisters were regarded as bastard children , and for this reason, they were

Alooked upon as >brats= and often prevented from associating with the other

children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the ridicules that young

Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of her

hatred of Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).

Eva grew up to be an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who

attracted many men=s attention. Aside from her good looks, Eva had the charm

that could get her all the things she wanted, the character of a woman who never

gave into negative circumstances, and a determination so strong, she found her

way to the balcony of the presidential palace of Argentina. The painful

rejection, and the traumatic events of her father=s funeral, when she and her

family were refused entry by his legal wife, were still in Eva=s mind when she

left her hometown for the big city to seek a better life.

Despite her blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself

be a victim, and instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She

developed a strong courage, a ruthless ambition, and a hunger for success and

power@ (185-186). Armed with all the good looks, strong character,

determination to succeed, and, the secret resentment she nurtured against the

ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was ready to

change her life.

Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist

in the big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and she went on to

become a film and radio performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to

become successful, she was also aware of the Acrushing limitations imposed upon

Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism. It was the men who had the

freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was determined not to be

a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she did to

Augustine Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.

In the film, Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to

be born to portray the role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s life is almost a

replica of Evita=s life: a rags-to-riches tale in which Aearly personal loss is

a motivating factor, and in which, once success is achieved, ruthless will is

deployed to sustain it@ (163). Madonna=a childhood background resembles Evita=s

in many ways. Both came from a working-class background, both lost a parent at

an early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were

impoverished as little girls. Evita=s fight for success made her a role model

to Madonna, admiring the way she overcame her loss in early life. Despite all

hurdles, Evita used her early tragic experience as a motivating factor to seek

what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other hand, also used her own

childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like Evita,

Madonna left her hometown to seek a better life. Similarly, Madonna too, was

obliged to used men to get what she wanted (185).

According to a review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect

look for the role of Evita–stunning, tough, enigmatic–but the persona has much

in common with that of the woman she is playing. Both ladies got far on glamour,

detemination, controversy, the ability to influence styles and play a crowd, and

somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated that Madonna is a legend-in-

her-time playing another one (26).

As the film opens with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we

are introduced to Che (Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents

all the feelings held against Eva as politician and woman. He then takes us

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