The glitz and glam of Hollywood and the honor and prestige of the University may not seem to have a lot in common besides their shared work hard, play hard energy. However, this year, both of these institutions are celebrating 50 year anniversaries of sorts. In 1974, the University welcomed the first fully co-educational class in its history. Meanwhile on the west coast, Hollywood was in its glory days of what film fans often call “the golden age” of cinema.
Defined by the iconic direction of Francis Ford Coppola, the early films of Martin Scorsese, the pull of movie stars — like Al Pacino and Robert Redford — and the gritty themes of crime and betrayal, this pivotal decade of film is commonly viewed as male dominated, and rightfully so.
Many viewers do not give the women in these films a second thought, let alone look to them as exemplars of female empowerment. When taking a closer look at the arcs and actions of these female characters, however, it becomes clear that 1974 cinema actually made feminist strides similar to those of the University.
While the University was empowering women with the right to education on Grounds, Hollywood was empowering women by showcasing strong female characters on screen. The women of the University may have been equipping themselves with textbooks rather than running from chainsaws, but the films of 1974 portrayed the power, perseverance and independence of women during this decade of immense change.
Chinatown
Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown” depicts private detective J.J. “Jake” Gittes, played by Jack Nicholson, attempting to solve the murder case of Los Angeles political leader Hollis Mulwray, played by Darrell Zwerling. In a film dominated by men, the obstacle preventing Jake from cracking the case is, notably, the lead female, Evelyn Mulwray, Hollis’ wife, played by Faye Dunway.
While Evelyn often presents as the stereotypical femme fatale, dripping in sex appeal and mystique, the film subverts this troupe by giving Evelyn a deeply complex past consequential to the plot. By fleshing out Evelyn as a multi-dimensional character, rather than treating her as only a shiny object meant to tempt Jake, the film advocates for women to be taken seriously, rather than merely objectified for their sexuality.
Besides granting her emotional complexity, the film also gives Evelyn agency over the story through the power of information. Evelyn spends most of the film keeping information essential to solving the case from Jake to protect herself. Instead of catering to Jake’s wants, which would follow the stereotypical gender roles portrayed in this era of detective films — like “Farewell, My Lovely” and “The Late Show” — Evelyn makes decisions in her own best interest. Since knowledge equals power in the detective world, Evelyn's upper hand on knowledge grants her agency over her life, prioritizing her own needs.
While the plot of this film may not seem to have direct ties to education, it ultimately tells the story of a woman deriving her power from her knowledge. Like those on Grounds know, expanding one’s knowledge is essential to achieving personal, academic and career success. Maybe without even knowing it, this film is speaking on the importance of educating women to empower them, both here at the University and across the country.
The Godfather Part 2
A rare sequel that lives up to, if not surpasses, the brilliance of the original film, “The Godfather Part 2” is revered as one of the greatest films of all time. Fans and critics alike often consider the film franchise a character study on leading man and mob boss Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino. While Michael’s arc is the film’s main focus, the parallel story-arc of his wife Kay Adams-Corleone, played by Diane Keaton, is equally compelling because of its feminist messaging.
In “The Godfather,” Kay is established as the moral stronghold around which the film’s otherwise corrupt landscape revolves. Her best efforts to draw Michael towards legal practices and ethical principles, however, are ultimately trumped by her husband's criminal actions.
“The Godfather Part 2” transforms Kay from a skeptical, yet loving, wife into an autonomous woman refusing to be defined by her husband’s wrongdoings. When Kay can no longer stand by Michael’s actions in good conscience, she takes her life into her own hands, leaving him and the corruption into which she unknowingly married. By enabling Kay to prioritize her morality and her children above her loyalty to her fraudulent husband, the film paints Kay as the independent, progressive American woman juxtaposed against the traditional Sicilian Corleone family.
As both a sliver of morality in this otherwise depraved film and an agent who does not let the men in her life control her, Kay represents the feminist ideal that emerged in the ‘70s throughout the country and on Grounds.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Following the journey of Sally `Hardesty, played by Marilyn Burns, and her friends in their attempts to escape a cannibal named Leatherface and his sinister accomplices, “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” is credited with pioneering the slasher genre of horror film that is so popular today. While female protagonists were a rarity for the time, the film, perhaps inadvertently, tells a feminist story in which a hard headed, perseverant girl is the only friend able to escape the attacks of the gruesome male villain.
Throughout the film, Leatherface kills Sally’s four friends in unique, yet equally disturbing ways. While female protagonists of this period were generally saved from their plights by a man — like in the film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” which premiered the same year — Sally had no choice but to save herself.
Sally not only outruns the men taunting her, she also outsmarts them. The film flaunts her strength, grit and courage all against the backdrop of Leatherface’s horror. The same age as the first-years in the University’s first coeducation class, Sally displayed the strength and smarts of these young women through her journey to safety.
Ranging from big-budget dramas to independent slashers, 1974 was an illuminating year in film. While at first glance there is seemingly no connection to be made between these three films, they all showcase women who subvert expectations and stand up for themselves against those that aim to control them. Sally’s escape from Leatherface’s evil is nothing more than a hyperbolized depiction of Evelyn and Kay’s unwavering self-determination in the face of their own toxic male counterparts. The women of these films — like the pioneering women of the University’s class of ‘74 — are strong, independent actors capable of shaping their own destinies.
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