One of the things I get out of this women’s studies class is getting to stumble upon and learn about a woman like Mary Harron. I get to learn and write about an intelligent strong creative woman, with a sense of humor, that directed one of my favorite films - American Psycho based on the book by Bret Easton Ellis.
One might assume that this movie was meant to promote violence against women but Mary isn’t a stranger to irony. She clearly sees the underlying message in the book, she says, "as soon as I started reading it, it was completely obvious to me that it was a satire - a critique, not an endorsement," (guardian.co.uk) which seems to be completely lost on so many activists unless of course you make a movie in the reverse as her film “I Shot Andy Warhol”.
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| http://www.feministmafia.com/?p=323 |
Mary Harron has a striking similarity to the guerrilla graffiti artist Princess Hijab. Princess Hijab “acts upon her own free will” and is “not involved in any lobby or movement, be it political, religious, or to do with advertising.”( bitchmagazine.org) Mary Harron uses her individual way not associating herself to a particular political agenda to express criticism of society even though its meaning is often lost on her critics (much like Princess Hijab). It’s refreshing to see someone look past the superficial literal layer of any work of art and see something deeper and more meaningful, the way works of art are often meant to be understood. Valerie Solanas’s book “the Scum Manifesto”(Society for Cutting Up Men) was understood by Mary in a broader perspective rather than dismissed “as the ravings of a lunatic”(guardian.co.uk). She expresses a broader understanding of her work, "I thought it was really funny, in a black way," she says. "And I could tell that she was an intelligent writer, with a very prophetic quality. She had an analysis of the patheticness of female behaviour, how women were propping up the male ego, colluding in their own oppression by embracing this idea that men are so powerful and smart - but somehow so weak that they had to support them with every fibre of their being. She laid out these contradictions more clearly than anyone, at such an early stage."(guardian.co.uk)
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| http://www.moviebadgirls.com/featurepage_3_1.html |
In fact the dichotomy and similarities of these two films are fascinating. Both of these films use disturbed and violent characters to deliver a socio-political critique of American society. One of a disturbed man sucked into the world of consumerism and his pathological misogyny and the other as a disturbed, intelligent woman embroiled at the inequalities of women in society but caught up in the psychosis of Andy Worhol's world and the desire to be famous. Both are critiques of societies’ more than subtle darkness with sexism, consumerism, societal construct of self worth, and the elements that feed those pathologies. “What Brett had done was a satire of misogyny and a critique and a crazy dark, dark black comedy”(Full Interview:Mary harron) which is often necessary in order for the view audience to understand that these messages are meant to be messages, extreme examples and to demonstrate the twisted violent aspects of misogyny in society.
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| http://english.mashkulture.net/2009/11/17/mighty-healthy-american-psycho-t-shirt-2/ |
It’s wonderful to see such a talented intelligent writer that doesn’t shy away from disturbing imagery to convey a point of view. It makes for very entertaining film and there needs to be more of it especially from women. I enjoy seeing the diversity she provides and doesn't fall into the molds of Hollywood's standard scripts and stereotypes that allow the general population to easily consume messages without challenge to their way of thiking. Unfortunately, as Mary recognizes, sexism in the film industry in this era still exists but is “very subtle. People ask why there are so few women directors and it's really hard to explain. It's a lot of little things that make it difficult to survive. It's not so true in independent film, but in television, people are kind of waiting for you to fail. Not in a malicious way, but I've heard people say, 'We've tried a woman director, it just didn't work out.' I think there's still an element of that, but I'm optimistic in my way. I don't think women should let that determine their whole career or worry about it too much." (guardian.co.uk) She gives a healthy encouraging message to women. She also expresses that without feminism she would not be able to be the person she is today.
FULL INTERVIEW: Mary Harron [VIDEO]. Apr 3, 2012. Retrieved 4/28/2012 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwrDz6gEQa0
Kate Bussmann. Cutting edge.The Gaurdian. Thursday 5 March 2009 Retrieved 4/28/2012 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/06/mary-harron-film
Arwa Aburawa. Veiled Threat. The guerrilla graffiti of Princess Hijab.Retrieved 4/28/2012 from http://bitchmagazine.org/article/veiled-threat
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