Message in the Movies: Jealousy and Forgiveness

One thing I love to do while watching movies is to catch messages, especially those I do not agree with or ones that society no longer finds acceptable (or thinks they no longer do). To the trained eye, a singular scene or line of dialogue reveals the social mores of the film's time period. Tucked neatly into the plot, the viewpoints are simply matter of fact, i.e. "this is the way it is," and it's a problem if the character does not conform. Since the viewer identifies with the character, the scene or dialogue sends the message that there is also something wrong with the viewer if he or she does not behave in the expected, "appropriate" way. 


Jealousy is generally accepted and in men often encouraged.

Take Send Me No Flowers (1964). Doris Day's character can't understand and is even suspicious when her husband is not jealous of her college sweetheart. This plot point is resolved when she assumes he is having an affair. You can almost see the thought form across Doris Day's face, No wonder he isn't jealous, he doesn't love me! In The Feminine Touch (1941), Rosalind Russell's character goes to great lengths to induce her husband's jealousy, which she equates with love, and is exasperated when he does not behave as expected. By the end of movie, the lesson is learned as he fights off two potential suitors and she beams triumphantly.  

While men are encouraged to be jealous and women are allowed to be--especially when it results in a comedic escapade (such as The Awful Truth)--several movies incite women to forgive their men's "indiscretions."

Tracy and her father discuss his affair.

In Philadelphia Story (1940), the father explains to his daughter (Katharine Hepburn), "What most wives fail to realize is that their husband's philandering has nothing whatever to do with them." He then blames his philandering on a reluctance to grow old as well as his daughter's lack of idolization of him. Love the movie (put it on to verify the quote and watched the whole thing), but the line kills me every time.

Mary gets some motherly advice
on philandering husbands.

In The Women (1939), the mother of the main character (Norma Shearer) advises her daughter to ignore her husband's affair. She further rationalizes her son-in-law's actions by explaining that she has also experienced a philandering husband. In other words, a cheating husband is a natural part of marriage. When Norma Shearer's character goes through with a divorce, she regrets not heeding her mother's advice, stating that all she has now is pride. In both this film and its 1956 musical version, The Opposite Sex, the woman eventually forgives her husband--pride be damned--and gets him back. The message sent is that it is more important for a woman to look the other way and forgive her cheating spouse than to divorce him and face the world alone. 

Mary  has forgiven her husband
and is going to get him back.

Despite the messages, I still enjoy all of the above mentioned movies. There is much to be praised in plot, witty dialogue, and other thematic messages, not to mention fun, goofiness, and gorgeous costumes. At the same time, it's important to be aware of the subtext in anything one views.

Giant Step Forward

What a great movie! Made in 1956, the film was ahead of its time. In an era of subservient stay-at-home wives and racial segregation, audiences are introduced to Leslie, a strong-minded woman who defies her husband in a number of arenas for the common good. When her husband attempts to exclude her from political talk, she puts up a fight, explaining women are just as capable as men to discuss politics. When she sees the poor living conditions of the Mexican Americans who live near their ranch, she ignores social taboos—and her husband’s wishes—and helps them, walking through their dilapidated neighborhoods, even going so far as to call in a doctor who treats only rich white patients—gasp! 

Leslie also does not believe in forcing her son to follow in his father’s rancher role if the child doesn’t want to. At one point, she decides it is time to take the children and go live with her mother—Hollywood code for ‘time for a divorce’—because she and her husband cannot see eye to eye. Leslie and Bick end up staying together, but when they do, it is a result of Bick going to Leslie, not her going back to him. With all this breaking of social norms, one might expect her character to be punished as was the Hollywood rule with disobedient characters. However, quite the opposite occurs. Instead, it is her husband who changes. This sends a new message to audiences: women should be allowed to converse with men about politics, racial inequality is a crime, and children should have a say in their future. This movie foretells of issues that would be making headlines within the decade. Powerful.

As a bonus, the star line up includes Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, a young Dennis Hopper (not pictured), and—in his final of three film roles—James Dean.