Alys On Bechdel: An introduction to the Bechdel-Wallace test

“ONE, it needs to have at least two women in it who, TWO, talk to each other about something besides, THREE, a man” - ‘The Rule’, Alison Bechdel ’Dykes to Watch Out For’ 1985

In 1985, artist and lesbian activist Alison Bechdel published a strip of her comic, ‘Dykes to Watch Out For’, in which one character explains her new criteria for watching a movie. Inspired by conversations between Bechdel and her friend Liz Wallace the Bechdel test (or Bechdel-Wallace test) began as a response to how alienating they felt as lesbians in a cinema, seeing no aspect of their relationship with womanhood represented on screen. Over time, however, the rule has become much more widespread as many feminists see it as a simple benchmark - the minimum a film can do in the name of gender equality. Despite this, it is speculated that only around half of films actually pass, meaning that 35 years later, many directors still overlook the female experience.

There are three main ways that films pass the test. First is purposeful - many films are now made with female-centric ensemble casts; from female reboots such as Oceans 8 and Ghostbusters, to friendship-driven comedies like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Bridesmaids, to the heartfelt dramas of The Help and Angry Indian Goddesses (highly recommend by the way). Some films however, pass the Bechdel test accidentally through small moments of female connection in a sea of men. One of my favourite examples of this is in Midsommar (Aster, 2019); Dani (Florence Pugh) is wandering aimlessly around the site, abandoned by her boyfriend, when one of the local girls invites her to bake with them. The girls help Dani to feel welcomed by complimenting her, which is immediately reciprocated. This genuine moment of female friendship and kindness serves as a brilliant juxtaposition to how the relationship between Dani and her boyfriend is represented. The third and final route is maybe my favourite: lesbians. It might seem silly to include this, but you have to consider that the rule was invented by disenfranchised lesbians, fed- up of never seeing themselves on screen, so it follows that films about lesbians are more likely to pass. Incidentally, some of my favourites in this category are Booksmart, But I’m a Cheerleader, and Rafiki.

To conclude, it’s important to remember that this is just a low low bar for feminism, and many films that technically fit aren’t necessarily feminist (Pulp Fiction, anyone?). Additionally, different scholars use different criteria, with some saying both female characters need to be named, some saying that there cannot be any men on screen during their conversation, and much contention on what counts as a conversation, anyway. Despite this, many of the mainstream films released every year fail (Once, Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tenet, Joker, etc.), so there is still something to be said for a simple and easy rule that any budding film buff can apply.