Women in the Movies: The Raven

I've decided to start reviewing movies! It will be a good chance for me to check out sexism on the big screen. Plus, it will be an excuse to get myself to the movie theater more regularly. I don't go nearly as often as I'd like. Yesterday, I thought I'd venture off to the theater to see The Avengers...but I decided to see The Raven instead. If you know much about me, that will totally make sense.

I heard about this movie in my English class this past semester. Someone was explaining that it was about a serial killer whose murders were inspired from the stories of Edgar Allan Poe. "That's a great idea!" I blurted out enthusiastically. "For a movie..."

Yeah, I guess I don't mind if people think I'm crazy. Anyway...


The film begins at the scene of a mass murder, where several victims lay dead. One victim is stuffed up the chimney, a peculiar detail, and one that an investigator realizes he has heard of before. But it takes another murder involving a giant pendulum before the connection is clear, and investigators call in Edgar Allan Poe, played by John Cusack, to help catch the killer.

It is not long before Poe's fiancee is kidnapped, and it is up to him to save her. In fact, her survival depends not only on the deductive skills of Poe, but on his writing talent. That's right, the murderer insists that Poe's imagination must arrive at the solution, the story's end, that will set her free.

Poe's publisher comments that his more violent and disturbing work is what the people want to hear the most. In light of this, viewers must decipher the difference between captivation by the dark and horrible, and the creation of a dark and horrifying reality. Perhaps the answer lies in the paradox that Poe's morbid literary genius is both the inspiration for the horror and design of the murders, and the means whereby he can save his love from being the next victim.  

However, I can't say this film represented females all that well. I'm tempted to chalk most of that up to it taking place in the late 1800s. For instance, there were no female professionals depicted at all. But, I think there is a difference between depicting sexism in cultural context, and regurgitating sexism blindly. Keeping that in mind, here are the details that I found problematic: 1) the only significant female character was Emily Hamilton, Poe's fiancee 2) her primary role in the film was as a love interest and damsel in distress. At least she wasn't a completely annoying damsel in distress...but isn't that the very least that a feminist can ask for? Also, the very least that we can ask for is that women wish to marry for love, even if it means defying their fathers if they don't approve. And at least we got that, kind of...

Truthfully, the film could have been more suspenseful and creative. For the most part, though, this was an enjoyable movie. Certainly if you are a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, murder mysteries, or John Cusack, then I recommend it. I also recommend some Alan Parson's Project.