Gender Roles In The Media: Analysis Of The Film The Call

The typical portrayal of women in the media follows the patriarchal script, whereby female characters are depicted as weak, emotional, naïve, and dependent on the male characters. This depiction of women as helpless creatures that require the support of men supports the conservative and traditional ideologies that continue to marginalize women in many spheres of life. For example, the notion that men are the breadwinners of their families has been used to justify the domestication of women with household chore and motherhood, denying them the opportunity to compete with men for career opportunities. Once in a while, however, movies are created that challenge this stereotypical depiction of women as weak and home-bound creatures looking up to their husbands for financial support and security. One such film is The Call directed by Brad Anderson and starring Halle Berry as Jordan Turner, who rescues a kidnapped girl from the a serial killer. The casting of a female character as the hero who saves the day challenges the perception of women as the weaker sex, and the traditional understanding of gender roles along the lines of masculinity and femininity to represent men and women, respectively.

The Call begins with a call to 911 by a teenage girl after a man breaks into her home. Turner’s initial response defies the typical depiction of women as being hysterical and helpless in the face of danger. In a very calm voice, Turner advises the girl to hide herself upstairs. Unfortunately, Turner reveals the girl’s location to the killer when she (Turner) calls her back, a decision that cost the girl her life. However, it is Turner’s calmness in the face of danger that stands out, portraying her as the typical hero traditionally associated with male characters. By having a female character who does no lose her cool in a life-threatening situation advances the idea that gender roles can be reversed by having female as protectors of the weak. The film shows a reversal of gender stereotypes when another call comes through the Los Angeles Police Department’s 9-1-1 line. Brooke, a rookie operator, is unable to handle the situation, forcing him to hand over to Turner. The significance of Brooke’s failure is obvious, since it conveys the idea that men are not always the heroes. The incident creates the narrative of failing men because a male character is unable to help the caller, another victim teenager of kidnapping by a serial killer. This narrative is advanced when the Casey, the victim, draws the attention of a male motorist Alan Danado. However, Danado fails to rescue her, and is instead knocked out by the kidnapper and subsequently shoved into the trunk with Casey. Later, when Alan reawakens, he screams for help, prompting their kidnapper to stab him to death. The audiences do not miss the fact that the teenage girl victim restrains herself from screaming, but using her intelligence to seek help, such as sticking her hand out of the trunk and pouring paint through a hole to attract other motorists. Thus, the film depicts men as the hysterical type through the screaming Alan, and women as the courageous type through Casey’s calmness despite being in danger.

Perhaps the most visible depiction of reversal of gender roles in the film is Turner’s role as the lone hero in rescuing Casey. Without waiting for the help of her colleagues, she pursues the kidnapper and confronts him before he kills his victim. Little Casey also shows her bravery when she stabs her kidnapper, defying the expected image of a timid and cowering girl. Most importantly, the two do not show any emotions when they tie the kidnapper and leave him for dead. To conclude, the film The Call portrays reversal of gender roles by depicting a female hero who takes on and defeats a male villain. This portrayal challenges the patriarchal ideology that men are the courageous heroes who save the day from the bad guys, and women as the helpless creatures who depend on men for security.