The Worst Person in the World and Postmodern Feminism
Abstract
The movie The Worst Person in the World (2021), takes place in Oslo and revolves around a woman named Julie. She is in her late twenties and finds herself caught in a cycle of indecision. She is unable to find a career or a relationship that fulfills her self-worth. The film primarily revolves around the character of the female protagonist, Julie, with the storyline and character development centered on her. Renate Reinsve, who plays the lead role, received the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in this movie. These years, with the influence of the #MeToo movement, for some viewers, this film may be considered one of the representative works of feminism in cinema. From the character design, cinematography, and references to postmodern feminism in the film, it is indeed a movie that aligns with the principles of postmodern feminism. However, it’s important to note that the film’s creative team is predominantly male, and postmodern feminism itself contains inherent theoretical contradictions. Therefore, from an objective standpoint, this film cannot be classified as a feminist movie.
References
- Kiang, J. (2022). The Worst Person in the World. Sight & Sound, 32(3), 00374806.
- Johnston, C. (1999). Women’s Cinema as Counter-Cinema. In S. Thornham (Ed.), Feminist Film Theory (p. 3). Edinburgh University Press.
- Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen, 16(4).
- Benson-Allott, C. (2021). What Is the Female Gaze? [Video]. Barnes Foundation. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QVi1yfs8N8
- Soloway, J. (2016). The Female Gaze [Master Class]. Toronto Film Festival. URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20210414201009/https://www.toppleproductions.com/the-female-gaze
- Leclerc, A. (1974). Parole de femme. Bernard Grasset.
- Tasker, Y. (2007). Interrogating Post‐Feminism: Gender and the Politics of Popular Culture. In D. Negra (Ed.), Duke University Press.
- De Lauretis, T. (1987). Technologies of Gender: Essays on Theory, Film, and Fiction. Series: Theories of Representation and Difference. Indiana University Press.
- Trier, J. (Director). (2021). The Worst Person in the World. Oslo Pictures.
- Doane, M. A. (1982). Film and the masquerade. Screen, 23(3–4), 74–87.
- Grossman, D. (2020). Feminism, Gender, and Popular Culture. In N. A. Naples & John Wiley & Sons (Eds.), Companion to Feminist Studies (pp. 327-328).