In light of recent stories of alleged Hollywood sexual abuse cases, in which multiple victims have accused some of the film industry’s best-known figures, it is interesting to remember how Hollywood itself is grappling with these issues in movies. .
These are 5 well-known and acclaimed films that addressed different types of sexual violence and, most importantly, showed how victims of such crimes acted to cope with the consequences of abuse and bring offenders to justice.
THE ACCUSED – 1988
Sarah (Jodie Foster), a young working-class woman, seeks help in the ambulance after being raped in a bar. He decides to sue his attackers and his case is assigned to Assistant District Attorney Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis). However, Kathryn’s superior and Kathryn herself doubt she will win this case, considering Sarah’s drug problems and provocative behavior the night the rape occurred …
Jodie Foster (The Brave One) plays, as she put it, a woman who is seen as’ silly white trash ‘and who is gang-raped in this thought-provoking legal drama directed by Jonathan Kaplan (TV series’ Law and Order ‘). ‘The Accused’ was one of the first films to explore some other issues related to rape, such as the responsibility of viewers for said crime. The stunning Jodie Foster won an Oscar for her performance.
NORTHERN COUNTRY – 2000
After leaving an abusive husband, Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) arrives in her Minnesota hometown with her two children and moves in with her parents. Josey meets her old friend Glory Dodge (Frances McDormand), who convinces her to take a job at the local iron mine where she works. Surrounded by mostly male co-workers, Josey and her colleagues become the target of constant sexual harassment and humiliation …
Niki Caro’s (‘Whale Rider’) drama ‘North Country’ is about the bitter subject of sexual harassment in the workplace. Interestingly, this movie was based on the true story of a miner who filed a lawsuit against her company in the collective action sexual harassment case. Charlize Theron (‘Atomic Blonde’) and Frances McDormand (‘Butn After Reading’) were nominated for an Academy Award.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – 2011
A wealthy businessman asks journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) to investigate what happened to his niece who disappeared 40 years ago. Trying to solve the case, Mikael meets Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a brilliant computer hacker who is diagnosed with mental incompetence …
A Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson ‘Män som hatar kvinnor’ (‘Men who hate women’) inspired two film adaptations in 2 years. The English adaptation was directed by David Fincher (‘Zodiac’). In this thriller-drama the main characters are on the trail of a brutal serial killer whose victims are women. Rooney Mara (‘Carol’) received critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination – scenes featuring Salander and her sexual predator leave a particularly strong impression on the viewer.
FEATURED – 2015
In 1976, a Boston priest is arrested for child abuse. However, the case has been dismissed and the priest released. In 2001, Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton), editor of The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, a small group of journalists who write investigative articles, receives an assignment from new Globe editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber): to investigate how the prominent figure of the church covered up cases of child abuse …
Dealing with the sensitive issue of pedophile abuse in the Catholic Church, and how such crimes have been easily covered up for years and years, this bio-drama was directed and co-written by Tom McCarthy (‘Win Win’) and won Best Picture and Best Screenplay. original at the Academy Awards.
In conclusion, these films are proof that the film industry is not only meant to be entertaining, it can also be an effective tool in tackling important social issues. At the same time, we cannot depart from the fact that Hollywood has been accused of covering up cases of sexual abuse within its own ranks. Will you be brave enough to tackle this problem? Hollywood, it’s your turn.