Mako mori main character6/21/2023 ![]() ![]() (Many movies/shows would not pass it).Īnd really, I think this is a step in the right direction. It does not make a movie automatically feminist. ![]() It is a pretty basic test for the representation of women, as is the Bechdel test. I think this is about as indicative of “feminism” (that is, minimally indicative, a pretty low bar) as the Bechdel test. The Mako Mori test is passed if the movie has: a) at least one female character b) who gets her own narrative arc c) that is not about supporting a man’s story. Let’s propose the Mako Mori test, to live alongside the Bechdel test (not to supplant it! My point is not that we shouldn’t care about women interacting-I care about this A LOT-but that isn’t the pinnacle of feminism or the only thing we should care about). To come clean, most of the research done for this post was found by reading the follow-up article on the Vulture to the one above, “The Mako Mori Test: ‘Pacific Rim’ inspires a Bechdel Test alternative.” It turns out that there are many bloggers over on Tumblr who love the female protagonist, Mako Mori, unabashedly, and in one thread Tumblr user chaila offered a new way of rating films in light of her as a character: ” I don’t really feel the need to sum up what the author’s thoughts were, but suffice to say they made reference to the film failing the Bechdel Test. That’s cool, though, because Vulture took care of it with a review titled “There Isn’t Much Room for Women in the Future of Pacific Rim. I wrote about Pacific Rim and how much I appreciated the film not falling back on conventional Hollywood romance, but what I didn’t do was discuss how it treated women. And it's AWESOME.Really great at staring intensely, really bad at talking to one another. Pentecost reconsiders, Mako is rewarded, and the world is saved because of it.eventually. She does not submit to him because he tells her to she submits because she has determined he is worthy of her obedience.Īnd it a great narrative payoff, that faith is justified. She respects Pentecost respects him for his character, his judgment, and his authority. Yet in the face of all that temptation, she sticks to what she believes to be true. This is not the expression of a passive woman. At the same time, others are telling her that she is the best person for the job she wants. Her heartbreak at being denied her life's ambition is obvious. Mako is clearly struggling with the impulse to disobey. Obedience requires faith, and faith is hard to come by. ![]() ![]() When someone-even someone we love-tells us not to do something, our first impulse is often to disobey simply because we hate being told what to do. We are all flawed people many of whom find it difficult to trust the judgment of others. There is a reason why obedience is called a virtue.and why it's so difficult to adhere to. But one single line transforms Mako's obedience from a plot device to a core strength. Indeed, without any explanation as to the foundations of her obedience, this obedience would be a flaw in her personality. In their conversation, Raleigh throws the idea of Mako obeying Pentecost out as an insult. An obedient woman is often viewed as 'lesser', viewed as either incapable of or unwilling to make up her own mind as to how she'll behave. It's often a default characteristic in the poorly-drawn character, and in terms of 'ARGH-factor' it's right next to passivity. Obedience is a tricky quality to give to a woman. However, I was most impressed with her after-having been turned away from the copilot slot by her adopted father and commanding officer-she rounds on Raleigh and tells him: Mako has been lauded for many of the qualities listed above, but a lot of people skip over the last. However, more than all of this, she's principled. And hell, any character that inspires a new feminist metric to be named after her ( the Mako Mori test) has to be pretty neat! Yes, she's capable, intelligent, passionate, and kick-ass (see below!). Yes, she's the secondary lead in the film. Mako Mori is an obvious candidate for this blog, but not perhaps for the reasons you'd expect. Becket it's respect.”įirst off, let's congratulate Pacific Rim for being an excellent movie, not just as the monster-bashing special-effects extravaganza it is, but also because it proves you can make a blockbuster film showcasing POC and women in starring roles.and reject the trope of lead-man/lead-woman falling in love because movies. Copilot: Gipsy Dangerĭefining Quote/Moment: “It's not obedience, Mr. Occupation: Officer, Pan-Pacific Defense Corps, J-Tech division. Summary: As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse. After much thought and consideration, I've decided that the first amazing woman we'll tackle at this blog is. ![]()
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