Norma Desmond and Mrs Robinson vs Solène and Brooke Harwood
Let's discuss Netflix's new release this weekend: 'A Family Affair' (Richard LaGravenese, 2024), featuring Joey King, Zac Efron, and Nicole Kidman. Unfortunately, its reception was not favourable, drawing comparisons to Prime Video's 'The Idea of You' (Michael Showalter, 2024), featuring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. However, there's a parallel worth exploring, especially as we approach 2025. Stay with me to uncover more.
2025 marks a significant Hollywood anniversary that is worth noting in advance. 75 years since the release of “Sunset Boulevard” (Billy Wilder, 1950). Its commentaries remain relevant decades later.
It follows the journey of Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). She is an aging silent-screen actor who has second shot at fame at the age of 50. A femme fatale symbolizing anxieties about aging women and serving as a parody of Hollywood’s obsession with youth.
Norma Desmond was a pioneering example of an aging protagonist, who made Gloria Swanson's nomination for an Academy Award. After 21 years. For those unfamiliar, Swanson was a star of Paramount Studios during the silent era.
Her legacy continued with Elaine Robinson (Katharine Ross) in 'The Graduate' (Mike Nichols, 1967). Ross embodies one of the earliest examples of the Cougar trope, as explored below.
Typically, aging female characters are on other side of the camera. As villains portrayed as monstrous hags, sexless spinsters, or ruthless bosses. As passive, helpless figures; or as background characters set-in-her-ways shrew.
Between the 1990s and 2010s, there was a rise in the Cougar trope.
On the one hand, it embodies positive aspects of older women: empowerment, confidence, sexiness, femininity, and assertiveness. On the other hand, these traits are a part of the comical relief. In addition, these characters can be hypersexual predatory, fetishized, and have a power imbalance with younger men.
Another trope associated with older women are the witches. Usually evil and overweight, in contrast to beautiful, young, thin princesses. This stark contrast perpetuates society’s beauty standards and brainwashes young minds.
This brainwashing manifests offscreen in the increasing prevalence of aesthetic procedures and plastic surgery. In the phenomenon of 'greyphobia' observed in recent times with hair colouring. These trends echo the themes of vanity and eccentric anti-aging procedures exemplified by Norma Desmond in the 1950s.
Last year, in 2023, there was an attempt to spotlight aging women with 'May December' (Todd Haynes, 2023), but they were a mistake. It blurred the line with aging woman as villains with controversy aftertaste. Its source was a tabloid scandal involving paedophilia and abuse.
It is worth noting that older women protagonist has been on silver screen. Some notable films featuring older women protagonists include. 'Harold and Maude' (Hal Ashby, 1971), 'Good Luck to You Leo Grande' (Sophie Hyde, 2022), and 'Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool' (Paul McGuigan, 2017).
These television series also feature these protagonists. Including "Sex and the City" (1998-2004), "Sweet Magnolias" (2020-), and "Grace and Frankie" (2015-2022), among others.
This year, we saw Anne Hathaway as Solène and Nicole Kidman as Brooke Harwood taking on more nuanced leading roles.
Solène skilfully portrays the repression of female sexuality, especially in older women, amidst societal expectations in the Western world. Meanwhile, Brooke Harwood explores not only that. But also, women's mid-life crisis, grappling with the roles of motherhood, womanhood, and widowhood.
One potential source of 'greyphobia' is machismo, which condemns female sexuality regardless of age.
Young icons often serve as catalysts for many individuals' initial sexual awakenings, particularly for young women. This exposure often leads teen icons to face condemnation from parents and religious institutions. Moreover, they become targets of envy and hostility from other males, frequently masked by expressions of hate and homophobia.
Society always encourages girls to be the prey and to keep their legs closed. While it encourages boys to be the predator and to embrace their sexuality at early age.
In old age, there's an expectation for older women to quietly fade away, despite being a significant demographic. They are in statistics and in the news. Society often disregards their issues.
They are invisible ghosts, burdened with their hunched backs carrying the weight of generations and luggage of a lifetime. Women often have higher life expectancy than men, yet media screens often fail to acknowledge their longevity.
It is an irony that while women generally have a higher life expectancy than men. Mainstream media often marginalizes or erases their presence and contributions. Screens are the new paper that society literates from, which is why representation maters.
With all of that being said, there are relevant artists who take advantage of their influence to address ageism. Such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Meryn Streep, Emma Thompson, Viola Davies, among others.
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