Promising Young Woman
When I first moved to LA, a million years ago, I wrote a screenplay called “Angry Young Woman.” It was about a young woman who was, as you might guess, angry. She was angry at men, misogyny and her father. She had valid reasons. I had valid reasons for writing it. The reasons are still valid. If anything, I applaud the integrity of my efforts. It ends with a lecture to her estranged father. I am proud that I was writing how I really felt. And, still, I cringe when I think about it.
I was reminded of it when I watched “Promising Young Woman,” a dark revenge fantasy about a woman who will do anything, albeit self-destructive to vindicate her friend who (I think) committed suicide after being raped at a party. The protagonist, Cassie, played by Carey Mulligan, goes to bars and pretends to be drunk so that not nice guys (or guys who think of themselves as able to tow the line of “nice” and “rape-y” will take her home. At some point in the late evening, her droopy eyes perk up and she makes it clear to said opportunist that she is not Drunk Girl, or Irresponsible Low Self-Esteem Girl, but aware of their intentions. At this point, she asks these men, “What are you doing?”
Of course, we know what these men are doing. They were treating women the way most of the world treats women, like inhuman playthings, at service to male desire and ego. What makes the situations Cassie finds herself in and the movie significant is that these men were not thugs or dark alley villains, they are professional guys who see themselves as good friends and family men. While the film acknowledges that education and job do not preclude a man from committing sexual assault, it does assume that Cassie can get out of these situations unscathed.
From the previews, I had assumed that she turned into a serial killer, and that the film went full dark camp. But instead, “Promising Young Woman” tows it’s own line of reality where Cassie recognizes the disempowerment of women in male dominated social settings, but has power to threaten, cajole or create scenarios, like when she gets a med school classmate drunk and bribes a man to wake up with her in a hotel room so that she thinks they had a fling. She also threatens the president of her med school. It’s really confusing how she gets away with any of these things or has money to hire or bribe people, but she wears cute dresses and the production is sort of campy Florida. So, I went along. I didn’t not like it.
But here we go. The problem with sole vigilante angry women, whether it’s me or the director, is that it puts the onus on one woman to reap vengeance for the entire female population in the history of the world. And frankly, that’s JUST MORE LABOR FOR US TO DO. It’s actually not that revolutionary to portray a woman crazed with the injustice of what men get away with, and willing to act in ways that violate the law.
In the end, the cops arrest the would-be-rapist and it’s assumed that Cassie’s love interest will face some consequences (though it all remains very vague). SPOILER ALERT: Her fate goes to the analls of “Thelma and Louise,” where women who call out the horrible system women must bear must sacrifice themselves in the name of their cause. There is no happily ever after for the female vigilante.
What would I like to an Angry Promising Young Woman to do? I’d like to find love, joy, passion and fulfillment. I’d like to see the men who commit crimes, whether overt or that of quiet consent (what most men faced with the cruelty of other men), to face up, atone, own their shit, apologize and work for some systemic change, like, hey, if you are involved in a date rape, uh, maybe you can’t be a doctor or be put on the supreme court.
However, young feminist anger is not without great merit. I do wish I had my younger anger to write a more volatile blog post about this. Instead if comes from a place of purposeful fatigue. But just because I’m tired of this, doesn’t mean it won’t stop.