Hanna (2011)

[green_grrl]

This movie passes, passes, passes!

There are numerous named female characters:
Hanna - a sixteen-year-old girl raised in the Finnish Arctic by her father and trained to fight
Marissa - the evil CIA agent who was Hanna's father's handler and who is the enemy he's training Hanna to protect herself from
Sophie - the material-girl, teenaged British tourist who meets Hanna-on-the-run and befriends her
Rachel - Sophie's hippie mother, who forms her own bond with Hanna
Katrin - Hanna's grandmother

Since the main plot of the movie is Marissa trying to hunt Hanna down, the conversations Marissa has with all the other women (and all the men she interacts with) revolve mostly around that, sometimes mentioning Hanna's father, sometimes not. That's an easy pass.

In addition, though, this is a movie with other themes and relationships. Despite Sophie's makeup-wearing, gum-popping ways, there's only one scene where she wants to chase boys and ends up dragging Hanna on a double date, and one scene where Hanna talks about meeting up with her father to Sophie. Other than that, Sophie indulges in a rapid-fire patter of pop culture, fashion, eye-rolling at her family, and genuine expressions of friendship—not boys.

Rachel admires Hanna for her independence and down-to-earth qualities, and Hanna spends quite a bit of time in the front of the family van while Rachel drives. Rachel's idea of conversation includes anthropological explanations for lipstick (Saying "labia" in front of your sixteen-year-old daughter? Instant mortification for said daughter! :-) and philosophizing on nature and theology.

I also appreciated that this movie featured a kick-ass heroine, yes, but at no point did she strip down, show skin, put on high heels/high-heeled boots, wear spandex/something clingy/something low-cut, or any other pandering to what has become the stereotype. She dressed to fight. Refreshing!

I'd call this movie a Bechdel home-run.

Comments

[ilthit]

:D I didn't know this existed! XD Look at my country being all exotic and shit. I need to see this. I wonder if they even bother to use any Finnish in it - or Sámi, if they're going for maximum exoticism.

Judging by the pictures, everybody wears ordinary clothes, and the heroine doesn't wear make-up. Awesome.

[green_grrl]

I don't think there's any Finnish or Sámi? I'm sure her father taught it to her, but she learns a bunch of languages, and the Finnish scenes are only the two of them in the Arctic. :-/ It's really beautiful, though! Shooting locations are here.

There are many fairytale qualities to the story, but despite that there's a lot of realism. It is awesome!

[hypatia]

i heard an interview with the screenwriter (maybe also director?) - it was his FILM SCHOOL SCRIPT. pretty cool :)

[green_grrl]

I just read that the script was listed on both the 2006 and 2009 Black List, an annual list of the best unproduced screenplays of the year. Well deserved! I'm so glad it was picked up. The director is different—the guy who directed Atonement.

(♥ your username!)

[holyschist]

It was such a hardcore Bechdel homerun. I just wish I'd felt it was a little more coherent, and I found the ending kind of...disappointing. But I loved a lot of the pieces of it, omg. Especially Hanna. ♥_♥

[green_grrl]

Yeah, I thought it went a teeny bit overboard in places with the swirly-cam and the internet search. The ending I pretty much saw coming; it was framed as a fairytale in the Brothers Grimm tradition, and ended up delivering just that. But it would be interesting to see post-movie-events Hanna. It was so head-and-shoulders above the usual "spandex babe" action movie!

[holyschist]

It was so head-and-shoulders above the usual "spandex babe" action movie!</i. For sure! I would like to believe in my head that Hanna [spoiler spoiler]. You know, after the end.

[green_grrl]

For sure! I would like to believe in my head that Hanna [spoiler spoiler]. You know, after the end.

There are a few things it would be cool to see! Go ahead and put "Spoiler" in your comment head, or send me a PM--I'm still so interested in this movie. I've already tracked down the one fic on AO3. :-)

SPOILER

[holyschist]

Basically, I mostly really want her to not die. And I'm not sure I can imagine a way for her to survive at that point. But I hope she does.

And preferably has adorable lesbian-raised-by-wolves adventures.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER :-)

[green_grrl]

Actually, I think she's the only person that survived the whole debacle. Marissa stood back and let Erik wipe out all her henchmen, saving her the trouble of tying up the loose ends, before taking him out herself. She'd already burned the project files. Then it was down to Marissa, the only person who knew or cared about the project at that point, and Hanna, and Hanna's the one who walked away (with a bullet crease on her hip/side, but nothing fatal).

Once the CIA finds out Marissa's dead, they're probably going to chalk it up to, "She was increasingly erratic and off the rez. She was doing something unsanctioned, but we don't know the details. Erik, her original target, is dead, but she must have stepped on some local toes." She'll probably get buried as deeply as the original project.

Hanna will probably wander around Europe entirely free, viewed as developmentally disabled or an idiot savant until she picks up enough social cues to pass. :-)

Speaking of "lesbian raised by wolves"--this is perfect! I wish Sophie et famille did survive. :-(

Re: SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER :-)

[holyschist]

I like your interpretation! I honestly couldn't tell how fatal that wound was supposed to be.

YAY.

Were Sophie et famille all dead for sure? :-( *clings to happy alternate universe where they are not*

Re: SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER :-)

[green_grrl]

I thought she took a gut shot until they showed her getting up off the ground, holding her side/hip. No way she would have been able to get up from a gut wound, and the lack of gushing blood plus her being able to walk showed it wasn't serious. Whew! I truly believe her surviving is meant to be canon.

They didn't show the family one way or the other after the little brother gave away where Hanna was going to meet Erik, but Marissa had a history of leaving no one living to tell tales behind.

Happy ending handwave #1 (I'm ALL ABOUT the happy ending handwaves!): Marissa pulls Isaacs off with her to make plans for Berlin, and waves at the henchmen to "clean up." The henchmen think this means bopping the family over the head and dropping them off back at the caravan.

Happy ending handwave #2: Marissa pulls Isaacs off with her to make plans for Berlin, and waves at the henchmen to "clean up." One of the henchmen goes after the little boy, but Rachel runs out of her boxcar and whacks him on the head from behind. The second henchman was going after Sophie, who took self defense, and kicks him hard in the nuts. Rachel finishes him off with a blow to the head. When the henchmen wake up, the family is long gone, and they decide they're not saying a word to Marissa and Isaacs that two hippies and a pair of kids got the better of them. :D

Re: SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER :-)

[holyschist]

I strongly approve of your happy ending handwaves!

[delladea]

Ooooh, I hadn't heard of this movie. *adds to Netflix queue*

[green_grrl]

I don't know when it'll be out on DVD, but I am totally getting it.

[laughingrat]

That sounds REALLY cool!

[green_grrl]

It's such a refreshing change from typical "Hollywood" action!