Angelus News | March 15, 2019 | Vol. 4 No. 10

fight?”, to when she single-handedly
knocks out a team of aliens and then
stands over their bodies with mild
amusement at her own skill, Larson’s
performance proclaims loud and clear,
Don’t mess with me.
But is that enough to be a truly heroic
woman?
The film’s most redeeming moment
is when, at least ostensibly, it admits
that no, it’s not. When Marvel reconnects
with Maria Lambeau, her former
fellow pilot laments the fact that she
has forgotten her sense of human
connection.
“What’s hard is that I’ve lost my best
friend,” says Lambeau. This is the case
not just because Marvel has forgotten
Lambeau since the crash, but also
because she has defined herself by her
superpowers; she sees them as what
makes her “fierce.”
Moreover, it is another exchange
with Lambeau that helps Marvel grapple
with her sense of true identity. It
is only through her friend, who knows
and loves her deeply, that Marvel can
learn that her greatest strengths have
always been her loyalty and willingness
to risk her life for justice.
Such conversations marked the high
points of the film’s portrayal of female
strength, because they acknowledged
the most fundamental aspect of that
idea: personal relationship.
But while that crucial aspect was acknowledged,
it didn’t truly impact the
development of Marvel’s character.
Marvel clearly values her friends,
and she shows some compassion for
the people who need her help. But
ultimately, the bonds of love and
friendship never become the bedrock
of her strength and her mission.
This central message comes through
in the climactic battle scene between
Marvel and her greatest enemy.
Knocked to the ground, she has flashbacks
to all the times she has fallen
down in life. Then comes the crucial
turning point: Marvel regains her
strength by remembering how after
each fall, she herself picked herself
back up.
The moment offers some healthy
affirmation that perseverance leads
to victory, but it also reinforces the
questionable notion that Marvel can
win the battle alone. What helps her
unleash her full power as a superhero
is not interpersonal love but solitary
independence.
Because that is the foundation of her
heroism, the movie lacks moments of
true self-gift. Once Marvel has made
her flashiest display as a strong and
independent woman, she wins the
battle with ease.
Her powerful fists save the day, and
by the end of the movie, our heroine
has hardly developed beyond the sassy,
kick-butt captain she was when we
first met her. She gave a cordial nod
to companionship and affection, but it
neither transformed nor defined her.
Admittedly, such an impersonal
model of female heroism is hardly
surprising. Hollywood, riding the tide
of pop culture, hesitates to highlight
compassion, tenderness, and self-sacrifice
as heroic traits.
Why? The answer is simple: Those
are the signature qualities of motherhood,
which today is far more often
equated with weakness than heroism.
To be considered “strong,” women
are expected to suppress their emotions
— as Marvel is instructed to do
throughout the film — and cultivate
an ambition for self-promotion and
public accomplishment.
To be taken seriously, they are encouraged
to match masculine strength,
rather than embrace their unique
capacity as women to give, nurture,
and protect life.
Indeed, that standard of emotionless
prowess is the model of “strength” that
Captain Marvel embodies. The most
emotional vulnerability we see from
her is a single tear that trickles down
her face right in the middle of her
most intense battle.
The challenge of the female superhero
movie is both to present an action-packed
plot with impressive stunts
from the protagonist and to distinguish
that protagonist from any other male
superhero who could have pulled off
the same physical feats.
The only way to do that is to celebrate
the woman’s signature qualities
as woman. And those qualities stem
“Ultimately, the bonds of love and friendship
never become the bedrock of Captain
Marvel’s strength and her mission.”
from her biological and psychological
knack for forging personal, life-giving,
and life-saving bonds.
It’s a tricky feat, but not impossible.
We’ve seen it before in a handful of
dazzling performances, from Miranda
Otto’s Éowyn in “The Lord of the
Rings” to Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince in
“Wonder Woman.”
Those characters had to learn that
their feminine genius was actually
their greatest asset to their heroism, not
a hindrance. Their ability to serve others
through both combative skill and
tender compassion made them stand
out as not just heroes who happened
to be women but as heroic women.
“Captain Marvel” is certainly an example
of flashy female toughness, but
if you’re looking for a model of actual
girl power, look elsewhere.
Sophia Buono is a writer living in
Arlington, Virginia.
March 15, 2019 • ANGELUS • 27