Strong Women / Weak Women

We watched this movie about Richard Speck (Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck) the other night. This was the guy who murdered eight student nurses in Chicago back in 1966. Rather I should say I watched part of it. Anne sat through the whole thing. I could not watch it, and I am not sure why. I do know that I could not understand why the women did not do anything to try and save themselves. That bothered me more than anything. Were they so intimidated by his yelling that they were willing to let themselves be slaughtered? I just do not understand. Maybe they did, but Speck was able to overpower them?

Last night Ross and I watched "Kill Bill" again. It is at least the third time for me. Uma Thurman plays heroic assassin-ette. Nothing weak or cowardly about her, no siree bob. Well, there is one scene where she walks into a sushi bar in Okinawa and she is smiling, happy, radiant even. It seems a little out of character, but it is pleasant enough to watch.

Now "Kill Bill" is a comic book film, it has the most tenuous connection to reality. The towns named in the movie really exist, but that is about it. In a movie like this, the story can be whatever you like. You can have sword wielding women who can run up stairway railings and take on army of goons armed with swords and come out victorious. Pure fantasy, but really enjoyable.

I realize that women have their own strengths, and men have their weaknesses, but I am aghast at what people, and women in particular, will put up with.