For Coloured Girls: Extreme Feminism?

I think I can comfortably say this has been the worst movie I have watched in my life, even worse than the horrible movie Haemoglobin.

I understand the theme is to show the raw emotions of women and how they cope with struggles and traumatic events that occur in their lifetime, I also appreciate the cast ( I tip my hat to Thandie Newton, and I think she had the best performance) however, there were certain things I could not but disagree with.

Are men the enemy? I believe that there are men out there who have issues and women are usually the ones who suffer but can we get statistics please? Is it every man that beats his wife, rapes or cheats? I found some of the portrayals very unrealistic. It’s ironic that the director of this movie is male himself. In fact one could come out of the cinema thinking men are evil and can never change and that’s how most of the male characters were portrayed. How about the man who stood by his wife even when he found out the reason she couldn’t have children? His character was much downplayed! Are we saying such men don’t exist? And if this is the case should society just sit and fold its arms?

Another thing I could not agree with is the portrayal of religious people having double standards and this seems to be a trend in modern movies today.  The practice of religion is now portrayed as an avenue for hypocrites to masks themselves under the false guise of virtue, fervent Christians are all too often presented as lunatics and puritans, I strongly disagree. Not every person striving to be Christian is pharisaic. The fact that one is not perfect and strives for this is one of the beautiful aspects of being human, that’s what keeps man going, being motivated to reach ones ideal and if a few people get caught up in a glass house with a judging look and raised pointed nose, it’s their problem however those people do not make up the population of true Christians.

Even if one could identify with the hard core truth about modern black society, the movie portrays the vices of these men as incurable. The rapist was allowed to get away with his vice by being killed, he was stabbed but died a rapist, the man who murdered his own children was locked in prison given the excuse of being a criminal rather than someone who was probably portrayed as one who had  some mental illness. In reality, a man who kills his own children out of anger will not be sent to jail but a psychiatric home, especially one who experiences post-traumatic stress disorder. He would be placed in a mental hospital and receive therapy, not immediate jail term.

It’s very sad that abortion is seen as a very easy and convenient thing to do. I do not believe that it is an easy decision to make and the option of life is not even considered. I strongly think that one should always be able to face the consequences of ones actions; one always wants to have ones cake and eat it. Is being pregnant punishment? Is sexual irresponsibility to be celebrated?

The vulgarity of the poetry put me off! I do not believe sex is all about superficial pleasure; it is sacred and should be treated as such. It was portrayed as a crime and something used by men to exploit women. Although in some cases it is but how about the good sides? How about a wonderful and most enjoyable union between two people with equal love for each other? (This is usually best revered by a husband and wife on a matrimonial bed).

It is understandable that one’s feelings and experiences are usually expressed through writing. For instance Tyler Perry is said to have had an abusive father and so mostly spent time with his mother and women. Although he did not write the original script, it makes a lot of sense for him to have portrayed men in that manner and adopt a negative feminine view of things. I think he could have done better with the story line; the movie leaves no moral lesson or hope for anyone struggling in such a situation. I understand it’s a movie FOR COLOURED GIRLS but are we saying that all men are evil? And that they cannot change? Are we saying that women are always the victims?

I don’t think women are weaklings and don’t know how to handle situations in their lives. Not every black woman is oppressed by a man and not every religious woman is a puritan with double standards and I think this is what the movie tried to portray, as each character’s experience is supposed to mirror an aspect of a black woman’s life. This movie makes women look like they are always suffering and have no clue of what to make of life, we are stronger than we know and with God and good guidance we can definitely cope with the obstacles life throws at us.