Representation of Patriarchal Culture in The Film Women Talking (2022)

Abstract

This study investigates the representation of patriarchal culture in the film Women Talking (2022) through a semiotic analysis, employing Roland Barthes' model and contextualizing findings within Bhasin's five categories of patriarchy. Analyzing selected scenes, the research reveals how the film denotatively depicts women's limited education, domestic confinement, and vulnerability to male violence. Connotatively, these portrayals highlight the profound psychological and social impact of such conditions, underscoring the women's struggle for agency and the societal pressures that define their worth. Mythologically, the analysis exposes underlying beliefs that perpetuate gender inequality, such as male leadership, control over women's bodies and labor, and the imposition of shame. The film's unique focus on women's collective deliberation and quiet resistance, rather than explicit violence, positions it as a powerful "speech" for social critique, resonating with contemporary movements like MeToo. The study concludes that Women Talking effectively articulates various facets of patriarchy—control over productive power and labor, reproduction, sexuality, movement, and economic resources—thereby serving as a significant cinematic work that challenges established gender norms and advocates for gender equality and women's agency in the face of systemic oppression.