Although women would seem to be central to the
progression of this film, we rarely see them, and when we do it is only for
fleeting moments. What is the role of
women in this film? How are they
portrayed, and what function to they perform?
Are these ideas idealized or realistic?
Does it matter?
In this film, women are shown in a very old-fashioned sense in an idealized form but very unrealistic. Women are shown as home makers, flight attendants and overall an outlet for sex and nothing else. The scene that sums up this "philosophy" is the Tango scene. Frank and Charlie meet Donna at an upscale restaurant while she is waiting for her boyfriend to come meet her. She tells them how she had always wanted to learn how to dance but Michael would never want to dance with her. Frank picks her up and they begin to dance. It is a very sexual dance and the man also leads while the woman follows. Women in this film are seen as helpless individuals like in the Thanksgiving scene when Gretchen and Gail are very quiet and every time Frank calls Gail "Gloria," Randy yells at him on her behalf.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Tango scene demonstrates the lack of power women have in the film and how they are essentially under the control of men, particularly Frank. Additionally, Frank does not care that Donna is already seeing someone.
DeleteI completely agree. I thought the Tango scene was definitely a way of sexualizing women, but you're right that men lead in the Tango so this scene it's a way of powering men too. I also agree with you about the Thanksgiving dinner scene. It seems the women at the table didn't say much when a lot was going on.
DeleteIn the film, women seem to have the purpose of fulfilling Frank's own personal needs and desires. For example, he claims that the one thought that has helped him maintain perseverance throughout his life is that, someday, he would have a genuine relationship with a woman. He also states his intention of having sex with a beautiful woman before he kills himself. In the film, women are portrayed as objects of desire and inspiration, particularly for Frank. The mere scent of the flight attendant, who appears for a very short moment, sends Frank into an impassioned speech about women and their allure. At a restaurant, Frank insists on dancing with Donna despite the fact that she is already waiting for her own date to arrive. The women in the film are subjected to the desires of the men. Their presence is meant to attract and uplift the men.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your notion that women can serve as inspiration for Frank. Because of his blindness, his ability to detect specific physical and aromatic traits about the women he's around allows him to feel a bit more in touch with reality.
DeleteThroughout the film, women served the purpose of Frank’s own desires. Women were idealized because they were made out to be so unrealistic. Women were seen just as objects of sex through Frank’s mind. Frank and Charlie briefly talk to a woman flight attendant, and her perfume causes Frank to ramble on about women and sex. Another woman in the film is Donna, who we meet at a restaurant while she is waiting for her boyfriend. The purpose of Donna in the film was so Frank could have a pretty woman to tango with, which is a pretty intimate danced. Frank on multiple occasions also discusses how he needs a beautiful woman to have sex with before he dies. The role of women appears to be only to serve the desires of the men.
ReplyDeleteI agree, most of the women in this film were sexualized. In fact, except for Mrs. Hunsaker and Slade's niece, all the women there were just idolized by Slade and used for his own pleasures. None of the women in this film had strong roles, and in my opinion, they were there to remind Slade of what he didn't have.
DeleteI agree with your last sentence very much, I also believe that these women represent an idea of a dream of the Colonel's. He constantly talks to Charlie about having his own woman, and every time he encounters one, he seems to be upset at the fact that he doesn't get to go home to a woman of his own.
DeleteI agree with this. Frank just dreams about having a women to have sex with before he dies and it seems that is the most important thing on his checklist to get done. He doesn't talk about looking for a love life or marriage with a women its just about the pleasure he is waiting for.
DeleteWomen don’t powerful positions in this movie at all. They were either sexualized or a motherly figure. It’s clear that Slade had respect for women. He was clearly affectionate towards his niece, and he never mistreated the women he encountered. However, those women he met in the city were like trophies to him. He had almost a sense to be able to tell when a woman was beautiful, and he let Charlie know whenever a pretty girl was nearby. However, these female characters never got any deeper past their pretty face. These women were a reminder to Slade that he was lonely, up until the end where again he met another pretty face. However, that time, there was hope for Slade in the end.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in the sense that the women that entered the film were not in it long enough for us to see any character development or personality traits. They were simply there to fulfill Frank's desires and add to the idea that he has been alone for so long.
DeleteI agree with you completely. Frank didn't seem to have much respect for women other than the fact that they are there to pleasure him. Frank never really cares deeply about anyone as a matter of fact, that is until Charlie comes into his life.
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DeleteI agree with what Michelle said, however I disagree with the scrub Danny Rice. While Frank may talk about women in a sexualized way, Frank adores women and sees them as much more than just something to give him pleasure.
DeleteI agree with Richard, Frank definitely cares about his daughter in that she was the only family member that still put up with him while everyone else in the family obviously disliked him. You can counter how he treats women that he treated everyone pretty poorly, and that it's not that he didn't have respect for them.
DeleteFor the most part, women are sexualized by Frank throughout the film, as he only acknowledges them for their scent and how beautiful he thinks they would be. However, it is also evident that Frank is respectful of the women he meets, such as when he met Donna in the high-end restaurant. His attitude toward Charlie upon first meeting him compared to his personality upon meeting Donna were two completely different personalities. The role that women played in this film was not substantial, however, in terms of their character development. Female characters were often not given anything more than a few minutes of screen time highlighting their physical appearance and their feminine qualities. They simply had the role of fulfilling Frank's desires.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the women are objectified, they are seen as these beautiful and mystical creatures by Frank. He sexualizes them, but he would never hurt them. He talks about them in ways where they're like objects, but in person he treats them with respect and kindness.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough women aren't actually on screen too many times throughout the film, they are constantly mentioned by Colonel Frank Slade and seem to even be his motivation for staying alive. Whilst in New York with Charlie Simms, Slade mentions how he wants to live one last, very good night with a woman, and he is also repeatedly discussing different scents of female's perfumes. Also, not to mention Slade is able to guess women's names based on tone of voice. Overall, women are seen as sexual objects with a deeper, necessary and personal meaning to Colonel.
ReplyDeleteFrom my point of view i also think the same that women aren't portrayed in the screens at all and Frank talking about them frequently makes him seem as a character who is in need of a women and having sex before him dying. Which also makes it seem him being with someone is like his main wish.
DeleteI agree with what you are saying because towards the end of the movie we hear Frank say that trying to get someone to be with him and love him was his only motivation for staying alive anymore.
DeleteWomen, throughout the film, are only talked about but not seen. If they are in a scene they are then objectified by Frank. He likes to smell them and think about them. Although the women are portrayed poorly throughout the film, they become a common bond between Charlie and Frank. Frank is able to share his "wisdom" about them to Charlie. The idea of women in the film is extremely idealized and unrealistic. In real life they do more than wear perfume just to please men, but that is the only role they play in the film. They're only there for the men to have yearn after.
ReplyDeleteI agree and think women are objectified by men in this film. Frank shares his "wisdom" of women with Charlie in the scene with Donna when he teaches her how to tango. Charlie is nervous to talk to her, but Frank brings him over to her table anyways. It's clear that Frank knows a lot about women in this scene because he finds something that interests the both of them, which just so happens to be the tango.
DeleteI also agree with this. Another scene when Slade shares his “wisdom” of women with Charlie is when they’re on the plane going to New York. He exaggerates his desire for women so much that Charlie answers with “I guess you really like women” with a giggle.
DeleteWomen do not play a powerful role in this film at all. Frank dreams about women all the time by talking about them to Charlie 24/7 and making sexual comments which makes Charlie uncomfortable. The rare sightings of women in the film show how they are weak and pretty much just used. We see women housekeeping which is the one role women are only conceived to have. Besides this, we see Donna Tango dancing with Frank. This scene is very sexual and Frank is the one in control of the movements throughout the dance. This shows how the women have no control and are all of use for the men.
ReplyDeleteWomen are not powerful in this film. The men are in control in the few scenes that women are shown. Furthermore than just guiding Donna through the Tango, women are portrayed as useless and they are just present for the men's sake.
DeleteWomen seems to be the bridge between Frank and Charlie. Frank always discusses women with Charlie and it is one of the many things that Frank teaches Charlie. It is the conversation starter many times until Frank realizes that Charlie needs help beyond just women. Women seem to be the only thing that Frank can confidently say things about to Charlie. Then when Charlie sees Frank as someone who he cares about Frank realizes that he needs to help Charlie in other ways. At times women are also portrayed as nothing beyond this force there that is present just to make men feel good. At least that is how Frank portrays them at times. However, this is very unrealistic because women are not that in the slightest.
ReplyDeleteI agree, since Frank is a private person when he meets Charlie, women are the one thing he can give advice on. In a way it's like Frank wants to pass on what he has learned to Charlie. At the restaurant Frank acts as if he is showing Charlie what he believes to be the right way to act around women.
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ReplyDeleteI believe the title of the film is clearly because Frank’s loss of sight allows his other senses to become heightened. He constantly mentions missing being able to see a woman but believes he’s lucky to still enjoy the scent. Women in the film aid the audience to see what kind of person Frank is. When his nephew says, “he was an asshole before”, it is not something that’s hard to believe. This makes it hard to understand how much sympathy we should feel for Frank. At the end of the film Frank more honestly reveals he had always dreamed of having a relationship with a woman. He blames his blindness for ruining this dream. However, it is his own treatment of women that also prevents this from happening.
ReplyDeleteI think the role of women in this film is to keep Frank excited about life. Since he lost his eyesight, Frank has been losing a will to live. However, his heightened ability to detect the specific look and scent of a woman (hence the movie title) is a way for him to connect to the world in some way. We see that Frank doesn't see women as much more than sexual objects, but he's been out of touch with reality for quite some time now. Just as Frank needs Charlie as a companion and validation, he also seeks validation that he isn't "washed up" from women.
ReplyDeleteI think that's really interesting. Frank's love of life is energized by women and as he says they fascinate him. This is probably obvious but i think it's interesting the movie's name is a scent of a women and the whole time frank goes around telling Charlie what women look like based on their smell because he can't see.
DeleteI agree. Very rarely do we see Frank happy in the film. Besides his old friend "John" Daniels and the brief Ferrari ride, he is a very sad man. The only thing that really makes him happy is the prospect of love, both sexually and romantically. Having been in the military for so long, he never got to connect with a woman, and craves that connection. When he meets Charlie it is his real first connection, and Charlie turns into his will to live.
DeleteIn this film the women show little power. They barely appear on the scenes but we can see that Frank talks a lot about them most of the time in a way that sometimes makes Charlie feel uncomfortable. Women are seen more as an object cause Frank talks about wanting to have something with them (desire) and also pictures them how beautiful they are or he can tell how they are just by the way they talk or smell.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that women are shown with little power. They are either shown as flight attendants, maids, tailors or stay at home mothers. The one woman that had the largest scene was Donna. Donna was basically controlled by her boyfriend. She never got to learn how to tango because Michael didn't like it, and Michael forced her out of the restaurant away from Frank and Charlie.
DeleteI believe the women in the film serve to portray Frank's view of women, especially the type of women that Frank wanted to spend his life with. They’re all portrayed as beautiful and polite, and are present when Frank charms them with his personality. He’s been around and knows how to talk to people and win them over in some way. The idea seems realistic to me because of how the women react to Franks words and how flattered they are. They play a small role because they’re introduced as quickly as they are gone. It shows that Frank couldn't find someone to love.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the film, women rarely seen with having the main role of sex appeal. Women are also the focal point of Frank’s life, being the only thing he seems to live for. They are also portrayed in an old fashioned view by the means of being told what to do by men. An example of this was when Frank met Donna. He was quick to flirt with her and then taught her to tango. He was leading her throughout the dance and making her move. Another example is Frank’s overall treatment to women. He knows every scent of women’s perfume and flirts with every woman he speaks with.
ReplyDeleteWomen play an outdated role in this film. They’re portrayed as being inferior to men. For example, in the scene when Slade does the tango with Donna, she explains how she’s always wanted to learn how to tango, but hasn’t because her boyfriend has no interest in it. Throughout the whole tango, Donna is following Slade, showing the dominance men have over women. Also, women in this film are mainly talked about for sexual activity. For instance, Slade confesses to Charlie that the only thing keeping him going is the thought of a women “wrapped around his body”. These ideas are realistic in the past, when women were objectified by men.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand how you could see women as being highly sexualized in this film, I also think they represent something far deeper. Frank's barking about sex is part of his bravado; in reality, he adores women. In fact, "Scent of a Woman" is his reason to kill himself. The scent of a woman in his life means that they are not a fleeting presence. Frank has been alone his entire life, and he may believe he is unworthy of love, especially now that he is blind. His constant sniffing of the air is the torture of perceiving what he wants all around them but knowing it will vanish. He wants that scent to remain; he wants love.
DeleteOnce he believes that he will never have that "scent," he decides to kill himself. The possibility of love is what kept him going.
DeleteConsidering that they are a "fleeting presence", it makes sense that they were rarely seen in the movie, and when they were, it was only for a few moments and then they were gone. Just like in Frank's life.
DeleteWomen are rarely seen in the movie. I think this could be partly be because they are trying to show things from the perspective of Frank. He has been in the military all his life so he really hasn't had the chance to form a emotional connection with a women. He sees them as objects of sex instead.
ReplyDeleteWomen are portrayed as inferior to men in this film. A prime example of subordination of women is the scene when Lieutenant Colonel teaches Donna how to tango. She claims she's wanted to learn how to tango but had never been given the opportunity because her boyfriend doesn't have an interest. When she finally gets the chance to tango she follows Lieutenant Colonels' footsteps which represents the dominance men have over women.
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ReplyDeleteWhen Frank speaks to and about women, he does it almost with a sense of reverence. He barks at everyone but with his daughter and Donna for example, his tone of voice is much more kind. Yes, he may speak about them sexually, but he does respect women. They are just about the only thing that he loves in the world and a reason for him to live.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Also I found it interesting that when it came to Donna, yes Frank was flirting with her, but to me it seemed as if Frank was trying to nudge Charlie along to get him to do something with her.
DeleteI agree with you Shay, he does respect women even though he speaks of them in sexual ways. He seems most happiest and calm when we see him with women, for example, while dancing with Donna he seems to have a grin the whole time.
DeleteI agree with you. Frank surely does respect women and he knows that they are great to have next to you. He stays happy with them because they can keep him busy and talk for hours.
DeleteI agree with you, but I don't believe Frank was hitting on Donna even though he might have had a sexual tone in his voice. I think he was trying to be Charlie's wingman, but Charlie was too hesitant and quiet.
DeleteIn this movie Frank talks about women in a sexual and almost possessive way, however in reality he has a lot of respect for women. The way he talks about women is more about the personality of Frank talking, but when confronted by women, Frank treats them with the kindness and respect. One example is when he tangos with Donna. He teaches her how to dance the tango, something that she has always wanted to learn, and then payed for her food. He didn't do this because he was trying to get in bed with Donna, but instead because in reality he is a gentleman and knows how to treat a women right.
ReplyDeleteI think that women in this film are barely shown, but play a significant role with how the story progresses. Many of the key scenes place a woman in the center, whether that be Donna or Miss Downes or Mrs. Hunsaker. Women seem to be a motivation for Frank and how he wants to be loved. During the climax scene when Frank prepares to shoot himself, he talks about how he wants to wake up one day and see a woman still with him in the morning. And that he has given up on the hope that one day it will happen. Although it was quick, the conversation Frank had with Miss Downes in my opinion was a huge game changer that there was still hope.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie, Women serve as one of the only things Frank Slade has to live for. Since his blindness Frank has become a sort of creepy expert at identifying what women look like with there smells. Also because of his Blindness Frank believes that he can't find a women to love so they also act as something he can never have.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with the part about how they are something he can't have. It's like he knows that because of the way he is he doesn't deserve the women he wants.
DeleteWomen play a role toward Frank's happiness and reason for living in this film. When we see women and Frank in this film, he is mainly calm and happy and we see this when he dances with Donna. Since he is blind, his scent is what uplifts his spirits, and once the scent disappears its as if his happiness also leaves.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Franks happiness came from women and that its the scent that brings him happiness so when it disappears so does his spirit.
DeleteAlthough we don't see women a lot in the film, when we do they seem to be an aspect of happiness in Frank's life. When he sees women, he seems to get some kind of pleasure by seeing them and although he makes smart remarks and comments towards them, he does respect women. We know he respects women by the way he talks to his daughter and granddaughter.
ReplyDeleteThe reason that women appear in this film briefly is to demonstrate how they make Frank feel. Women seem to be the only real source of happiness for Frank before and even after he meets Charlie. Women are portrayed as beautiful by Frank throughout the movie and they are mostly respected by him.
ReplyDeleteI agree in that the reason they are in the film briefly is to show how Frank feels. The women symbolize his limited happiness. They show up briefly and Frank only has brief happiness.
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ReplyDeleteWomen are portrayed to be a prize for Frank. Frank loves women for their sexually reasons but also because of their companionship. They make him happy and allow him to continue his life. He respects them and he can tell what type of girl she is by their laugh, smell and the way she talks.
ReplyDelete-Walter Perez
Although women aren't seen much thought out the movie they are the reason that Frank is still alive. While in New York Frank says he wants to have sex with a beautiful women before he goes and kills himself. Towards the end of the movie Charlie tells Frank that there is no point in killing himself because he believes that Frank can find someone that will love him. He can easily identify the smell and name of a women by speaking with them.
ReplyDeleteIn the film, Women is one of the only things Frank has to look forward to. Since he can't actually see them he can only imagine what they look like and the clothes they are wearing. We rarely see women in the film because thats how Frank feels, he is rarely happy. He is only happy when he finds a nice young lady. Lastly the only thing Frank has to identify a good look lady is the scent of her perfume, hence the name, Scent of a Women.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Frank knows a lot about women and that even with his crazy erratic behaviors he seems to really care about them despite saying all the things he says. He also wants to help Charlie with what he knows, but it feels too much like a side story to be the name of the movie.
ReplyDeleteI believe the role of women in this film represents this kind of unattainable beauty and happiness for Frank. Since Frank is blind he can only tell what a woman smells like leaving him to imagine what she looks like; I can only imagine he pictured these woman like goddesses. Because of his blindness Frank isn't able to picture himself being with a woman, as if it holds him back. The idea that women are solely viewed as sex objects and items of beauty is completely idealistic, but that doesn't really matter in this film.
ReplyDeletei think the role of women in this movie is for Franks purpose since one of his tasks to do in his to do list was to make love to a beautiful women. Women are portrayed as a gorgeous, piece of art according to Franks descriptions of them
ReplyDeleteFrank believes God is a genius because he made woman and he shows how most source of his affection is of woman and always could tell their scent of perfume . Although he seems to see them as just something made for men saying Dana was made for Charlie so it kinda like they are seen as property of men
ReplyDeleteThe role of women in this movie seems to be the progression and strengthening of the colonel and Charlie’s friendship. They are always portrayed as people to be respected and revered, and the colonel holds them to an almost goddess-like standard. This view of women in the film is more idealistic than realistic as the events displayed in the film are much more for the sake of the plot than realistic encounters, but this doesn't matter as these scenes are pivotal in understanding the colonel and solidifying the relationship between him and Charlie. - Lucas R.
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