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Black Widow' asks: Is a woman empowered if a man's telling her how to be strong? 'Black Widow' asks: Is a woman empowered if a man's telling her how to be strong?

Alyssa Rosenberg women's strength and liberation. But when men are defining what it means to be empowered, it's IS a woman really empowered if always worth taking a careful she's following a man's definition look at the criteria they're of what it means to be liberated setting for women, and to and strong? That's the question discuss whether everyone ought raised by "Black Widow," the to view freedom and strength on long-awaited Marvel movie masculine tenns. featuring Scarlett Johansson's Of course, ideas about what spy-turned-, Natasha makes a woman powerful don't Romanoff. The film doesn't have take root without enthusiasm, or a particularly deep or satisfying at least grudging collaboration, answer, given that it's a very from women. In "Black Widow： expensive corporate product it's Melina, the Soviet scientist rather than a radical feminist who once posed as Natasha and text. But it's a concept worth Yelena's mother, who develops pondering, not just on-screen the mind-control techniques but off it. and synthesizes the chemicals No superhero is complete that are essential to Dreykov's without an origin story, program. and "Black Widow- is about Off-screen, women such Natashas relationship to the as "Girlboss- author Sophia men who made her what she Amoruso and "Lean In" advocate is - and how their idea of what Sheryl Sandberg have promoted it meant for girls to reach their a vision of female success that full potential warped her life -while less toxic than any and that of her "sister," Yelena supervillain's plot - still looks a Belova. (If it wasn't already lot like an argument for chasing obvious, this column discusses the same opportunities and the movies plot.) work-life balance that men have First and foremost is always prioritized. In polities. Dreykov, a sinister Soviet-era Republican women such as Rep, bureaucrat who prides himself Lauren Boebert of Colorado on his ability to make use of seem determined to prove "the only natural resource the that they can be even more world has too much of： little gun-obsessed than their male girls," Through mind control, counterparts. forced sterilization, family "Black Widow," though it casts Florence Pugh in Black Widow". — Kevin Baker/Marvel Studios separation and a brutal training a gimlet eye and a precisely regimen, Dreykov transforms aimed gun at men who advance his captives, including Natasha Some of the best moments and empowerment look like. a twisted idea of a strong and Yelena, into willowy, in “Black Widow" are scenes in Black Widow is the invention woman, doesn't exactly end balletic expert markswomen which the characters banter of three men. legendary Marvel with Natasha, Yelena, Melina and vicious street fighters. They over the absurdities - and vicious editor , writer Don Rico and their counterparts swearing are avatars of hyperfemininity cruelties - of this male-defined and artist And though off militarism and redefining employed to hypermasculine vision of female superheroism. 'Black Widow" is directed, at empowerment on their own ends. Yelena mocks Natasha's times with grace and specificity, terms. After all, there are jets He's not alone in thinking signature landing after a by Cate Shortland, the Marvel to fly, vengeance to seek and beautiful lethality is the jump, which involves her legs Cinematic Universe is overseen a billion-dollar, multiplatform highest goal a woman can akimbo and a well-timed hair by another man, Kevin Feige. action franchise to feed. strive for. When Natasha and flip. When Alexei asks whether Feige is not alone in using But even if it's hard to Lean Yelena reunite with Alexei, the Yelena is grumpy because she's the power of Hollywood to out and abandon, or at least Soviet superhero known as Red menstruating, she snaps back. shape what it means to be a assess, a well-trod path to Guardian who posed as their “I don't get my period, dips-. I strong woman. Joss Whedon, success, women watching "Black father when they were girls, he's don't have a uterus." a reference who also worked in the Marvel Widow" at home and in theaters delighted by their ruthlessness. to the hysterectomies she franchise, shaped a generation Scarlett Johansson in "Black Widow.—Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios would do well to take the pause "Yelena, you went on to be the and Natasha experienced at of action heroines with his that Natasha and Yelena can't. greatest child assassin the world Dreykov's hands. "Buffy the Slayer." Candace Bushnell's "Sex and about female ambition and We have choices other than has ever known!" Alexei crows. There's an irony to this Darren Star helped define the City" columns for the New likability in politics. to be assassins, supermoms or "You both have killed so many franchise raising questions single-girl aspirations for sex York Observer. Michael Schur's That these creators are all giribosses, if we take the time to people. ... I couldn't be more about what it means for men and romance in his hugely sitcom “Parks and Recreation­ men doesn't disqualify them define them for ourselves. —The proud of you!" to dictate what female strength influential adaptation of even shaped conversations from having real insights about Washington Post

Behind the scenes on the set of Black Widow', (from left} Scarlett Johansson, director Cate Shortland. Florence Pugh (From left) Florence Pugh, director Cate Shortland and Scarlett Johansson talk on the set of Black Widow". — Jay and David Harbour.—Jay Maidjnent/MarveJ Studios Maidment/Marvel Studios