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Heroine vs. love interest
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Heroine vs. love interest

Consider your favourite movie characters and you may notice something - the majority are men. From action-hero superstars to romantic softies, the trend is to treasure testosterone. Yet not all of the Hollywood harem are happy with this, and some refuse to play the stereotypes of damsel in distress, sultry temptress, or worse: 'love interest'.

Fortunately for modern feminists the following leading ladies provide a talisman against the oppression. They are the anything but the whimpering Cinderellas of times past. Powerful, intelligent. In short: they kick ass!

Sigourney Weaver: Ellen Ripley - Aliens (1986)

Beware the wrath of a mother scorned. Especially mothers with semi-automatics.

Meryl Streep: Miranda Priestly - The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Meryl Streep has played some of the most iconic female roles of all time. Yet, it is her portrayal of the beastly Miranda that stands as the most encouraging. Shrugging of children and family she rose to rule an empire! And had great shoes to boot!

Uma Thurman: Beatrix Kiddo "The Bride" - Kill Bill (2003-4)

Through the blood of endless enemies 'The Bride' seeks revenge against her husband without mercy. If only we all had that commitment.

Linda Hamilton: Sarah Connor - Terminator 2 (1991)

The girl bested a Terminator. Need we say more?

Jodie Foster: Clarice Starling - The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

In defiance of her superiors the honest, wholesome, and fearless Clarice battled the will of the most terrifying killer in movie history. Indeed, every great villain is defined by their enemy.

Sharon Stone: Catherine Tramell - Basic Instinct (1992)

Anything but safe and unthreatening, this famous erotic thriller pitted the icy Stone against a gormless Mike Douglas. Yet it was in the off-screen battle that the real victory was won - giving women's sexuality a new freedom.

Margaret Hamilton: The Wicked Witch of the West - The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Witches have always been a motif for female power, and the tragic death of the world's most famous is fiction's greatest disaster. See Wicked the musical. You'll know what we mean.

Alison Doody: Dr. Elsa Schneider - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Leaving aside the usual role of Indi-sidekick, Alison Doody's glamorous Dr. Schneider works only for herself. Using her PhD and other 'feminine assets' she manages to thwart both the Joneses and the Nazis.

If you ask me, her untimely death was all Indi's fault. Lara Croft could have saved her!

Glenn Close: Alex Forrest - Fatal Attraction (1987)

Arguably the greatest anti-hero of all time. Close's Alex turned the one night stand from a male bragging point to an expression of female freedom. Unfaithful husbands - beware!
 
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