Several Deadly CINEs: My Life in Cinema Studies, Screenwriting, and Beyond

Visions of Catwomen

October 30, 2010 at 5:01 PM (Comic Book Films, Film, Underwhelmed)

The adaptation of Catwoman from comic book to film  has been an interesting love/hate affair.   The character has many interpretations in the comics, film, and television. There was the campy 60s movie, as well as Batman Returns, and the film, Catwoman.   While we could go on about the many adaptations, for the sake of this post, we will focus on two films:  Catwoman (2004) and Batman Returns (1992).

With Batman Returns we have Michelle Pfeiefer as Selena Kyle/Catwoman.   This antagonist physiologically broke under the pressure of living in a very sexist, chauvinistic world that kills her multiple times in this film.   Along with her strong desire for vengeance, she wants people to know we live in an unfair and cruel the world.

 

With the film, Catwoman, Halle Berry plays Patience, a timid graphic designer who gets into a situation that leads to her murder.  She’s revived by a cat spirit. This process releases her inner supernatural cat.   Along the way Patience finds time to find romance, theft, and the desire to solve her own murder.

Patience’s death/revival by cats bears a strong resemblance to the Batman Returns film where Selena Kyle (Michelle Pfeiefer) is pushed out of a window by her boss, Max Schreck, and revived by cats.  Kyle also has supernatural powers (nine lives).  Patience  has enhanced senses, reflexes, agility.  At one point she squeezes through bars.  Both characters love whips and contrast the fetish aspects of their costumes with female empowerment themes.   Both heroines are involved in accidental deaths.  (Patience: Laurel Hadare. Selena: The Ice Princess).

One of the main themes of both films appears to be “transforming of oneself.”  Allowing the other side of our personalities, or doppleganger to run.  This is nothing new to film or literature, as Patience and Selena releases their inner Mr. Hyde.  If she were a vampire, or were wolf, the status would be the same.   It is a classical transition and transformation.

What’s really astounding about Catwoman is how horrible the narrative and logic gets as the story progresses.   Patience’s enhanced senses only work when its convenient to the plot.  When Laurel Hedare (Sharon Stone) sneaks up on her, and eventually frames her for murder, I wondered where Catwoman’s enhanced abilities went.

This is not to say that Batman Returns is a perfect film at all.  In some parts the logic simply fails, leaving Burton’s unique vision of Gotham City to carry the film.   The dark, Gothic aspects of the film do linger in the mind, however the dumbness of several plot elements left me cold.

Permalink Leave a Comment