The Critics view

Some critics have been against superhero films for a while, after having to review so many of them it’s understandable that “superhero fatigue” would start to set in. Some critics just don’t like the genre. While this likely isn’t the cause of the divide, it is important to acknowledge, as Rotten Tomatoes takes all reviews into account, whether positive or negative.

Another point may be the director, Chloe Zhao. Her previous film Nomadland won Best Picture at the Oscars, and some critics have compared Eternals to it, despite the obvious differences. Critics may have expected more from Zhao, expecting it to be more like her usual films, rather than an MCU project.

Critics also tend to be harsher on things they dislike, and the overreliance on CGI is a complaint that comes up time and again. As most of the film’s fight scenes involve it, as well as most of the villains being entirely CG, it’s hard not to notice. Many of these complaints are not new, or specific to Marvel movies, but it’s easy to understand why critics would become bored over time.

Eternals, like every film, has its own flaws. The 153-minute runtime, as well as its slower, more thoughtful pacing, makes it feel long. The addition of 10 new characters is a lot and some characters get more development than others, and the villans seem like an afterthought

The Audience View

Unlike critics, audiences don’t seem to be tired of superhero films just yet, after all MCU films are doing well at the box office, taking into account the pandemic of course. Marvel has a legion of fans that will see and enjoy all their projects, whether that be because they are a fan of a particular character, or want to see what is next for the universe.

Audiences are usually less critical of films too, with technical aspects like camera work or effects not focused on in favour of the characters or story. Eternals large cast of characters, including some big names like Angelina Jolie, and Robb Stark himself Richard Madden, has something for everyone. Everyone can have a different favourite amongst the cast, as they each have their own distinct personality and powerset. They are also representative of a wide range of people, of different races, sexualities and abilities, as well as Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) being deaf.

Many people also enjoy that the film does play differently than most Marvel films, as it dedicates time to deconstruct its heroes and explore their humanity. The Eternals themselves are less typical Marvel heroes, with less quippy humour and few nods to the Avengers. Audiences likely go with their overall feelings on the film after it has finished, as well the potential teased in the post-credit scenes.

The divide between audiences and critics is interesting but goes to show that they consume media differently. Perhaps most importantly, it shows that while critical reviews can be helpful in deciding what to watch, it is still best to watch it yourself and form your own opinion.

Also Read: How Much Influence Do Movie Reviews From Film Critics Have On Audiences?

The post Eternals: Audiences Vs Critics – Why Is There A Huge Difference In Ratings On Rotten Tomatoes? appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The report looks at 1,300 films over the course of 2007-2019. Over the course of these 13 years, there is a ratio of 20 male directors to one female, only 4.8%. Despite this, the average critic scores are basically the same. So have things changed since then? Let’s take a look at some notable female directors and see how they’ve been represented.

Greta Gerwig

Gerwig started out in micro and low-budget indie films, with her writing, directing and acting in several in her twenties. In 2010, she starred in Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg, which led to her starting to gain mainstream success. She co-wrote Baumbach’s next film, Frances Ha, as well as playing the title role, and her performance was nominated for a Golden Globe. Gerwig also collaborated with Baumbach for a third film, Mistress America, which also received critical acclaim.

After several acclaimed performances in other films such as Jackie and 20th Century Women, she made her solo directorial debut (having previously co-directed) with Lady Bird. The film was critically acclaimed, particularly Gerwig’s screenplay and direction, as well as breakout roles for Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet. It also won Best Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes, as well as being nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, as well as Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for Ronan and Laurie Metcalf. Gerwig is the fifth woman to be nominated for Best Director, but did not win.

Her second feature, an adaptation of Little Women, repeated this success, receiving six nominations. Controversially, no women were nominated for the Best Director award in 2020, and the film only won one award, for Best Costume Design. Natalie Portman’s dress featured several snubbed female directors’ names, including Gerwig’s, as a form of protest. Gerwig’s next project is a live-action Barbie film, with Margot Robbie starring.

Ava DuVernay

DuVernay actually started out as a journalist, before moving into PR and Marketing, where she helped promote several big films such as Shrek 2, The Terminal and Collateral. Her first film, a short titled Saturday Night Life, is based on her mother’s experience and follows a single mother and her children on a shopping trip.

Deciding to stick with documentaries, as they can be produced more cheaply, she made Compton in C Minor with the challenge of presenting the city in two hours, before finally releasing her first narrative feature in 2011. I Will Follow was inspired by DuVernay’s Aunt and deals with the complex process of grieving for a loved one. She quickly followed it up with her second, Middle of Nowhere, for which she won the U.S Directing Award: Dramatic, the first African-American woman to do so. She then made a short for the Smithsonian National Museum about African-American history, an anthology featuring Don Cheadle, Lupita Nyong’o, Regina King and Angela Bassett.

In 2014, she directed Selma, about Martin Luther King and the march for voting rights. It received critical acclaim and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Song, the only film directed by a person of colour to be nominated. Despite the controversy, DuVernay claimed she never expected to be nominated and was more upset that David Oyelowo, who plays Dr. King, was not.

She later directed 13th, a documentary about US prisoners and modern-day slavery, which was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature. DuVernay became the first black woman to be nominated as a director in the feature category. She also became the first black woman to direct a live-action film, earning over $100 million with A Wrinkle in Time. Although the film was greeted with mixed reviews, it marked an important victory for diversity on screen.

Looking forward

2019 was a landmark year for female directors. USC Annenberg’s report shows that out of the 100 top-grossing films of the year, 12 were directed by women. This translates to a ratio of 8.4 males to 1 female. Which is a big step forward. Additional research has shown that audiences prefer films with a diverse cast. In 2021, Chloe Zhao became the second woman to win Best Director, as well as the first non-white woman to win the award. While things are by no means equal, it seems the industry is taking steps in the right direction.

Also Read: “Little Women” & Cinema For The Self-Partnered

The post Inclusion In The Director’s Chair: Are Female Directors Finally Breaking Through? appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.