In the documentary film Born in Flames, the method being used to present feminine power is not soft and indirect anymore. The rebellion of women is much more radical and violent, since the story is happening in real society, it is not a fantasy that director creates. In the film, there are significant evidences to show the transferring from female characteristics to male characteristics on the main characters.
The dance at the beginning of the film showing few black girls and their smooth and healthy skin can be considered as a symbol of feminism. Young girls have this undeniable charm for male because of their young and beautiful body, as rape is one of the important topics in the film. Raping is the most deliberate and direct action of aggression against women, it symbolizes the maximum power a man could ever desire and take it into real action. Raping is not only about physical invasion but also mental torture, lower down the status of women, as half of the human society, down to an object to relieve males’ libido. “Raping victim gets nothing” but painful memory and mental scars.
A series of shots showing what women are supposed to be doing, considered by the masculine society are providing strong material to contrast with the later on rebellion events. The sketches such as women nursing in the hospital, washing dishes, even putting on a condom for a man’s penis, emerge the message of women being treated unfairly throughout the society. The condom scene is an important detail, trying to illustrate what role women play in the matter of gender and sex. According to Freud’s psychoanalysis theory, a lot of social phenomenon and human activity are related to people’s sex desire not able to be satisfied or properly released. The image throws out a message: women are being considered more as only the baby feeder and sex partner, not as a complete human-being with rights and responsibility. And that is what the main characters are trying to rebel about.
When the conflict between the government and the women movement groups getting worse, girls start to take real actions towards the society. From this point the film starts to present a lot of manly like scene. The violence, as a symbol used to be the masculine’s privilege to use. Women robbed the privilege and use it as the weapon to attack people who discriminate women. This is an effective way to threaten the male-dominated society and moral standard, since the considered weak group prove themselves to be able to fight back in the same way they were being treated. The society does not expect such a radical changes involving the reversal of women’s role. The shot of office with three professional looked women working is another example of women taking the role of what men supposed to be doing and replace them, giving a strong sense of rebellion. Another interesting point is that the main characters in the film have this middle-gendered looks such as small breasts and rigid faces, also emphasizing the replacement of men’s roles by feminine strength. In addition, before the breakout of attacking the TV station, Honey (such a sweet, girl-kind name) shaves all her hair is another example of the takeover of the traditional gender matters in every aspect.
