Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Raising awareness in film and TV

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and with film being such an influential and dynamic form of media, it is vital to examine how sexual assault is presented. Depictions of sexual assault in films can be triggering and upsetting, but the representation is so important. Recently we have started to see a transition towards more subtle allusions to sexual violence and an emphasis on recovery. This is compared to older films which often include scenes of graphic sexual abuse, typically presented as minor parts of larger plots which diminish the significance of the abuse.

This article discusses sexual violence and suicide, and contains heavy spoilers for The Perfect Blue, The Color Purple, The End of the F***ing World, Promising Young Woman.

The anime The Perfect Blue (1997) directed by Satoshi Kon follows a young Japanese idol who is taken advantage of by both her industry and men. The protagonist, Mima, is stalked by a shadowy figure and the violence she suffers is brief and intense. Oppositely, a rape scene Mima acts out in her new career as an actress is long lasting and extremely graphic. Mima at first consents to filming scene, but we see her visibly distressed and, as her perception of reality becomes distorted, she begins to believe this acted event happened to her in real time. Although this is a perfect representation of how new actresses are exploited, the execution of the scene with respect to sexual assault is controversial. The scene is extreme and uncomfortable and whilst it highlights the protagonist’s intense experience, it could have been handled with more care.

Similarly, Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple (1985) depicts sexual violence against underage sisters Celie and Nettie. The scenes are brief, but still wildly upsetting. These scenes seem insignificant in the storyline. Although they provide the characters with trauma, this is not deeply explored but instead passed off lightly.

We are beginning to see a transition by the entertainment industry towards exploration of recovery, sexual assault victims’ resilience, and in some cases, gruesome revenge

There is the question of whether scenes of rape and sexual assault are absolutely necessary in film and television, and from this we are beginning to see a transition by the entertainment industry towards exploration of recovery, sexual assault victims’ resilience, and in some cases, gruesome revenge. The series The End of the F***ing World (2017) follows two teenagers: James, who believes himself to be a psychopath and Alyssa, an angry, isolated classmate. When Alyssa is attacked by an older man, James kills him and the two flee the scene and go on the run. Later in the series James is sexually assaulted by a man and Alyssa saves him. The abuse scenes are short, and it is instead the aftermath and long-lasting trauma from the sexual assault which are explored.

With the National Police Chiefs’ Council announcing that violence against women and girls is now considered a national emergency, representation of rape and sexual assault in film and TV is now more important than ever

The theme of self-defence and revenge is similarly explored in Emerald Fennell’s 2020 film Promising Young Woman. The Oscar-winning film explores a woman’s experience as she visits clubs disguised as a vulnerable drunk. Every week a ‘nice guy’ checks on her and takes her home, only to sexually assault her. When it is revealed the young woman, Cassandra, is sober, she attacks the men and takes revenge on behalf of her college friend. The plot follows the protagonist’s retribution against her friend’s abusers and the people who contributed to her eventual suicide. Fennell explores the way rape and sexual assault allegations are handled and how often the accused are favoured and sympathized with.

With the National Police Chiefs’ Council announcing that violence against women and girls is now considered a national emergency, representation of rape and sexual assault in film and TV is now more important than ever. However, despite films bringing awareness to the abuse women receive, scenes of sexual assault and rape seem widely unnecessary and triggering. As film and TV continues to explore the theme of vengeance, with characters being forced to seek their own justice and closure, this reflects the problems with our modern society and judicial system.