Minor cinematic pet peeve that I need to get out of my system:
Why is it that women in action movies, who KNOW they are headed into life-or-death combat, do not take a moment to tie back their long hair? Or even cut it off?
I currently have long hair and enjoy having it, but it frequently gets in my way, so I always tie it back or put it up. If I were headed into a combat situation I would shear it all off to an inch long. I would not want to die because my hair got into my eyes at the wrong moment.
My guess…
Since most movies are shot out of sequence (sometimes the first shots of the movie are shot near the very end of filming), it would make continuity near impossible…
Though I agree completely…
At swordclass the other day we had a similar conversation regarding why the swordfighting scenes in movies/documentaries are so unrealistic.
One word: Hollywood.
Short version: If it looks good, film it that way, and to hell with realism.
Re: My guess…
If they can get facial scratches, bruises, & torn clothing right from scene to scene, then they should be able to manage tied back hair.
I think it has more to do with the attractiveness of long hair flying around.
Re: My guess…
I was speaking to the “cut it off” part…
Had I long hair (as I did in High School), and I was about to get in a sword fight or something, I’d hack it off. Not only because it would fly around, and get in my eyes, but because long hair makes a GREAT hand-hold in a clutch…
And slicing a huge hunk of hair off would be quicker than setting down your weapons, pulling out the hair tie, and setting your hair…
But you’re corroect… It does look better…
River fighting…. Yeah…
Nuff said, I think…
It really is a combination of (a) long hair flying around is an easy, pleasing visual, and (b) a lot of guys take this to be a sexy, wild thing. Untamed hair = untamed woman, or some such connection.
Although the guys who are going to an action movie with ideas like that in mind are probably also interested in the women with short, spiky hair as well. The whole ponytail thing seems to be limited to Lara Croft types.
I maintain that a basic ponytail is one of the best looks regardless of death-defying fights.
I’m clueless… I tie mine up for just about EVERYTHING so I can’t imagine being so silly as to go and do something active with it falling about loose.
Because they have to appear sexy for the male audience, mostly. Out of all the action movies I’ve seen, I can think of only two women offhand who did tie off their hair or cut it short so it wouldn’t get into their eyes – Sarah Conner of Terminator 2, and Ellen Ripley in Aliens. Heck, she lost all her hair in the third movie. 😀
Re: My guess…
Well, as we learned from “War Stories”, River doesn’t need to see to fight effectively. But anyone else…yeah.