My Reputation
She, Too
By Amir Faress • 12/25/19
Though years ahead of its time in portraying a female lead who charts her own course and courageously stands up to petty gossip and parochial views, My Reputation is also a testament to how times have changed.
Against the backdrop of the Me Too Movement, the movie’s feminist message could hardly be squared with the blind eye it turns on its leading character, Jessica (played by Babara Stanswyck), falling for Major Landis (played by George Brent), a groper who shows no regards for her personal boundaries. When Jessica visits Major Landis at his residence, he asks her to sit next to him, then sidles up ridiculously close, making her very uncomfortable. In another instance, when he steals a kiss from her (their first kiss), Jessica – clearly not expecting it – objects by saying, “Why did you do that?” The major responds by doing it again.
Though still thematically relevant, My Reputation could also make you cringe just a little.
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