The first episode of Netflix’s Godless suggests the series can become a proto-feminist masterpiece
The gearing up to the release of Godless was an interesting one. We saw gun-toting women defending what seemed like a female-only community, hiding a fugitive on the run from a mob. The portrayal couldn’t have come at a better time. With the issue of sexual harassment rife in all types of employment, from Hollywood to politics, women instead have the upper hand in Godless. The spotlight falls on Michelle Dockery in the first episode (who is cast as Alice Fletcher), who launches us into the Wild West era and way before the term “feminist” ever existed.
The first episode is atypical of a woman’s fantasy in a patriarchal world. We are introduced to Alice Fletcher’s silhouette, gun in tow, ready to fire at the man on the horse. Straight away the dominance in her voice resonates through the screen, outlining her independent nature to the already intrigued viewer. We learn throughout that Fletcher lives with her mother-in-law, and raises her son alone without a father figure. Her opinion of men is sketchy, and her standoffish approach to newcomer, Roy Goode, gives a sense of distrust from the male kind. The injured Goode remains knelt to the floor within the first twenty minutes, withering in pain, while his heroine and the alpha-female watches over him. The angles and positions we see Fletcher display her as bold, no-holds-barred, with a hint of empathy towards the mysterious Goode.
Fletcher lives on the outskirts of La Belle, New Mexico, a town inhabited predominantly by women. Women rule the roost, although abiding by the rules of a male sheriff. The sheriff in question, Bill McNue, is somehow emasculated from the start. His introduction shows him naked in a spiritual enclave hosted by Native Americans. We are also introduced to his relationship with his sister, Mary Agnes, a rifle-wielding forceful character. Not only does she cater to Bill’s motherless children, she manages all of her brother’s life as he seems incapable to. Her fashion, shirt and boots with a cowboy hat, is a paradox to the stereotypical female character we believed lived in the western plains in the 19th century.
The depcition of women in mainstreams films and television, normally goes down the damsel-in- distress road. However, we have seen an influx of gender’s very own turning tables moment this year. From the release of DC’s Wonder Woman, the first critically-acclaimed female superhero movie, as well as the biographical Hidden Figures. When producing Godless, the wave of sexual harassment misconduct that spread across the mainstream press hadn’t materialised, but the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Women now have the opportunity to feel inspired and uplifted in the new series’ take down on patriarchy. An ultimate act of revenge porn has appeared by Godless’ two male creators, and now the ladies of La Belle’s metaphorical rise against male-dominated violence is upon us.
