Column by Tim Riley

There is a dark, terrible secret to the world of Hollywood movies that some people like to ignore. It explains so much about what kind of movies are made and the ideas contained within them. It’s not complex, and it is fairly obvious. Hollywood makes movies to make money.

The executives from Paramount to Disney sit in a room and think the following question: What can I put on film to show people that will yield the biggest return on my investment? Simply put, they are not in the business of social progress and political agenda. And, in today’s world, it seems following that principle is drawing the ire of certain members of the movie-watching public.

Recently, it was postulated in this paper that the moviemakers of the world have it out for women. They either portray them as useless or as “man-woman” in your average action movie. While this point has some validity for your average bloody romp, it ignores the fact that these movies are not made to portray anything in a realistic light.

Bullets can’t hit the main character, who is undoubtedly the manliest man on earth, no matter how many are fired and anything anyone touches explodes. Why is that? Because movies like that make lots and lots of money for the studios. It is much less risky to make “Rocky 28” than to pour money into an artsy exploration of the female-male dynamic in modern times. Therefore, that is what we get.

Even if one chooses to ignore that fact though, there are still a number of discrepancies between the ideas put forth on women in film and reality. First and foremost, while the character of Ripley, from the film “Alien” and its sequels, was a pioneer for women in action films, she is not a lone shining beacon. Despite its extreme gore, it would be very difficult to argue that The Bride, from the “Kill Bill” series, is not a well-balanced female lead.

While it can be said that her dilemma may arise from a conflict with a man, relationships are a vital part of the human condition. It is hardly reasonable to say that a female lead is inherently flawed because of where she derives her motivations. How often is the male action star motivated by saving his damsel in distress? Yet, we do not argue he is a poor portrayal of man because he happens to love someone.

Looking further into the issue, the original argument presupposes that people should pull forth idols to emulate from film. Neither sex should be looking to the latest Michael Bay feature to figure out how to play out their gender role. The world does not need any men trying to be John McClane, just as it does not need any women waiting to be tied to train tracks.

While the action genre can be effectively used to confront complex issues, it usually is not. To harp on this reality in negative terms, is an exercise in Ivory Tower-ism at the highest level. It ignores economic realities and sets up its terms of execution in nothing resembling reality as it truly is. Not every film has to be “Citizen Kane.”

Ripley is an outstanding portrayal of a character in a film and this should be respected whether she was male or female, even though being a woman made her more unique. But at the same time, sometimes people just want to watch a really attractive woman blow things up while wearing very little clothing. Hollywood knows this. So it does it.

If Hollywood could consistently make films with the critical and financial success of the “Aliens” franchise, then I am quite certain they would. Unfortunately, excellent scripts, amazing directors, and highly skilled actors all working in unison on a worthwhile project is not exactly easy to arrange. Therefore, we are often left watching a simplified version of reality. It will still make money, and it is a lot easier. That is music to the ears of Hollywood business.

It is easy to run about labeling things as “misogynist crap” instead of looking at reality. Unfortunately, it is also an act that should be outgrown eventually. The world is not all about the balancing of fair portrayals of every race, gender and creed in all things. Someday everyone might get together and sing “Kumbaya,” but until then, I will be watching “Die Hard 14” and enjoying myself.