Gender and Medieval Film
Session Organizer: Kristin Bovaird-Abbo
Dept. of English, University of Kansas
1445 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045
kabbo@ku.edu

Reimagining the Frēoðuwebbe: The Role of the Feminine in Baker’s Beowulf and McTiernan’s The Thirteenth Warrior

In the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, Hrōðgār’s wife Wealhþēo serves an important function in her role not only as the queen but also as that of a frēoðuwebbe, or peaceweaver. Peaceweavers such as Wealhþēow held various responsibilities, which included acting somewhat as a diplomat between comitatus. Twentieth-century film interpretations of Beowulf have reconfigured this vital position in different ways including Graham Baker’s decision to provide Hrōðgār and Wealhþēow with a daughter who assumes the queen’s responsibilities after her death. This paper looks at two late twentieth-century Beowulf films – Baker’s 1999 Beowulf and John McTiernan’s 1999 The Thirteenth Warrior – and examines how modern filmmakers reimagine the peaceweaver role. I explore the manner in which the portrayals of the peaceweaver in the films differ from that traditional Anglo-Saxon role and what effect that has on the gender dynamics within the films. Ultimately, one must consider the ways in which this transformation not only reflects society’s image of Anglo-Saxon life but also reinforces or questions current gender hierarchies.

Jennifer Floray Balke
University of Kansas
jbalke@ku.edu

Dressed to Chill: Castle Couture in the Cinematic Middle Ages

The image of a lovely young and scantily-clad warlike woman juxtaposed with an incongruously rough and hostile medieval landscape, an image quite at odds with what we know of medieval dress, typifies current cinematic practice. Advance publicity materials suggest, for example, that the forthcoming King Arthur (unreleased as of the date of this abstract) is unlikely to diverge from this current practice, dressing its heroine as it does in clothing unlikely to provide protection from elements or foe and, in fact, almost certainly physically uncomfortable in its own right. While moviegoers might applaud the development of strong female characters in this and other films, their strength is often undercut by the filmmakers’ concentration on sexual allure. This paper explores factors that might govern such clothing choices, including the different artistic premises that influence the genres of fantasy and historical film.

Becky Miller
University of Kansas
millerbe@ukans.edu

Constructing Control & Gendering Power: Enclosure, Freedom, and Female Agency in Chris Newby’s Anchoress

Chris Newby’s film Anchoress (Corsan Productions, 1993) is a study of sexuality, regulation, and vocation. Christine Carpenter, the anchoress, is described as a passionate woman who “challenges the priest’s authority.” This modern rendition of anchoritism delineates an intriguing construction of the intersection of medieval spirituality, sexuality, and freedom. In truth, a medieval anchoress gained female agency along with a certain degree of freedom once she was enclosed in her cell. This power structure is negated by the modern film, which reinforces traditional patriarchal roles. Anchoress illustrates the protagonist’s role as a “strong woman” through direct confrontations with authority, and personal identification with the Virgin Mary in order to increase her agency. However, this attempt to superimpose modern values, including freedom of movement and sexual choices, undoes true anchoritic agency. This is not only a disruptive image of the Middle Ages, but also a disruptive construction of gendered power. By focusing only on the limiting aspects of enclosure, specifically on enclosure as lack of sex, the film serves ultimately to reify the existing male power hierarchy and to deny the female agency inherent in choosing the anchoritic lifestyle.

Michelle M. Sauer
Minot State University
sauer@misu.nodak.edu