📛 Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Diatribe 📛

Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers for Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One 

Good evening lovelies! I hope you're all doing well 🌻 This past weekend I went to watch Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. I'm not familiar with the series despite watching the fourth installment in theaters;; I don't remember anything important from the plot, including the main character's name, only recalling how impressed I was during the scenes shot in Mumbai. My impression of the film is that it's whatever. I would go more into detail about my opinions of the film but as I was typing I realized I found a lot of aspects of the movie unfavorable and actually don't care enough to type them out. I will point out though that it made me most uncomfortable in how the only female character who wasn't white was the most sexualized in the film. The movie has at least three prominent characters that aren't male: Grace, Ilsa, and Alanna. While Paris, played by Pom Klementieff, is a villain sidekick, she has the least amount of lines from the entire cast despite having a decent amount of screen time. She's introduced during a high-action scene and despite that portion of the film requiring her to be behind the wheel, we're given an excuse for her to step out of her vehicle so we can catch a gust of wind fly her skirt upwards so we can take a peek of her undergarments. It must be noted that in this scene she wears a plaid pleated skirt that is reminiscent of a schoolgirl uniform. As much as I was entertained by the car chase, this shameless camera shot killed my amusement and I was forced to become more critical of how all women were portrayed. 

BtS photo of Pom Klementieff on the set of Mission Impossible 7: Dead Reckoning Part One.

The movie also has a tendency to present Paris from lower angles. Keep in mind she's only a supporting character and therefore her screen time is limited compared to our leads and yet the director and writers wanted us to see her from this position almost exclusively. When she is accompanied in the frame by other villains, who are mostly male, these angles become absent.

There's another portion of the movie that takes place at a ball/masquerade party and once again Paris is dressed in a pleated skirt and is now revealing her midriff. A fight breaks out and for a moment she gains the upper hand by choking Tom Cruise's character with her thighs. Her character is again shown in a sexual manner that is exacerbated due to her outfit. It should be noted that the rest of the white female cast does not share similarities with her wardrobe.

As you can see, Grace, Alanna, and Ilsa are always sporting outfits that are practical for stunts and combat. They all wear formal trousers, and blouses that are either accompanied by a blazer or trenchcoat. 

Additionally, there's a point in the film where a few characters, including Grace, are body searched by authority figures and the camera lingers either on their nervous faces, other people, or props that help fuel the story's progression while adding tension to the stakes. Meanwhile, when it's Paris' turn we get to a full frame of a male officer examining her chest. With all things considered, it's hard to overlook how she's the only character that was treated this way onscreen.

Toward the end of the film, Paris is finally dressed like the rest of the female cast as she undergoes a redemption arc. Not sure if her "uniform" is toned down much like her behavior, to possibly reflect she's no longer a femme fatale. The femme fatale is a notorious sexist trope that perpetuates the female stereotype of a beautiful woman whose "demonic" disposition comes at a lethal expense to men.

I want to emphasize that I do not support whorephobia or any degree of misogyny. Women along with all other marginalized genders should be able to wear what they want without scrutiny. But Paris does not have free will. She's a fictional character in a story directed and written by men and therefore all of her actions, including her wardrobe decisions, come from their volition. Considering how Asian women experience a specific crossroad of discrimination that intertwines both racism and misogyny, Paris' role and presentation are undeniably influenced by these aspects of white supremacy. 

Not sure how to end this post;; The movie is entertaining. I understand the series is a male power fantasy, not to mention the overall climate in Hollywood but I just wish I could also enjoy media without being grossed out by reminders of how society does not view women, women of color, and other marginalized genders as accessories at best.