Down With Love: Feminism or Neo-feminism

Down With Love (2003), a romantic comedy set in early 1960’s can be described as a perfect example to establish the feminist movement that emerged in the 60’s. All the components of the ‘second wave’ feminism are portrayed in this film. According to the story, Barbra Novak (Renée Zellweger), an feminist writer wants to publish her new work “Down with Love”, basically a book that is capable of freeing all women and empower themselves by teaching them how to be able to ‘enjoy sex without a commitment’. The entire purpose of the book is to create a feminist world in order to boost the morale of women in workspace and in community in general. This concept of the movie is similar to the idea of the second wave feminism being a sexual revolution for women.

However, according to the plot, the message of feminism tends to fluctuate back and forth between second-wave and post-feminism, which is more accurately named as neo-feminism. Because Barbra Novak exploits her sexuality in order to obtain her goal of empowering women as well as expose the real identity of her arch rival Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor). She turns out to be a very manipulative character, and besides that she also deviates form her own principles (from the one’s she mentions in her book) in order obtain her goal. Thus establishing the post-feminist notion of “sexuality is a source of power”.