Uniforms for Female S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents

 

While viewing many Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films and television productions over the years, I have noticed something. I find it rather interesting . . . or perplexing that the clothes worn by the majority of female S.H.I.E.L.D. field agents wore tight-fitting uniforms.



UNIFORMS FOR FEMALE S.H.I.E.L.D. AGENTS

My question is . . . why? Before I continue, I will acknowledge there is one female character who wears a tight-fitting uniform - namely Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel:



However, Carol Danvers was a U.S. Air Force pilot before she became an enhanced being. The uniform she wore was a variation of the Kree uniform that she originally wore after disappearing from Earth. And it was based on the uniform created for her in Marvel Comics. Could Marvel Comics and later, the MCU have created a less sexualized uniform for her? Yes. But that is nothing in compare to the uniforms worn by most S.H.I.E.L.D. agents within the franchise. And aside from two men - most female S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Like Captain Marvel's uniform, they are basically tight-fitting leather uniforms with a few variations. Below are following examples:



Agent Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow





Agent Maria Hill





Agent Melinda May aka "the Calvary"





Agent Daisy Johnson aka Skye aka Quake





Agent Bobbi Morse aka Mockingbird





Agent Elena Rodriguez aka Yo-Yo


There were at least three male S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives who constantly wore tight fitting leather uniforms:



Steve Rogers aka Captain America





Agent Clint Barton aka Hawkeye





Director Jeffrey Mace aka the Patriot

Out of eight S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and one agency director, only three were men. Three out of nine. And only one of them - Agent Barton - was not an enhanced (genuine or otherwise) individual. Yet, the majority of male S.H.I.E.L.D. field operatives usually wore what the situation called for - whether it was a military-style uniform, casual clothes or a suit.

I can only recall three female field operatives who did not wear any style of a leather unitard:



S.S.R. Agent/S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Peggy Carter - She never wore any kind of unitard or leather uniform during her years as a S.S.R. (forerunner of S.H.I.E.L.D. agency) agent. She wore an Army uniform or a military-style jumpsuit in the field during World War II and the early months of the post-war years.





Agent Sharon Carter - I have only seen her in pants, a blouse and a jacket in "CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER"; and in jeans/pants, a blouse and a vest (or jacket) in "CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR".





Agent Piper - Like many of her male colleagues, she wore either a military-style uniform or a casual outfit that consists of jeans/pants, a blouse and a jacket. How she managed to avoid being squeezed into a tight, leather unitard is a mystery. And great luck for her.


This brings me back to my original question. Why did the Marvel Cinematic Universe found it necessary to have its S.H.I.E.L.D. female characters dress in a tight, leather unitard (or something close to it)? Why have these characters dress like Cathy Gale and Emma Peel from the old "THE AVENGERS" television series? And why is it that most of the S.H.I.E.L.D. characters that dressed this way were women?

"GOLDFINGER" (1964) Review

"GOLDFINGER" (1964) Review"

Ever since its release in 1964, the James Bond movie, "GOLDFINGER" has been regarded as one of the best ever in the franchise. In fact, it is considered by many Bond fans as the franchise's definitive film, considering that it more or less created what is known as "the Bond formula". 

The 1959 Ian Fleming novel, upon which the movie is based, is also highly regarded by some fans. However, others believe that the movie is an improvement on the literary version. While I agree that the movie, "GOLDFINGER" is an improvement over the novel, I have a rather low opinion of both the novel and the cinematic adaptation. However, I am here to comment on the movie and not the novel.

The plot for "GOLDFINGER" begins with MI-6 agent James Bond sabotaging a Latin American drug laboratory. Following this assignment, Bond rests at an exclusive Miami Beach hotel, where he receives instructions from his superior "M" - via C.I.A. operative Felix Leiter - to observe a bullion dealer name Auric Goldfinger. Bond discovers that Goldfinger is cheating at gin rummy with the help of employee Jill Masterson. Bond distracts Jill and blackmails Goldfinger into losing the game. While enjoying sex with Jill inside his hotel room, Goldfinger's Korean (or Japanese) manservant Oddjob knocks Bond unconscious. The agent regains consciousness and finds Jill's dead body covered in gold paint.

After "M" censures Bond for screwing up his assignment in Miami Beach, he orders the agent to discover how Goldfinger is smuggling gold out of Europe. Bond engages in a golf match with the villain, before following him to Switzerland. There, the agent meets Jill's sister, Tilly, who seeks revenge against Goldfinger for her sister's death. Eventually, Bond and Tilly form a short-lived alliance before the latter is killed by Oddjob and the former becomes Goldfinger's prisoner. Fearful that the British agent might know the details of his new operation in the United States, Goldfinger keeps Bond a prisoner, instead of killing him.

As I had earlier stated, "GOLDFINGER" is without a doubt one of my least favorite Bond movies of all time. And there are many reasons why I harbor such a low opinion of it. Some of the the film's problems stemmed from some poor characterizations. James Bond spent most of the movie either behaving like an oversexed adolescent or an idiot schoolboy. This characterization merely hampered Sean Connery's performance in the movie and led me to consider it one of his worst. The movie also featured one-dimensional portrayals in characters such as Auric Goldfinger's henchman, Oddjob, which allowed actor Harold Sakata spend most of the movie wearing a menacing smile; the thuggish Mafia bosses who visit Goldfinger's Kentucky farm; and a very weak Felix Leiter, as portrayed by Canadian actor Cec Linder, who spent most of the movie behaving like a sidekick, instead of an ally from the C.I.A. 

"GOLDFINGER" also featured some incredibly bad plotholes that make me wonder why this film is so highly regarded. For instance, I understood why Goldfinger had ordered Oddjob to kill Jill Masterson for her betrayal. Why did he not order Oddjob to kill Bond, who had compromised Jill and caused him to lose the card game? Goldfinger decides to keep Bond a prisoner, instead of making more of an effort to learn what Bond knew about his current scheme, "Operation Grand Slam". I think drugs would have been a good deal more helpful than a gold laser threatening the agent's nether regions. The method Bond used to convince Pussy Galore, Goldfinger's personal pilot, to betray her boss disgusted me. It disgusted me that screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn allowed Bond wrestle Pussy to the barn floor and use sex to get her to betray Goldfinger. It disgusted me that the entire scene reeked of attempted rape. Why not have Bond convince her that Golfinger was simply a nutcase? I guess Maibaum and Dehn, or the producers, wanted an excuse for Bond to use his "magic penis" on the leading lady. 

The movie's most perplexing plot line involved the Mafia bosses' visit to Goldfinger's farm. It featured one of the most ridiculous and unnecessary plot turns in the movie franchise's history. The sequence began with the gangsters' arrival and demand for Goldfinger's presence and the money he owed them. And while Bond eavesdropped on the conversation, Golfinger revealed his Fort Knox plan. Then he murdered them. Many Bond fans have claimed that the reason Goldfinger revealed his plan to the Mafia bosses before murdering them, was because he wanted bask in the enjoyment of letting someone know about his plans. If that was the case, why not have Goldfinger tell Bond earlier in the film before before attempting to kill the agent or leave him for dead? Why save this moment for a bunch of one-dimensional gangsters in the first place? What makes this scenario even more ridiculous is that when one of the gangsters, Mr. Solo, decided that he wants nothing of the Fort Knox plan, Goldfinger sent him on his way with a gold bar . . . before Oddjob killed the man and crushed him inside a car. Goldfinger could have simply killed Solo and the other gangsters at the same time . . . without this ludicrous revelation of his Fort Knox plan?

Were there any positive aspects about "GOLDFINGER"? Well . . . yes, or else I would consider this entry in the franchise to be the worst. Thankfully, the movie's cast included Gert Fröbe as Auric Goldfinger. Although my opinion of Goldfinger's intelligence has diminished over the years, I remain impressed by Frobe's commanding presence and excellent performance. The movie also featured the talented and classy Honor Blackman (who was already famous in Great Britain for her role in the TV series, "THE AVENGERS"), playing the tough and intelligent Pussy Galore. I enjoyed Ms. Blackman's performance so much that it seemed a shame that her character was ruined in that Galore/Bond wrestling match inside the barn at Goldfinger's Kentucky farm. Shirley Easton made the most of her brief appearance as one of the doomed Masterson sisters, Jill. And one might as well face it, I doubt no one will ever forget that last image of her gold-painted body spread out upon the bed inside Bond's Miami hotel room:



"GOLDFINGER" also benefited from Ted Moore's photography of Britain, Switzerland and Kentucky; which featured beautiful and sharp color. I was also impressed by Peter R. Hunt's editing, which seemed most effective in the car chase around Goldfinger's Switzerland plant, the showdown at Fort Knox and the fight aboard Goldfinger's plane. Last by not least, I have to mention the music featured in the film. Between John Barry's score and theme song performed by the talented Shirley Bassey, I must admit that the film's music is one thing in "GOLDFINGER" that rose above everything else. After all, the move's theme song is considered one of the best in the Bond movie franchise. And that is an opinion I do share.

Despite some of the movie's positive aspects - some of the performances, the photography and the music - I have always harbored ambiguous feelings about "GOLDFINGER" for years. In the past, I tried to accept the prevalent feeling that it was probably one of the best Bond movies. But after watching it the last time . . . well let me put it this way, whether or not it was responsible for creating the Bond formula, I finally realized how much I truly dislike it.

"GOLDFINGER" (1964) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "GOLDFINGER", the 1964 adaptation of Ian Fleming's 1959 James Bond novel. Directed by Guy Hamilton, the movie starred Sean Connery as James Bond: 


"GOLDFINGER" (1964) Photo Gallery

"A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" (1958) Review

"A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" (1958) Review

There have been many versions about the April 1912 sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. Many versions. And I have personally seen at least five of them. One of them happened to be the 1958 movie, "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER".

Directed by Roy Ward Baker, "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" is based upon historian Walter Lord's 1955 book about the historical sinking. Since the 1958 movie was based upon a historical book instead of a novel, Baker, producer William MacQuitty and screenwriter Eric Ambler approached the film's plot in a semi-documentary style. Even the movie's leading character turned out to be the Titanic's Second Officer, Charles Lightoller, who was portrayed by actor Kenneth More. The movie also featured other historical figures such as J. Bruce Ismay, Thomas Andrews, Captain Edward J. Smith and Margaret "Molly" Brown. Due to this semi-documentary approach, "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" is regarded as the best movie about the Titanic.

I cannot deny that there is a great deal to admire about "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER". Not only do I feel it is an excellent movie, I could see that Roy Ward Baker did his best to re-create that last night aboard the Titanic. He and Ambler gave the audience glimpses into the lives of the ship's crew and passengers. The movie also went into great detail of their efforts to remain alive following the ship's brief collision with an iceberg. Some of my favorite scenes include the Irish steerage passengers' efforts to reach the life boats on the upper decks, the wireless operators' (David McCullum and Kenneth Griffin) efforts to summon other ships to rescue the passengers and crew, and passenger Molly Brown (Tucker McGuire)'s conflict with the sole crewman in her lifeboat. But my favorite scene has to be that moment when the Titanic's stern rose high before the ship sank into the Atlantic Ocean.

For a film shot in black and white during the late 1950s, I must admit that "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" looked very handsome. Legendary cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth's phtography struck me as sharp and very elegant. I do not know if Yvonne Caffin's costume designs for the movie's 1912 setting was completely accurate, but they certainly did add to the movie's late Edwardian atmosphere. Especially those costumes for the first-class passengers. I do have to give kudos to the special effects team led by Bill Warrington. He and his team did a superb job in re-creating the ocean liner's historic sinking. I am even more impressed that their work still manages to hold up after fifty-four years.

The cast of "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" was led by Kenneth More, who portrayed Second Officer Lightoller with his usual energetic charm. More was ably supported by the likes of Laurence Naismith as Captain Smith, Michael Goodliffe's poignant portrayal of ship designer Thomas Andrews, Frank Lawton as J. Bruce Ismay, George Rose as the inebriated survivor Charles Joughin and Tucker McGuire's colorful portrayal of American socialite Molly Brown. The movie also featured future "AVENGERS" and Bond veteran Honor Blackman; David McCullum of "THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E." and "N.C.I.S." fame; and Bernard Fox, who will also appear in James Cameron's 1997 movie about the Titanic sinking. But despite the numerous good performances, I honestly have to say that I found nothing exceptional about any of them.

Like many others, I used to believe that "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" was the best movie about the Titanic. After this latest viewing, I do not believe I can maintain that opinion any longer. In fact, I am beginning to suspect there may not be any "ultimate" Titanic film. And "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" is not perfect, as far as I am concerned. Many have applauded the filmmakers for eschewing any fictional melodrama or using the sinking as a backdrop for a fictional story. Personally, I could not care less if a Titanic movie is simply a fictional melodrama or a semi-documentary film. All I require is a first-rate movie that will maintain my interest.

"A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" began with a montage of newsreel clips featuring the Titanic's christening in Belfast. One, the ship was never christened. And two, I could see that the newsreel footage used in the movie dated from the 1930s. The movie tried its best to allow the audience to identify with some of its characters. But due to "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" being a docudrama, I feel that it failed to give an in-depth study of its more prominent characters . . . making it difficult for me to identify with any of them.

I realize that "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" was a British production, but I was amazed at the low number of American passengers featured in the cast. The 1953 film, "TITANIC" suffered from a similar malady - the only British characters I could recall were members of the crew. I do remember at least three Americans in the 1958 movie - Molly Brown; Benjamin Guggenheim, portrayed by Harold Goldblatt and a third passenger, whose name escapes me. I was satisfied with McGuire's performance as Molly Brown and the nameless actor who portrayed the third American passenger. But Goldblatt portrayed Guggenheim as a member of the British upper class in both attitude and accent. It almost seemed as if the filmmakers wanted Guggenheim to be viewed as a British gentleman, instead of an American one.

Walter Lord's book made it clear that one of the last songs performed by Titanic's band was NOT "Nearer My God to Thee". Yet, the filmmakers chose to perpetrate this myth in the movie by having the remaining passengers and crew sing the song en masse before the ship began to sink in earnest. This pious attitude continued in a scene aboard the R.M.S. Carpathia, in which the survivors listened to a religious sermon. Instead of projecting an air of melancholy or despair, the survivors, thanks to Ward Baker, seemed to project an air of the British stiff upper lip cliche. I feel that a melancholic air among the survivors would have made the scene seem more human.

I cannot deny that "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" is a first-rate look at the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. More importantly, the movie and especially the visual effects still hold up very well after half-a-century. But the movie possesses flaws that make it difficult for me to regard it as the best Titanic movie ever made. Perhaps . . . there is no "best" Titanic movie.  Just bad or well made ones.

"A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" (1958) Photo Gallery

Below are images from the 1958 adaptation of Walter Lord's 1955 book about the final night of the S.S. Titanic called"A NIGHT TO REMEMBER". Directed by Roy Ward Baker, the movie starred Kenneth More, Ronald Allen, Robert Ayres, Honor Blackman and Laurence Naismith: 


"A NIGHT TO REMEMBER" (1958) Photo Gallery