The Reel Narrative: The Portrayal and Consequent Archetypes of Women in Selected Mainstream Philippine Romantic Cinema

In Philippine society, media, particularly romance films, shapes and reinforces audiences’ perspectives, perpetuating preconceived notions and stereotypical beliefs. However, there is a lack of textual analysis within Filipino films, especially regarding female representation in media. Hence, our study explores the portrayal of female main characters in romance films. Textual film analysis, grounded in Carl Jung’s Jungian archetypes and Jean Shinoda Bolen’s female archetypes in media, was implemented on the six Filipino highest-grossing romance films from 2014 until 2019. This analysis, further supported by a feminist lens, aimed to identify the character portrayal and archetypes of the main female characters in relation to recurring themes and societal realities. After data collection and analysis, common stereotypes were present throughout the films, such as people-pleasing, naivety, and seeking male validation, and characteristics such as self-sacrificing nature and the inability to be vulnerable in front of other people. The portrayal of each character becomes more complex, coinciding with the plot of the romance film. The six identified archetypes for the female main characters are as follows: The Devoted To Love, The Good Wife, The Damsel in Dishonor, The Icy Princess, The Giver, and The Warring Daughter. In conclusion, although the portrayal of female main characters in romance movies has progressed, there are still gender-stereotypical attributes integrated into the female characters, especially regarding their self-agency and identity tied back to expectations put upon them.