How do directors portray female characters in the romance genre in relation to their representation as a whole? In our modern society, it would be fair to say that the media has largely influenced our perception of ourselves and others. This global medium has showcased idealistic qualities and values ​​for years and has shaped the way audiences function, whether through print, television, radio or cinema. With an estimated ---- hours spent watching movies at ----, it is no surprise that the film industry is one of the largest today, with 9? millions of people every year in the UK alone, and therefore play a major role in the unbalanced and unfair representation of women today. Aside from their on-screen dominance, men also accounted for 76% of all directors, writers, producers, cinematographers and editors in 2014-2015, indicating that there must be a link between stereotypical gender roles and the heavy male creative team. Therefore, understanding whether female directors challenge these gender roles by creating multidimensional and independent female characters can help conclude whether more women in the industry can completely eradicate these stereotypes. In 2013, ------- Southern California University conducted a study in an attempt to analyze the 100 highest-grossing films of that year and decide whether the representation of women was fair and balanced. As concluded by similar studies conducted in previous years, this was not the case for only 29.2% of female characters out of the 4,506 speaking characters studied. These figures suggest that the average ratio of male to female characters is 2.43:1 with only 2% of films featuring more female than male characters. It seems that the percentage of balanced casts, 16%...... middle of the paper ......fe back in ---, teaches her the "--- marriage" And it would be unfair to say that the two are simply friends or simply lovers as their relationship is an innocent and pure combination of both. They support and need each other during their 9 sleepless nights, but deep down they also feel a bond with the other person. On the surface, some might argue that Coppola has made a film that "is more focused on atmosphere and observation than story" (Ty Burr) and still portrays Charlotte in a way that supports the male gaze. The opening shot consists of Johanson lying on her side in sheer underwear facing the audience, here the cinematography objectifies her and presents her as passive, which is seen throughout the film as Johanson walks around wearing underwear and a t-shirt . The costume choices help present Charlotte in her sexualized form