Take my Hand and Let us Flee – Signs, Pt. 1
Is it just me or is anyone else sick of the sight of those Da Vinci Code publicity shots where a grim-faced Tom Hanks sprints away from danger leading a bewildered/terrified (and occasionally grim-faced herself) Audrey Tautou by the hand? Do men and women ever actually flee like this in real life (an example of what I mean can be found here…I just can't bring myself to put a promotional pic up on the blog)? Surely even the most inexperienced and amateur of 'flee-ers'1 realises that a vigorous pumping of both arms is the best way to gain the speed required to do a swift legger.
I'm fairly certain that this kind of thing merely amounts to a jaded old cinematic 'sign', reaffirming conventional gender dynamics. The vigorous man of action sizes up the situation and decisively bolts for safety…while the hapless damsel (frozen in her womanly passivity…or busy applying her makeup) gets yanked along in his wake. Remember chaps, if you do decide to bring the 'ladies' along on an adventure, you'd better be prepared to do a fair amount of pulling and dragging…
Yes indeed, mainstream Hollywood rarely offers us anything in the way of gender relations that is not deeply tedious and conservative. As Gabriel Byrne put it when discussing Miller's Crossing (a film that delightfully offers gender reversals, inversions, and confusions to beat the band) the conventional dynamic involves the male lead saying to the female lead (and I paraphrase) "You wait here and I'll come back when I’ve done what I gotta do". Quite…
What's to blame for these hidebound notions of lads leading and lassies following? Road signs, that's what (well…at least in this country). Observe…
Here we see a slightly different technique to that employed by Mr. Hanks & Co. In the image on the left the girl appears to be striding ahead of the boy (her brother one assumes) but he is clearly in control of the situation, shunting her along and guiding her safely across the reasonably quiet roads of 1950s Ireland. Eagle-eyed readers may also note (as Wikipedia confirms) that the children "face the wrong way for driving on [the] left", but that is neither here nor there.
The image on the right is the one we still use today (introduced in 1962 apparently) and it too features a dominant, 'brotherly' hand controlling events. Gender roles aside, it's a pretty odd image…with a use of perspective usually absent in such signs. By placing the children on a diagonal the girl (in particular) has been given a curiously hunchbacked, mini-zombie-like, appearance. Perhaps this speaks of a time when Ireland's children were not as plentifully nourished as they are today, or perhaps her bowed head is intended to show deference to male authority. Whatever the case may be…neither of them look particularly healthy…and their chances of making it successfully across the road appear fairly slim.
But what of other countries? Are they more enlightened? Let us see…
On the left we see a contemporary sign from the United Kingdom and it should be fairly apparent (to enthusiasts) that there are a number of key differences. It is the female (here) who unmistakably leads the way, with the younger male clinging protectively to her hand. Unlike her subservient, rickets-afflicted Irish counterpart she strides confidently forward, holding herself proudly erect. You go, girl! I've no idea when the sign in question was commissioned (fairly recently perhaps?), but I’d imagine the 'reversal' was far from arbitrary. Irish signage authorities take note…
The other image hails form Australia and is pretty tough to interpret. Both figures appear to be wearing dresses…or possibly shirts and shorts. In any case the sex is hard to determine, allowing us to read the image as we see fit. My reading is that the 'children' in question do not look "of this earth" – bearing as they do the classic egg-headed shape of extraterrestrial visitors. Is this some kind of coded sign (planted by cooperative Australian authorities) for some future landing party? If so, then it is far from unique. Take a look at this beauty from our cousins across the Irish Sea:
Either the figure on the left is a girleen (in her nightie) being taken to the mother ship by a visiting abductor, or it is (in fact) a tiny, beneficent E.T. (of the Close Encounters variety) leading a willing, adult human away on an inter-planetary adventure. Either way it seems clear that the British government has designated those areas where this sign appears as "abduction free-for-alls". At least the whole thing is regulated I suppose…
Now where was I..? Ah yes, The Da Vinci Code and conventional, gender-inscribed, fleeing….err….
I fear the train of thought has become derailed. Time for a lie down and a nice cup of tea.
- They that flee. [back]
May 30, 2006
7 responses to Take my Hand and Let us Flee – Signs, Pt. 1
This is basically fustar saying any chicks with him in a crisis situation will spend the time before they’re nobbled watching him open the distance between them with serious hand and leg pumping action.
Like in that joke where the guy says to his companion “I don’t have to out-run the Lion, I only need to out-run you”.
For shame!
Not true. I’d merely be showing them the proper technique…by sprinting off into the distance shrieking…
The other problem with the “linked hands” routine is that trees or lampposts can get in the way. Vital seconds are lost with the attendant clasping and unclasping these obstacles require.
Ehhhh, Fascinating.
Why has running away got such a bad rap?
Given the choice between fight or flight I’d choose the latter with heroic consistency.
Fústar, the lamppost/tree issue only arises when the lady in question can keep pace thereby running alongside her saviour. Now, you and I know this never happens unless one is unfortunate enough to find themselves in a jam in the company of Sonia O’Sullivan.
With hair like Tom Hanks’s in that film, surely she should be running away from him?
i agree about Tom hanks hair!
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