It’s been more than four months since A Star is Born came out, yet somehow it’s still on my mind with awards season reaching its biggest night (The Oscars were Sunday). I think it’s fair to give a second thought to the movies that are still being discussed. And after some reflection, I’m not sure exactly what to make of one of the season’s biggest films.
I think back to the documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two, an intimate look into Lady Gaga’s personal life, complete with the scene where she found out she had received the role of “Ally.” Walking up a staircase covered in balloons, Gaga recounts how Bradley Cooper was set to direct A Star is Born, and he wanted her to star in it.
While it was in theaters, I saw the film on three separate occasions between its release and the New Year, each time with different people. Something kept pulling me back to it. I cried each time, but at different parts with each viewing. But it took me much longer to realize the message that came along with the film, thoughts about women in show business, specifically. I was mesmerized by the Coachella-style performances and the endearing romance so fully that I didn’t realize how Ally had so little say in her future.
I think about how Ally had no last name and spent almost no time speaking directly to other women–backup dancers, hair and makeup artists and backstage persons exchange one, maybe two lines each with Ally. And how throughout the film, Ally is stared at by her father, by his friends, by viewers as she stands up in a bathtub, and by Cooper’s character who just “wants to take another look” at her. It feels like Ally isn’t living her own life.
When comparing Ally’s career to Gaga’s own, it feels like Ally has no agency. Simple modifications, like hair color or dress, are discussed by the men around her. Even after saying she’s uncomfortable with backup dancers, Ally is reminded that it’s not her choice to make. But in Gaga: Five Foot Two, Gaga makes her own decisions. She has a say in her sound, her appearance and absolutely speaks her mind when she’s not understanding or seeing the benefit of Super Bowl Halftime Show rehearsals. I don’t think Ally would be able to do that in the universe of A Star is Born.
But then I remember the story that went viral when Cooper himself wiped off Gaga’s makeup so she was “completely open” for her 2016 screen test, a story retold to The Los Angeles Times. And how Gaga’s entire awards season of promotional appearances have been either tied to Cooper himself or spent complimenting and thanking Cooper for such an opportunity.
The lines seem to have blurred between Lady Gaga and Ally within the world of speeches and awards. Tess Garcia of Instyle detailed just how often Gaga speaks highly of Cooper and glosses over her vocal and acting training, as if they were nonexistent before someone (Cooper) found a place for them. Gaga has won seven Grammys, not even counting the awards she won for the movie’s main song, Shallow, including an Oscar on Sunday.
Maybe all of this is a long-form allegory for the way that women are treated in the music industry. Perhaps Cooper has something greater to say with this film than just the story. Maybe he himself wants to comment on the ways that women are silenced in their fields. And maybe not. There are still themes and ramifications to be discussed within this film. And if I’m being completely honest with myself, I’ll probably watch it again.
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