Woman Equality Presented by Natasha Trace in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Movie

Over time, there has been a shift in how women are represented in movies. These days, female characters aren't portrayed as helpless victims, sex objects, or others. We now live in a time where women are strong, determined, and successful— even in fields like the military, which are traditionally held by men. One American military film featuring this type of representation is Top Gun: Maverick. The film chronicles the story of twelve academy-trained pilots who were called back to complete a mission with challenging parameters. Natasha Trace, a female pilot known as "Phoenix," is one of the trainees. Her persona functions as a feminist equalizer. She is able to work, pursue education, contribute to societal changes, and refuse to be treated differently. The equality that she achieved is expounded upon via the lenses of existentialist feminism and feminist film theory. The author uses the library research approach to collect data and information in order to assess the character. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that, like Phoenix, women are capable of achieving autonomy and self-expression