Natasha Romanoff--I've Got Red on my Ledger. I'd Like to Work it Out. (Requested)

**Due to recent misinterpretations of some one post from this blog, a disclaimer is now apparently necessary.  If this is your first visit to The Scratched Camera, please read the introductory post and discover, for yourself, that every typed word that follows is unabashedly my opinion and mine alone.  In said introductory post, which, shockingly, I did not simply type up for my own good health, I state that we all read events and characters with our own baggage in mind; no one observes with a perfectly clear lens—hence the name The Scratched Camera.  Therefore, it is completely your will to disagree with any material that follows, just as it is my will to agree and advocate for what is mine.**  ~End, irritating obligatory disclaimer~

Natasha Romanoff—I’ve Got Red on My Ledger.  I’d Like to Wipe Work it Out

            I’d like to preface this post with a specific disclaimer.  In all my nerdy habits, I’m afraid I can’t count comic books amongst them.  I have never read a comic book in my life, despite the deep devotion I feel towards superheroes.  That being said, this post will focus on the film adaptation versions of the Black Widow—particularly on her role in The Avengers. 

            I went into The Avengers with high hopes for Natasha Romanoff.  It had been a very long time since I had seen Iron Man 2 and, oddly enough I chose to watch it once, instead of watching it obsessively as I tend to do with movies, therefore, I almost felt as if I were being reintroduced to the character with this newest addition to the Marvel movie family.  I knew Joss Whedon was penning the script.  With this came some very high expectations.

            I’ve been a huge fan of Whedon for years.  I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer while it was on air years ago.  I stuck through Angel, despite how incredibly depressing it was could be.  I hate how short-lived Firefly was; I could’ve spent years watching Captain Mal Reynolds frolic about the universe with his makeshift crew. 

            In all of these universes, one universal truth is undeniable.  Whedon women are a force to be reckoned with.  Knowing this, I simply couldn’t wait to see what he did with Natasha Romanoff.

            I have a vague memory of her role in Iron Man 2.  I recall several vague sexual harassment jokes, not to mention the occasional blatant ogling joke on Tony’s behalf.  While there’s no denying that Scarlett Johansson is a very attractive woman, there is certainly much more potential for her character than that. 

The Avengers really took the opportunity to explore this.  Even in a movie full of big characters and even bigger plots, Whedon still takes time to explore some of the deeper, darker sides to her.  We learn that she is a highly trained spy, and that she started working at a very young age.  While she may be devoid of superpowers, she never fails to carry her own weight.  In a team comprised of serious heavy-hitters, she never feels out of place or as if she is a burden.  She finds a way to fit right in and contributes a bulk of the defense, fighting on the streets of New York for the bulk of the battle.  In the words of Johansson, “she’s not in the cast simply to be a romantic foil or eye candy.  She’s there to fight.”

            In a sense, Johansson seems to be sniping a bit at her representation in Iron Man 2.  From what I can recall of her role in the film, romantic foil and eye candy describe Romanoff to a tee.  She is every bit the opposite of Pepper Potts, and to question Johansson’s attractiveness would be silly.  However, she’s saying that her character is more than that; that she deserves more credit than simply becoming a trophy to look at.  I couldn’t agree more.

            The Avengers sees to this.  From her opening scene, it is clear she is more than just eye candy.  Sure, the male in the room alludes to wanting this evening to end in sex.  But, immediately, Black Widow is having none of that.  “I know how you wanted this evening to end.  Believe me, this is better.”  Romanoff would genuinely rather be tied to a chair and tortured than subjected to sleeping with him.  I agree with her, as I’m guessing the interaction would take place with a mite less than consent.  But the line is pure Whedon-ism:  it’s the woman striving to control of a virtually incontrollable situation. 

            The scene only travels onwards and upwards from this line.  Romanoff seems to be losing ground as her information seems to be outdated.  However, I know better; my previous experience with Whedon has me suspicious of the interaction—I know there’s another level here I’m just not seeing yet. 

            Romanoff, not to mention Whedon, doesn’t disappoint.  She tells Coulson the idiot who is supposedly interrogating her is giving her everything she needs to know.  It is then that the audience fully catches up, and we are introduced to my favorite of the Black Widow’s talents.  Romanoff has twisted and manipulated the entire conversation to insure that the man thought he was in control.  She made him feel like he had some power over her, due to his supposed advanced intellect.  Romanoff allowed this power to go to his head, fusing him with an arrogance, an ego so swelled, he felt the need to show off just how stupid he thought she really was and, in the process, revealed all the intel she needed; he fell right into the palm of her hands. 

            This isn’t the only time she uses this particular skill.  She turns this ploy on Loki a bit later in the film, but with a new twist.  Instead of merely addressing his arrogance, she focuses in on his notion of superiority.  Loki views Natasha as particularly inferior, since she is both human and a woman.  He looks at her and sees a little girl begging for approval. 

            He couldn’t be more wrong about her.  She knows she has skeletons spiders in her closet; she knows she’s done some horrible things in her life.  There’s nothing she can do to take them back, so she’s forced to make her peace with it.  However, it works to her advantage to allow him to think that, so she does.  She plays the pouty-girl so well that he just falls right into her spider web and, in the process, lays out the most crucial part of his plan.  Her gathering this intelligence allows S.H.I.E.L.D. to prepare Banner for Loki’s manipulation of him.  By doing so, they are able to help him fight for their side. 

            Gathering Banner isn’t the only reason this scene is essential.  We learn a lot of things about the Black Widow in two or three short minutes.  Loki runs off a list of bad deeds Barton has told him in their time together.  Essentially, he’s bringing out those spiders, dusting them off and putting them on display for her viewing pleasure.  It’s made clear to us that, at one time, Romanoff was not necessarily a champion for the white hats. 

Upon repeated viewings of The Avengers, I began to ponder the repercussions of this discovery.  Does this mean we can’t trust her?  What is to stop her from switching sides of the track once again?  Why has she not chosen to resume her work as a spy?  She was clearly very talented at it, so what holds her here? 

            Preliminary research on the matter—thanks, Wikipedia—references that her reasoning for remaining with S.H.I.E.L.D. was her developing feelings for Barton.  While there are certainly hints of this in The Avengers, it is not a focal point.  Certainly, the mention of Barton’s compensation at the hands of Loki sends Romanoff into one of the best choreographed and compelling action sequences I think I’ve ever been witness to.  However, for Johansson’s Widow, I suspect something as simple as love wouldn’t be enough to motivate her to remain.

            She tells Loki as much.  Love is child’s play.  She may feel something for him, but she needs some deeper, internally driven motivation for such a definitive course of action.  Personally, I think she has red in her ledger and she’d like to work it out. 

From Bella to Katniss:  Is Natasha a good role model?  The Black Widow represents several concepts I can get behind.  She’s tough and has no trouble defending herself.  I could even argue that she’s a better fighter than her super-human endowed buddies, as she is just as successful as they are, without any of their added super-human assistance.  Romanoff even achieves what her comrades can’t—closing the portal and bringing the fight to a final close.  She’s very intelligent and has a sharp sense of self-awareness, two talents she uses to turn her sordid past, insecurities and shortcomings against those who challenge her.  In this process, she uses the misconceptions her arrogant male opponents have about women—that we are merely stupid, frail, vain, emotional, manipulative creatures—and turns it around on them. I’ve never seen a character manipulate a conversation as well as the Black Widow.  Romanoff is also far too intelligent to worry herself over appearances—she worries very little whether her hair is in perfect shape or if her make up starts to run while in battle.  It’s refreshing to see a character who looks like she’s been fighting—a complaint I often had about Buffy.  Finally, her plot very easily could’ve taken a romantic tone, leading us down the slippery slope that is Bella-dom, but, in the words of Johansson, “there’s no time for romance.  We’ve got shit to avenge.”

Role Model Rating:  8/10

From Lorelai to Wonder Woman:  Is Natasha relatable?  Superheroes can often be difficult to relate to—hence the use of Wonder Woman at the end of this scale.  However, if we look past the fighting and the work of a spy, we see a deeper, darker side to Natasha that has definite relatability.  She has a dark past, one she can never escape.  She’s made some mistakes, mistakes she now has no other choice than to live with.  This, at its very core, is relatable.  Who hasn’t made a mistake they regret, a mistake they wish with all their heart they could retract?  We are informed that Natasha also knows what it is like to be unmade.  While I have no doubt that she’s referencing to some deep-seated spy retraction of some kind, the concept is still not unreachable to the every-day person.  Personally, I have suffered through trials that I knew would never leave me as the same person I was when I entered the ordeal.  And I had been right.  We all experience things that fundamentally alter us.  However, until we know the extent of the Widow’s suffering, something will always be mysterious about the representation of herself she puts forth.  I have hopes that the recently announced Widow solo film will address these very issues.  Already I can’t wait—is it 2015, yet? 

Relatability Rating:  6/10