Fails the Bechdel test
The Power of One
1992. Directed by John G. Avildsen, written by Bryce Courtenay and Robert Mark Kamen.
The Bechdel test
Bechdel score
0 / 3
Fails
-
No
1. At least two women
Fewer than two women characters. -
No
2. Who talk to each other
Our parser found no scene where two women talk to each other. -
No
3. About something besides a man
Not reached: the film fails an earlier rule.
Second opinion
Not rated bechdeltest.com readers haven't rated this film.
The film
PK (Dorff), an English orphan terrorised for his family's political beliefs in Africa, turns to his only friend, a kindly world-wise prisoner, Geel Piet (Freeman). Geel teaches him how to box with the motto "fight with your fists and lead with your heart". As he grows to manhood, PK uses these words to take on the system and the injustices he sees around him - and finds that one person really can make a difference.
- Released
- 27 Mar 1992
- Genres
- Drama, Sport
- Rated
- PG-13
- IMDb
- 7.1 / 10
- Metascore
- 40 / 100
- Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations total
- Elsewhere
- View on IMDb
Starring, by lines spoken
- Women
- Men
- Not in the cast list
- Bigger name, more lines
- Pk 379 lines, man
- Morrie 105 lines, man
- Maria 75 lines, woman
- Doc 69 lines, man
- Solly 54 lines, man
- St. John 32 lines, man
- Geel Piet 24 lines, man
- Von Zyl 23 lines, man
- Mandoma 19 lines, man
- Young Man 19 lines, man
Full cast, 68 people
- Morgan Freeman as Geel Piet
- Stephen Dorff as P.K. Age 18
- Simon Fenton as P.K. Age 12
- Guy Witcher as P.K. Age 7
- Armin Mueller-Stahl as Doc
- Alois Moyo as Gideon Duma
- Marius Weyers as Prof. Daniel Marais
- Ian Roberts as Hoppie Gruenewald
- Fay Masterson as Maria
- Winston Ntshona as Mlungisi
- Dominic Walker as Morrie Gilbert
- Robbie Bulloch as Jaapie Botha
- Daniel Craig as Sgt. Botha
- Clive Russell as Sgt. Bormann
- Faith Edwards as Miriam Sisulu
- Brian O'Shaughnessy as Col. Bretyn
- Michael Brunner as Commandant Van Zy
- Gert van Niekerk as Lt. Smit
- Tracy Brooks Swope as Mother
- John Gielgud as St. John
- Nigel Ivy as P.K. Newborn
- Nomadlozi Kubheka as Nanny
- Agatha Hurle as Midwife
- Brendan Deary as P.K. Infant
- Winston Mangwarara as Tonderai Infant
- Tonderai Masenda as Tonderai
- Cecil Zilla Mamanzi as Ranch Foreman
- John Turner as Afrikaner Minister
- Gordon Arnell as Minister at Mother's Funeral
- Jeremiah Mnisi as Dabula Manzi
- Paul Tingay as Grandfather
- Hywell Williams as Captain
- Ed Beeten as Prison Commissioner
- Robert Thomas Reed as School Fight Opponent
- Roy Francis as Referee
- Clare Cobbold as Maria's Friend #1
- Natalie Morse as Maria's Friend #2
- John Osborne as Guard, School Gate
- Simon Shumba as Man without Pass
- Stan Leih as Van Cop #1
- Rod Campbell as Van Cop #2
- Adam Fogerty as Andress Malan
- Tony Denham as Boxing Partner
- Eric Nobbs as City Cop #1
- Edward Jordan as City Cop #2
- Raymond Barreto as Indian Referee
- Liz Ngwenya as Nganga Ancient Woman
- Andrew Whaley as Ticket Taker
- Dominic Makuwachuma as Joshua
- Lungani Sibanda as Student
- Akim Mwale as Student
- Pesedena Dinah as Student
- Rosemary Chikobwe Sibanda as Student
- Martha Gibson Mtika as Student
- Joel Phiri as Student
- Peggy Moyo as Student
- David Khabo as Student
- David Guzawa as Student
- Robin Annison as Anita
- Christien Anholt as Date at Dinner
- Nigel Pegram as Man Guest #1
- Jon Cartwright as Jacob
- Pieter Janse van Vuuren as Minister at Maria's Funeral
- Marcia Coleman as Woman Guest
- Banele Dala Moyo as Boy Who Reads
- Garth Inns as Headmaster (uncredited)
- Tyrone Jeffers as Student (uncredited)
- Nick Cagle as Singing voice of young PK
Who talks, scene by scene
Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 6% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.
Women
Men
Scene 1 Scene 141
Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.
Show the numbers
| Scenes | Women's lines | Men's lines |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | 0 | 8 |
| 4 to 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 to 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 10 to 12 | 0 | 4 |
| 13 to 15 | 0 | 36 |
| 16 to 18 | 0 | 49 |
| 19 to 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 to 24 | 20 | 32 |
| 25 to 27 | 0 | 13 |
| 28 to 30 | 0 | 5 |
| 31 to 33 | 0 | 4 |
| 34 to 36 | 0 | 8 |
| 37 to 39 | 0 | 38 |
| 40 to 42 | 0 | 4 |
| 43 to 45 | 11 | 37 |
| 46 to 48 | 0 | 49 |
| 49 to 51 | 15 | 71 |
| 52 to 54 | 1 | 13 |
| 55 to 57 | 0 | 25 |
| 58 to 60 | 0 | 23 |
| 61 to 63 | 0 | 10 |
| 64 to 66 | 0 | 3 |
| 67 to 69 | 1 | 19 |
| 70 to 72 | 6 | 28 |
| 73 to 75 | 0 | 12 |
| 76 to 78 | 14 | 36 |
| 79 to 81 | 0 | 49 |
| 82 to 84 | 4 | 29 |
| 85 to 87 | 6 | 54 |
| 88 to 90 | 0 | 13 |
| 91 to 93 | 0 | 12 |
| 94 to 96 | 3 | 2 |
| 97 to 99 | 4 | 26 |
| 100 to 102 | 0 | 1 |
| 103 to 105 | 0 | 13 |
| 106 to 108 | 0 | 3 |
| 109 to 111 | 0 | 12 |
| 112 to 114 | 0 | 12 |
| 115 to 117 | 0 | 22 |
| 118 to 120 | 0 | 5 |
| 121 to 123 | 0 | 20 |
| 124 to 126 | 0 | 15 |
| 127 to 129 | 0 | 1 |
| 130 to 132 | 3 | 3 |
| 133 to 135 | 0 | 10 |
| 136 to 138 | 1 | 8 |
| 139 to 141 | 0 | 23 |
The evidence
- Straight from the script
- Counted from the script and the credits
Tap an exhibit to open it.
Exhibit A: every 100 lines
Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 9 are women's.
89 lines from women, 867 from men.
- Women
- Men
Exhibit B: who's in it
4 women and 25 men in the cast. 5 women and 12 men from it get lines.
Characters
With lines
- Women
- Men
Exhibit C: who gets heard
The first woman speaks at line 117 of 1,019.
The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 121 lines.
Every line of dialogue, first to last
- First line by a woman
- Longest stretch with no woman speaking
Words spoken
Women speak 7% of the words (709), men 93% (10,039). Women have 9% of the lines, so their lines run shorter than men's.
Exhibit D: the test the other way
Two named men talk to each other about something besides a woman. It passes the reverse test.
Conversations between two named characters
Two women
0
Two men
60
Exhibit E: behind the camera
1 of the 12 people in these jobs is a woman.
Across the whole crew, 17% of the people whose gender is listed are women.
- Directed by
- John G. Avildsen (man)
- Written by
- Robert Mark Kamen (man)
- From the novel by
- Bryce Courtenay (gender not listed)
- Produced by
- Arnon Milchan (man), Doug Seelig (man)
- Shot by
- Dean Semler (man)
- Edited by
- John G. Avildsen (man), Trevor Jolly (man)
- Music by
- Hans Zimmer (man)
- Production design by
- Roger Hall (gender not listed)
- Costumes by
- Tom Rand (gender not listed)
- Cast by
- Caro Jones (woman)
The crew, department by department
-
Production
1 women, 8 men, 1 not listed
-
Art
0 women, 2 men, 3 not listed
-
Costume & Make-Up
2 women, 1 men, 2 not listed
-
Directing
0 women, 3 men
-
Editing
0 women, 2 men
-
Writing
0 women, 1 men, 1 not listed
-
Camera
0 women, 1 men
-
Other crew
1 women, 0 men
- Women
- Men
- Gender not listed on TMDB
Exhibit F: how old the stars were
Women: 17 on average. Men: 39 on average.
The top-billed cast, at the film's release.
Women
Fay Masterson 17
Men
Simon Fenton 15, Stephen Dorff 18, Alois Moyo 25, Ian Roberts 40, Marius Weyers 47, Winston Ntshona 50, Morgan Freeman 54, Armin Mueller-Stahl 61
Exhibit G: the money
It made 16% of what it cost.
- Budget
- $18 million
- Box office
- $2.8 million
From TMDB, not adjusted for inflation.
About this analysis
Our parser read the script: 141 scenes and 1,019 lines of dialogue. How the test works
