Madame Bovary is a film based off of the classic novel, and like the novel, the film tells the tale of a French woman (Mia Wasikowska) who is trapped in a loveless marriage and who turns to men and fashion in order to distract, entertain and fulfill herself.

The Bechdel, Russo, and Race Test

Madame Bovary passes the Bechdel test but does not pass the Russo or race test.

Madame Bovary is mostly dominated by men, there are only two named women in the film and women barely ever speak to each other, but because there is one instance where the two named women in the film (Emma and Henriette [Laura Carmichael]) do talk to each other without mentioning men (e.g., at the beginning of Madame Bovary, Emma and Henriette talk about the food that Emma had made), the film passes the Bechdel test. Madame Bovary does not, however, pass either the Russo or race test, and the film does not pass these tests because there are no LGBTI or non-White characters in the film.

*The Bechdel test entails three requirements:
1. It has to have at least two (named) women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man

*The Vito Russo test entails three requirements:
1. The film contains a character that is identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex and/or transgender
2. The character must not be solely or predominately defined by her sexual orientation, gender identity and/or as being intersex
3.The character must be tied into the plot in such a way that her removal would have a significant effect

***The race or people of color (POC) test has three requirements:
1. It has two people of color in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something other than a White person

****Just because a film passes the Bechdel, Russo and race test does not mean that it is not sexist, heterosexist, racist and/or cissexist, etc. The Bechdel, Russo and race test is only a bare minimum qualifier for the representation of LGBTI individuals, women and people of color in film. The failure to pass these tests also does not identify whether the central character was a woman, a person of color or a LGBTQI individual and it does not dictate the quality of the film.