(A closer look into the presence of bloody noses in storytelling media)
By Silvana Smith
If you’re anything like me, you have a penchant for female characters who aren’t just the one dimensional Strong Female Character™, but who are just as complex, emotional, and messy as the real women in my life (lol, sorry for the call out guys). Thankfully, due to the current Golden Age of Television, as well as the rise of numerous brilliant female writers over the years, there has been no shortage of these characters.
But as I’ve looked back on my favorite movies and shows featuring these characters, I’ve noticed a bit of a trend. Not only are these characters #messy with their life choices, they are also covered in blood. No, these aren’t slasher films or some gory sci-fi saga. These women are having a surprising amount of bloody noses. In fact, bloody noses have appeared in more than just a few of my favorite movies and television shows. Now I’m not talking about the overused trope of characters having blood drip down their nose as a sign of psychic powers. Often being a physical marker of the height of emotions hitting a boiling point, these instances I’m referring to act as plot points, comedic relief, and even cosmic metaphors. But even despite their sometimes absurd presence, they always add a little something extra to some of my favorite stories.
In no particular order, here are my Top 5 Bloody Noses in Fictional Media:
Emma - {Emma}
One of the few narrative liberties taken in this particular film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma was the insertion of a nosebleed where it didn’t exist in the novel, which might seem controversial but is actually one of my favorite parts of the whole film. Whilst in the middle of an emotionally charged, surprise proposal, Emma’s nose begins to bleed just as Mr. Knightly asks for her hand in marriage. Talk about comedic timing. Breaking through the beautifully pastel world of Regency England, the bright red blood cuts through any façade of composure during an emotional upheaval. Breaking their gaze, Emma is able to come to her senses and list the reasons why his proposal poses such a problem.
It also speaks to the reason why I love bloody noses in the first place. It illustrates one of the most female struggles in life of having your body betray you—your body’s way of letting your emotions show when you’re trying your hardest to keep them inside; a theme present in all the nosebleeds included in this list.
Ruth Elms - {The Hour; Season 1 Episode 1}
Ruth Elms is a tragically unhappy society girl that suffers from chronic stress-induced nosebleeds. Although it doesn’t take long for Ruth to fall victim to a complex government conspiracy and die in the first episode, her nosebleeds coincide with major events in which malicious characters try to manipulate her. Although some might stereotype this particular incarnation of a female nose bleed as weak or waif-like, I think having a nosebleed whenever evil men try to manipulate you is a pretty badass trait to have. Intuition is not something to be ignored, and sometimes your body has ways of making sure certain emotions do not go unnoticed.
Selina Meyer - {Veep; Season 3 Episode 9}
Hands down the most chaotic nosebleed on the list and one of my favorite moments of the whole series, nose bleed #3 takes place as Selina Meyers shares news that through an unexpected resignation, she has now become the President of the United States. Although the actual nosebleed is had by Gary, her trusted bag man (not a female character), he has the nosebleed in the name of his love for her, so I think it still counts.
As he starts crying after learning the news, blood begins to drip down his nose and thus begins the scene’s descent into gleeful chaos as they relish in their triumph that has happened through no real effort of their own, only a side effect of the tragedy of others. Probably some of the best comedic writing and acting I’ve seen, Selina scrambles to calm Gary down and find something to stop the blood. As the nosebleed acts as a catalyst for this snowball of emotion, they then break down into laughter, unable to contain their excitement. Falling apart at the bits, they end the scene lying on the floor of a bathroom with tampons and tissues strewn all over, laughing too hard to form a sentence. 10/10 nosebleed.
Lady Bird - {Lady Bird}
In Lady Bird, the nosebleed comes right after her first time having sex. Adding to a moment that already didn’t go as she planned, the nosebleed brings to the surface the awkwardness of the situation. As she swats away his hands as he tries to help her, Lady Bird concedes her cool-girl, I'm-the-main-character exterior she puts on, and pulls away from him to stop the bleeding, stating “I get nosebleed sometimes.” Definitely a mood killer. Emotions can be messy, disgusting, and hilarious; not always conducive to the perfectly romantic moments we create in our heads. Nosebleeds keep us tethered to the almost unbearable awkwardness of real life.
Fleabag - {Fleabag; Season 2 Episode 1}
Perhaps my favorite nosebleed scene on this list, Fleabag takes not one, not two but three characters down with a bloody nose caused by a chain reaction of blows to the face. The nosebleed bookends both the beginning and end of what might be one of the best written episodes of television ever. The carnage is actually the first shot of the season, as Fleabag looks up at a mirror to reveal blood dripping down her face. It’s when Fleabag wipes the final bit of blood from her face that she turns to the camera and says her iconic line “This is a love story.” There truly isn’t anything gorier than a love story.
Acting as the climax of things not going as planned, Fleabag lets go of any sense of civility and gives into her female rage, punching her sister's douche husband in the nose. In retaliation, he punches her back causing her to ram into the priest behind her. Alarmed by the scene, the waitress then comes to their aid only to be struck by the husband by accident, until most of the diner guests are rifled over in pain. Finally, all the messed up shit bubbling underneath the surface of this seemingly normal family is revealed in the most theatrical and visceral way.
Nosebleeds remain, without a doubt, one of my favorite storytelling devices. I’m tired of seeing films and tv shows about women who constantly put on a brave face, and shove down emotions like a man in order to be seen as strong. Being a woman is, more often than not, messy, emotional, and bloody. Why shouldn’t our stories reflect that?
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