The Gritty Dozen, or the damsels not in distress!

Wikipedia explains ‘the damsel in distress’ as a classic theme in world literature, art, film and video games where she is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to rescue her.

But time and again, there comes a female character on screen who can hold out on her own against the world. Mad Max's Imperator Furiosa is the latest in the long list. Here is a look at 12 kick-ass women on screen, in no particular genre or order.

1. Ellen Ripley (Alien)

The Character: Survivor, warrior.

The Actress: Ridley Scott had been in search of a heroine, preferably an unknown, to shoulder the weight of Ripley, the bad-ass alien hunter. Sigourney Weaver, who had a little Broadway experience, vowed the filmmakers. Most of her auditions took place while the sets were still being constructed. It proved to be an inspirational choice.

The Performance: Weaver was a tough customer, as many an alien found out over the course of the movies. She was a revelation in the mostly male-dominated Hollywood hero industry. She went on to be nominated for an Oscar for her role.

2. Sarah Connor (Terminator and T2: Judgment Day)

The Character: Mother of the revolution.

The Actress: The role in the two Terminator movies was career-defining one for Linda Hamilton. She had to undergo intense physical training for the role. Her identical twin sister Leslie Hamilton Gearren played her stunt double in T2.

The Performance: If in the first movie, she was a timid lady hunted by a robot from the future, in the second, she transforms into a genuine kick ass character. She redefined movie heroes and introduced the very plausible concept of ‘sheroes’ in film

3. Imperator Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road)

The Character: One-armed death merchant.

The Actress: South African-born American actress Charlize Theron underwent an extreme makeover for the role. She wears engine oil as makeup and bondage apparatus as her clothing.

The Performance: Many bloggers in the USA were angry at the greater importance given to her character in the movie, but she has just shook them off like the legendary warrior she is. Her stunts are impressive and she brings a very raw urgency to the role she portrays.

4. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter series)

The Character: Amazing muggle, arrogant mudblood to some.

The Actress: Hundreds of young girls auditioned for the role of Hermione, which everyone knew would grow to be an iconic character in modern cinema. It’s said that true stars can never be kept hidden for long. And so it was that nine-year-old Emma Watson, who did not have a professional credit to her name until then, was chosen for the plum role.

The Performance: As Watson grew, so did her character on screen. She brought a ground realism to her character and became the role mode of many a girls. Her portrayal of Harry Potter’s loyal friend is really powerful.

5. The Bride (Kill Bill)

The Character: Battered, bruised, yellow-suited killing machine.

The Actress: Quentin Tarantino, when asked to cast an A-lister for the iconic female role in Pulp Fiction, famously said he wanted to make an A-lister out of whoever he casted. And Uma Thurman got lucky. Having discussed the role of ‘the bride’ since her Pulp Fiction days, Thurman was a simple enough choice for Tarantino.

The Performance: Thurman’s ‘warrior lady’ figure and iconic ‘death stare’ ensured her action sequences would be spectacular. But beneath all the female bravado, she also managed to bring out the vulnerabilities of the tragic Beatrix Kiddo.

6. Clarice Starling (Silence Of The Lambs)

The Character: Talented enough to get noticed by Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

The Actress: Thomas Harris’ nerve-wracking novel needed a strong protagonist and Jodie Foster fitted the role to a T. She plays a student in the FBI Academy who is sent to interview the criminally insane, cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter. In the second movie Hannibal, she goes on to become his lover.

The Performance: Her role is that of a woman in a man’s world. She has to appear frosty on the exterior and she does it with elan. She stands tow-to-toe with Anthony Hopkins and that, in itself, is a huge achievement

7. Leigh Anne Tuohy (The Blind Side)

The character: No-nonsense mother, superhero foster mother.

The Actress: Sandra Bullock received wide acclaim and box office success for portraying the real-life story of Leigh Anne Tuohy, who took care of Michael Oher and helped him become a successful football player.

The Performance: Julia Roberts had been offered the role, but she turned it down. Bullock too turned it down three times, due to creative differences. She then visited the real-life character and was so inspired that she took a pay cut to act in it. She instead got a percentage of the profits.

8. Trinity (The Matrix)

The Character: Kick-ass tech-noir action-hero in shades and leather.

The Actress: Canadian actress Carrie-Anne Moss had mostly done small-time movies until she was cast as Trinity in 1999 It proved to be her breakout role. She appeared in all three movies in the Matrix trilogy.

The Performance: She plays the role of a computer programmer/hacker who has escaped from the clutches of the Matrix. She is a kick-ass commando and the love interest of ‘The One – Neo.’

9. Scarlett O'Hara (Gone With The Wind)

The Character: The lady who survived a civil war and the charms of Rhett Butler.

The Actress: There had been a massive hunt going on to find the ady to portray Scarlett O Hara. British actress Vivien Leigh stunned everyone by confidently saying she would be cast in the title role. Her claims eventually proved right and she starred in one of the most financially successful films of all times.

The Performance: Her accent was faultless and her emotions, fearless. Though she had some personal difficulties on the set, her portrayal of Scarlett O Hara got her rave reviews.

10. Amelie (Amelie)

The Character: Whimsical do-gooder with little self confidence.

The Actress: In 1998, Audrey Tautou was ‘found’ via a Star Search-like competition sponsored by Canal+ called ‘Jeunes Premiers’ (The Young Debut) and won Best Young Actress at the 9th Beziers Festival of Young Actors. In 2001, she was chosen to give screen life to Amelie. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Performance: It tells the story of Amelie, a shy waitress who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation. Tautou’s performance is highly nuanced, powerful and beautiful.

11. Annie Porter (Speed)

The Character: The road junkie with an explosive 50mph secret

The Actress: Sandra Bullock had already acted in movies like The Vanishing and Demolition Man when the offer for Speed came up. Her decision ton act in it proved to be the right choice as it went on to collect $350 million at the box office, making it her second most successful picture to date.

The Performance: Bullock’s character had originally been reserved for Ellen DeGeneres, but it ultimately went to her. She brought a refreshing normality to the role of an action star, a commoner who was thrust into a situation not of her choice.

12. Margaret ‘Maggie’ Fitzgerald (Million Dollar Baby)

The Character: The woman with $$ for fists.

The Actress: Hillary Swank underwent extensive training in the ring and weight room, gaining 19 pounds of muscle.

The Performance: She won an Oscar for her portrayal of the brave, yet ultimately tragic Margaret.