Description
Book SynopsisLying at the heart of the modern Action Cinema Canon is the concept of transformation. As the action genre evolves and shifts into the new millennia, innovative additions blend with nostalgic returns – the move away from a male-dominated space to feature even more prominent female roles co-exists alongside a revival of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, and series such as Rocky and Rambo return to the screens. Gender and Action Films 2000 and Beyond: Transformations captures and explores the nuanced and complex nature of change within Action Cinema.
Dealing with the notion of aging, the chapter authors consider how action heroes confront and cope with getting older. Expanding the foundation of research on geriaction stars, the advantages of mature masculinity contrasts with themes of masculine fragility. Viewing the action genre through a feminist lens, this edited collection traces the evolution of the representation of women, suggesting how such roles may develop in the future. Finally, a consideration of the post-millennial boom of movie backdrops in turmoil analyses how such pieces question and contribute to debates on global political and social issues.
Gender and Action Films 2000 and Beyond: Transformations looks at Action Cinema from the old to the new, offering an exciting interrogation of the portrayal of gender in the new millennia. A necessity for academics, students and lovers of film and media and those interested in gender studies.
Table of ContentsIntroduction; Steven Gerrard and Renée Middlemost
Part 1. Aging
Chapter 1. Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt: Virtuous Masculinity and Ageing Heroes in Geriaction Cinema; Kelvin Ke Jinde
Chapter 2. The Art of Making Do: Ageing Recent-to-Action Stars in Hollywood-Style French Action Cinema; Glen Donnar
Chapter 3. “Nothing is over. Nothing! You just don’t switch it off!” – From First to Last – An Analysis of Rambo; Steven Gerrard
Part 2. Evolution
Chapter 4. The Charlie’s Angels Franchise: An Analysis of Six Female Action/Crime Characters From a Feminist Perspective; Juan-Pablo Osman and Nancy R. Gomez
Chapter 5. Artificial Feminism: Fan Reaction to the Representation of Captain Marvel; Natalie Le Clue and Janelle Vermaak-Griessel
Chapter 6. ‘I’ve Waited For Him’: Laurie Strode’s Evolution From Final Girl to Neoliberal Militant in Halloween (2018); Khara Lukancic
Chapter 7. Is the Future Feminist? A Reading of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Logan (2017); Deepthi Krishna Thota
Part 3. Gender, Genre, and Narrative Transformation
Chapter 8. Metamodern Vigilante Narratives: Masculinity and Trauma in Blue Ruin (2013) and You Were Never Really Here (2017); Cain Miller
Chapter 9. Sartorial Femininity and the Upset of Female Masculinity in Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey (2020); Dany S. Girard
Chapter 10. The Queer Female Action Spy Hero in Post-Millennial American Cinema; Claire Hines
Conclusion; Renée Middlemost and Steven Gerrard
