Description
Book SynopsisThe noughties witnessed rapid change in Action Cinema, carrying with it the new action stars of the previous decade, and the boundary blurring experimentation of films such as The Matrix, that incorporated not only action but science fiction. The now dominant Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debuted, and the Young Adult fictional worlds of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games further developed the scope of the action sequences. Despite this context, the action genre had still not engaged fully with contemporary social issues.
Focusing on a less acknowledged period in Action Cinema history, Gender and Action Films: Road Warriors, Bombshells and Atomic Blondes examines specific action stars such as Michelle Rodriguez, Zhang Ziyi, and Pam Grier to analyse how female stars encounter the male gaze. Split into four parts – ‘Star Bodies’, ‘Transmedia Action’, ‘Intergenerational Action’ and ‘Politics and Race’, chapter authors prioritise female led action movies and champion a more meaningful interaction and representation between the action genre and contemporary issues of race, sexuality, and gender.
Offering novel interpretations of depictions of gender within action movies, this edited collection demonstrates gender portrayal can be developed to incorporate meaningful representation in the wake of the movements such as #Oscarssowhite or #MeToo that have confronted Hollywood. The collection is a must-have for academics, students and lovers of film and media and those interested in gender studies.
Table of ContentsIntroduction; Renée Middlemost and Steven Gerrard
Part 1. Star Bodies
Chapter 1. Road Warriors, Bombshells and Atomic Blondes: The Action Cinema of Charlize Theron; Thomas Sweet
Chapter 2. Let Rain Shine: Michelle Rodriguez – Action Star; Steven Gerrard
Chapter 3. ‘Musculinity’ and the Empowered Female Body in Haywire (2011); Douglas Rasmussen
Part 2. Transmedia Action
Chapter 4. Gender, Violence and Empowerment: Reworking the Female Action Hero in Dollhouse; Jessica Ford
Chapter 5. All Access Action Heroes – Between Cyberpathy and New Media; Anne Ganzert
Chapter 6. Hard Bodies in Virtual Worlds: Assessing the Reception of Abby’s Spectacular Body in The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog, 2020); Dean Bowman
Part 3. Intergenerational Action
Chapter 7. Dark Fathers and Damaged Sons: The Paternal Betrayal of Jason Bourne; Toby Reynolds
Chapter 8. Beyond Actions: Remodelling Heroine-hood in The Grandmaster; Jasmine Yu-Hsing Chen
Part 4. Politics and Race
Chapter 9. ‘Always Bet on Black’: Wesley Snipes – Action Star; Shelley O’Brien
Chapter 10. Dismal Setbacks and Stunning Breakthroughs: A Look at Pam Grier’s Career and How It Changed Hollywood; Dahlia Schweitzer
Chapter 11. Playing With Type? Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Rivalry, and Race in Hobbs and Shaw; Renée Middlemost
Conclusion; Renée Middlemost and Steven Gerrard
