Compare and contrast representations of masculinities in different eras in American cinema.

The reason for why I chose to do only masculinity is because I think it would be a broader topic to write about considering the large impact that it has had on American Cinema. To help with the comparing and contrasting, I will be using two different films from two different eras that I think best present and help back up my points. However, to allow a deeper understanding, I am firstly going to talk a little bit about the background of America and how that impacted American Cinema and the way masculinity was shown in American cinema between the 70’s and 80’s to now.

America began to take a slight wobble within their political stances within the 60’s which then deemed the 70’s Hammond and Williams (2005) ‘a little more than the aftermath of the 1960’s’(pp124). For example, the Vietnam War took place, America began to overspend, and then a hippie movement started to peak within the 60’s overlapping into the 70’s, which in some states of America didn’t go down too well. As well as this, during the 60’s Martin Luther king gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, allowing the start of the civil rights movement for black people, which then later on within the 70’s moved to cinema, and then the rise of queer cinema came along, with the gay liberation of the ‘Stonewall Inn’ that took place in 1969.

Men were being seen as more rebellious, but not in a masculine way as men were starting to transition from this manly ideal to wearing flares, headbands, ‘smoking cannabis’ and being more emotionally available. This took a toll on how masculinity was viewed but made a massive impact for American Cinema with films such as Easy Rider (1969), The Wild Angles (1966), and many more. However, the males always got punished, for example in Easy Rider they get shot off their bikes by two men in a van, almost like a warning for men in America who dressed like to stop acting this way and regain their masculinity that they so clearly lost.

It wasn’t until Ronald Regan’s presidency that a real shift in America and masculinity was shown. However before he became president, he was himself also seen on TV screens, (Jeffords, 1994),‘Hollywood had been the centre of Regan’s life from the time he twenty-six years old until after he turned fifty’ (p.4), meaning that when he became president he would have a ongoing impact on Hollywood and the way film would be shown in America. For example, Regan became president (1981-1989) , and wanted to reform America into a less liberal country, and make it more optimistic and structured, with the idea of ‘neo-conservatism’ (the idea of forcing democracy), which included the intention of peace, which was always geared with the backing of violence (military force). His plan was the undo the reckless behaviour of the 70’s and began to enforce his traditional viewings onto the big screen to get America into check, especially when it regarded the topic of masculinity. This then was called the Reaganite Entertainment era, as any films that were made in this time reflected this with a strong male that fights against any opponent that disagrees with the American way allowing America to be on top. For example, Rambo (Ted Kotcheff, 1982), Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1977), Top Gun (Tony Scott, 1986), and Predator (John McTiernan, 1988), which are just a few examples of films that reflect that narrative.

The films that I am going to be talking about to show the representation of masculinities in American cinema in two different eras is Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (George Lucas, 1977), and The Avengers (Joss Wheldon, 2015). The reason for why I chose to compare and contrast these two films is because even though the films are two different genres, Star Wars being a Fantasy film, and The Avengers being classed as a Sci-fi, I think that they both have strong representations to explore into masculinity.

Firstly, I am going to talk about how masculinity is represented in the film Star Wars. For example, a lot of the time we are shown the male characters involved in some form of violence, though it is never gruesome, ‘it is the preferred way of settling things’. The men are always tested to think on their feet to try and to prove their masculinity and defeat the antagonist, as well as staying true to what they believe in. For example, we see the main characters Luke and Han Solo having a shootout in the detention centre of the enemy’s ship, this then adds to their bravery, because we are seeing them put themselves on the line. ‘The expectation that men and manhood can’t be anything less than strong, brave, and aggressive isn’t just damaging to women, but especially to men.’ I found this important to mention, because before this scene we are shown Han Solo have an argument with Skywalker, where he says that he is not putting his life on the line to save Princess Leia, which would then deem him the weaker man of the two, which considering he is the love interest for Princess Leia cannot be allowed..

Comparing this to the Avengers, they also use violence to represent the men’s’ level of musicality, Grønstad, (2008) A ‘Violence, as William Pechter has remarked, is “the staple diet of the American film’ (p.25), however because of the differ in genres, the violence can be seen as much more aggressive ‘anger is the only emotion you are allowed to show, because it gives you power’ . For example, you have the Hulk whom is much larger than the average man and is only violent when he is angry implying that the only way you can properly defeat your enemy is when your feel this form of hatred for them. This then goes for Thor was well, as he is seen as a god which causes a lot of havoc when he is fighting because of his hammer, however his violence is justified because as he is protecting people from evil, which is what he has been taught to do. The violence is what carries the masculinity within the film, as without it, we would be seeing a bunch of good-looking men in a hypersexualized way with no form of action, making them to be seen as an ‘erotic’ imagine. And that the best way to express how their feeling isn’t through communicating which adds to that toxic masculinity, but instead using violence.

How masculinity is then also shown within Star Wars pushed into a point of toxic masculinity. One thing I’ve noticed within a lot of American films is that lack of emotional empathy the male has towards other characters within the film. A lot of the time his relationships are strained, and it’s seen as a struggle for the male to open up, because if they do, he is deemed as weaker, or even a little less masculine. For example, Luke Skywalker is very expressive with his concerns about how Han Solo flies the ship, or tries to save Leia, but is always undermines by Han, which then makes him seen as hysterical, especially with the way Han Solo is always undermining him, for example shouting at him, treating him like a kid or even calling him a kid. As well as this, they struggle to form a bond with each other, increasing that form of testosterone because they are both interested in Princess Leia.

Contrasting this to the Avengers, this also has the same running theme. For example, when Bruce Banner is the hulk, he is undermined by Thor and because he has to be this big green monster to be able to fight, which her then compares to himself because he is a God, causing them to end up in a lot of fights. This is because they are both strong, they struggle to put their pride aside, and work as a team, however this is shown as a underlying form of humour for the audience, because they are on the same team. Adding to this the men are not very nurturing towards each other, and instead use their powers as their way of showing ‘affections’, with the odd slap, punch, or hit here and there again adding to the increase of testosterone evoking that this is how men should interact with each other.

How masculinity is represented within the Avengers, is that the men are all are to portray how the ideal man should look. The men all have ‘pumped up physiques’ , that are always on display, showing their form of strength in a much more sexualized way, which then Tasker (1964) ‘male stars began to build their bodies, offers a site through which to explore the changing articulation of masculinities in the contemporary action cinema’ (p.74), then elaborates on how men in action films have developed into this much more built ideal. For example, Thor is very tall and muscular and has his arms out on show even though he has armour on, it is that form of showing off his muscles, which is then also the same for Hawk eye. This is then show also with the Bruce Banner, who every time he turns into the Hulk has his clothes ripped off leaving him in shorts, showing off his large green muscular body. However, when he then shrinks back down, he always cowers away hiding his body showing how he is embarrassed, because he’s not as muscular in his human form. One more character that then also fits this is Captain America, who has a tight-fitting costume on, which then insinuates all of his body parts even his muscles under the costume. However, when it comes to characters such as Tony Stark, they are deemed as ‘clever’ instead of sexy because they don’t fit that all American buff type.

Comparing this to how masculinity is shown in Star Wars, in my opinion the men are deemed as much weaker, as they don’t have that physique that demands power, but instead shown as normal people who have to use something, such as guns to maintain their masculinity. Within this, though they are superheroes, they always go into things guns blazing, forcing the idea that men should have no fear when it comes to dangerous situations. Then comparing this to Star Wars, Luke and Han have to actually build their courage up making them seem weaker for when they go to into battle. What I also found interesting with the film is that during the detention battle scene both Han Solo’s and Luke’s faces are covered, compared to the avengers who the majority have their faces on show. For example, Hulk, Thor, and Hawk Eye. I feel like the fact that this is done is representation of fear, and that without the mask your manly hood, and form of power is then taken away.

One thing that I have noticed that is similar within masculinity and these films is that they enforce the ideal that men are the superior race. For example, within Star Wars they are always surrounded by aliens that bow down to them or fighting with soldiers with masks on making them less humane, and for the male to use that as a validation to cause a massive scene and kill them. This is then the same as the Avengers, however because they have superpowers it makes the aliens seems much more inferior, because they have to push more out of the portal to even try and weaken the male half of the avengers, which the makes them look stronger because they are able to withhold the fight without giving up.

One thing however that I did notice within the films is that there is no concrete love interest. For example, within the Avengers, the men apart from Tony are all single which then creates this focused narrative that women get in the way of the male’s objective. For example when the Avengers are fighting on the ship they are always picking up Black Widow, which makes her seem like their burden holding them back from trying to get the objective which is capturing Loki enforcing that masculine ideal that the man is the protector, and that he needs to protect any women that he sees around him. Which I find very interesting because this then applies, within the film, Star Wars, as Princess Leia is the reason for why the men are putting themselves in great danger. And when she is saved Han Solo the shouts at her by saying ‘you need to be protected, again enforcing that it is the males job to be looking out for women, as it adds to their masculinity.

In conclusion, after comparing and contrasting the two films I think that the way that masculinity is shown has in my opinion not changed that much. Even though I have used two different films, that revolved around two different plots, they seem to take on the same roles when it comes to showing how men should be and act within American Cinema. Though men are being shown in a much more sexual way than what is deemed of them to be, or than what they used to be, they are still using the force of violence, and within this day and age encourages the use of toxic masculinity, by allowing men to be shown as barbaric, and aggressive in most cases. The films don’t allow any room for men to show their emotions which I think they should to allow the growth on the way masculinity is shown in American cinema, because not every man can live up to what they see on screen, and it can most of the time portray the wrong message for their male audiences.