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"Heroes in motion pictures"
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Heroism, Silence, and Erasure: Jewish Children in Holocaust Cinema
The stories of the many Jewish youngsters who actively resisted Germany and its collaborators are virtually absent in Holocaust cinematic representations of children. Such erasures stem from two main sources. First, political efforts to discount Jewish heroism in the Holocaust, and second, such representations are increasingly considered incompatible with culturally acceptable notions of youth that privilege narratives of childhood innocence and vulnerability. Numerous feature films, shorts, and documentaries employ the theme of silence to describe suffering and/or murder of victims, persistence of post-Holocaust trauma, intergenerational transmission of trauma, and coverup and suppression of atrocities and crimes. But the silences addressed in this article are not those surrounding the murdered victims, they are rather the silences surrounding Jewish resistance, especially by child resisters. The omissions and distortions of the Jewish contribution to Holocaust resistance seem to violate the most minimal standards of representation. Because of the popularity of historical films, the erasure of a Jewish child's identity can have an outsized effect on audiences' understanding of the Holocaust. Because of their mass appeal, films become almost a consensual version of history itself. Further, the false inventions discussed in this paper exacerbate this phenomenon specifically by erasing the contributions and perils of Jewish children during World War II. In a world where the very existence of the Holocaust is sometimes called into question, the importance of these erasures cannot be understated.
Journal Article
Baad Bitches and Sassy Supermamas
This lively study unpacks the intersecting racial, sexual, and gender politics underlying the representations of racialized bodies, masculinities, and femininities in early 1970s black action films, with particular focus on the representation of black femininity. Stephane Dunn explores the typical, sexualized, subordinate positioning of women in low-budget blaxploitation action narratives as well as more seriously radical films like Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and The Spook Who Sat by the Door, in which black women are typically portrayed as trifling \"bitches\" compared to the supermacho black male heroes. The terms \"baad bitches\" and \"sassy supermamas\" signal the reversal of this positioning with the emergence of supermama heroines in the few black action films in the early 1970s that featured self-assured, empowered, and tough (or \"baad\") black women as protagonists: Cleopatra Jones, Coffy, and Foxy Brown._x000B__x000B_Dunn offers close examination of a distinct moment in the history of African American representation in popular cinema, tracing its emergence out of a radical political era, influenced especially by the Black Power movement and feminism. \"Baad Bitches\" and Sassy Supermamas also engages blaxploitation's impact and lingering aura in contemporary hip-hop culture as suggested by its disturbing gender politics and the \"baad bitch daughters\" of Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones, rappers Foxy Brown and Lil' Kim.
eBook
Classical masculinity and the spectacular body on film : the mighty sons of Hercules
\"The cinema has often showcased the muscular male body, most notably in genres invoking classical Greco-Roman culture, whether peplum, epic or sword-and-sorcery. This book reassesses the classically-inflected action film as a significant cinematic form, often marginalized in media studies, that transcends such reductive labels as camp or kitsch. The focus is on the depiction of heroic masculinity, often characterized as reactionary or fascist, yet far more varied and contradictory, especially in relation to femininity and non-whiteness. These diverse representations of masculinity offer a major contribution to debates on maleness within and beyond academia that has been largely unexplored. In particular, Hercules in his many incarnations is one of the most important mythopoetic figures, on a par with King Arthur, Robin Hood, Tarzan and James Bond, informing popular cultural interpretations of manliness and the exaggerated male form\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Action figures : men, action films, and contemporary adventure narratives
What accounts for the massive global popularity of action films and adventure literature? How do men and women respond to iconic screen stars such as Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve McQueen, and Charlton Heston? Action genres have been Hollywood's most profitable global exports for most of its history, their male heroes the subject of much fascination and derision. Bestselling literary thrillers, from The Hunt for Red October to Into Thin Air, have also contributed markedly to popular understandings of male activity. Action Figures takes stock of action narratives' many appeals and recognizes how contemporary crises of gender identity manifest themselves in popular commercial texts.
eBook
The superhero symbol : media, culture, and politics
\"\"As a man, I'm flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed; but as a symbol... as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting\". In the 2005 reboot of the then dormant Batman film franchise, Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne articulates how the figure of the superhero can serve as a transcendent icon. It is hard to imagine a time when superheroes have been more pervasive in our culture. Today, superheroes are intellectual property jealously guarded by media conglomerates, icons co-opted by grassroots groups as a four-color rebuttal to social inequities, masks people wear to more confidently walk convention floors and city streets, and bulletproof banners that embody regional and national identities. From activism to cosplay, understanding how these different groups and interests have made use of this powerful icon is essential to unmasking the appeal of superheroes and their wider impact. To address this interest, The Superhero Symbol brings together scholars from a range of disciplines, alongside key industry figures. Collectively, these contributions provide fresh perspectives on how these costume-clad heroes have engaged with media, culture, and politics, thereby becoming the \"everlasting\" symbols to which a wayward Bruce Wayne once aspired\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Superheroes on world screens
Superheroes such as Superman and Spider-Man have spread all over the world. As this edited volume shows, many national cultures have created or reimagined the idea of the superhero, while the realm of superheroes now contains many icons whose histories borrow from local folklore and legends. Consequently, the superhero needs reconsideration, to be regarded as part of both local and global culture as well as examined for the rich meanings that such broad origins and re-workings create.
This collection stands out as the first concentrated attempt to think through the meanings and significance of the superhero, not only as a product of culture in the United States, but as a series of local, transnational, and global exchanges in popular media. Through analysis of mainly film, television, and computer screens, contributors offer three challenges to the idea of the \"American\" superhero: transnational reimagining of superhero culture, emerging local superheroes, and the use of local superheroes to undermine dominant political ideologies. The essays explore the shifting transnational meanings of Doctor Who, Thor, and the Phantom, as these characters are reimagined in world culture. Other chapters chart the rise of local superheroes from India, the Middle East, Thailand, and South Korea. These explorations demonstrate how far superheroes have traveled to inspire audiences worldwide.
eBook
Ink-stained amazons and cinematic warriors : superwomen in modern mythology
\"Women have been led to believe that superheroes and heroism are not for them, and that they are little more than love interests, or sidekicks who stand by their supermen. This is a false proposition argues Jennifer K. Stuller, as she uncovers the true history of how superwomen are represented in popular culture. She reveals how, from Wonder Woman to Buffy Summers, Emma Peel to Sydney Brislow, Charlie's Angels to The Powerpuff Girls, the female hero in modern mythology has broken through the boys' club barrier of tradition for shining, if all too brief, moments. The book details the notable differences in how women and men are represented as heroic in modern myth. Love and compassion, spies and sexuality, daddy's girls, and the complicated roles of superwomen who are also mothers are all explored. The spotlight is also turned onto men and women who have created modern myths with a strong female presence and Stuller concludes by speculating on the future of gender representation in superheroic myth. A useful appendix offers resources for further information about feminist fangirl blogging, activism, and fiction, and the book features a glossary of modern mythic women.\"--P. [4] of cover.
Book
Cinematic quests for identity
This book examines the narrative and cinematic conventions of movies that are about the quest for identity and individuation. Chapters are devoted to individual films, such as La Belle et la B�te, The Silence of the Lambs, The Searchers, The Deer Hunter, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as considerations of films directed by Catherine Breillat and Robert Bresson.
eBook