Masculinity in 1990'S Post-Cold War American Thriller Films

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5-2021

Masculinity in 1990's Post-Cold War American Thriller Films

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Recommended Citation Ferguson, John, "Masculinity in 1990's Post-Cold War American Thriller Films" (2021). Senior Honors Projects. Paper 894. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/894https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/894

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors Program at the University of Rhode Island at DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Honors Projects by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Masculinity in 1990’s Post-Cold War American Thriller Films John Ferguson Sponsor: Erik Loomis, History

Introduction While the 1990’s marked a period Conclusions of relative peace and tranquility in With many of the decade’s finest the United States, a re-emergence pieces depicting common ideas of of the crisis of masculinity heavily masculinity as under attack from a influenced films during this time. changing world, the crisis of Many of the decade’s most masculinity was at the forefront of critically-acclaimed films, including Ice Cube, Mark Wahlberg, and George the motion picture industry in the Clooney defy orders by helping Iraqi rebels Fight Club, Se7en, and In the Line Brad Pitt exudes nihilistic masculinity as safely cross the border to Iran in Three 1990’s. Ranging from the Tyler Durden in Fight Club (1999) of Fire, dealt with themes of Kings (1999) psychological genre to murder- powerlessness that men felt mysteries to white-collar office toward large institutions like the dramas, thriller films during this government, military, and media. time period consistently called This monotonous middle-class into question what it meant to be male struggle was highlighted in a man. Further, the theme of a way that was otherwise mostly rebellion against the established ignored in the mega-action films order was frequently presented as of the 1980’s. Focusing specifically the best solution for the common on intense films of the thriller man to regain this “lost” societal genre, I set out to analyze these power. Whether it was a cubicle new representations of Clint Eastwood must outsmart a office worker quitting his nine-to- masculinity and suggest why deranged ex-CIA agent to prevent a Michael Douglas’ “D-Fens” violently lashes five desk job to find greater presidential assassination in In the Line these visions of masculinity out against the wrongs he sees in society on of Fire (1993) satisfaction or a government became prevalent during this his way home from work in Falling Down (1993) agent ignoring the commands of time. his superior to do what he felt needed to be done, the thriller films of the nineties routinely Methods portrayed masculinity as a trait • Analyzed masculinity in thriller that the relatable average man films from the 1990’s had to reclaim by taking matters • Read and interpreted related into his own hands. academic literature • Compared critical film reviews • Discussed my personal Works Cited opinions, along with those of David Greven. “Contemporary Hollywood Masculinity and the Double- Protagonist Film.” Cinema Journal, vol. 48, no. 4, 2009, pp. 22–43. experts, to generate Edward Norton plays a reformed neo- Holmlund, Chris. American Cinema of the 1990s : Themes and Variations. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman track a serial Rutgers University Press, 2008. Nazi who discourages his younger Hunter, Latham. “The Celluloid Cubicle: Regressive Constructions of conclusions brother from making the mistakes he killer who commits crimes inspired by the Masculinity in 1990s Office Movies.” Journal of American Culture did in American History X (1998) seven deadly sins in Se7en (1995) (Malden, Mass.), vol. 26, no. 1, 2003, pp. 71–86.