“Why So Serious?” Comics, Film and Politics, Or the Comic Book Film As the Answer to the Question of Identity and Narrative in a Post-9/11 World
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ABSTRACT “WHY SO SERIOUS?” COMICS, FILM AND POLITICS, OR THE COMIC BOOK FILM AS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY AND NARRATIVE IN A POST-9/11 WORLD by Kyle Andrew Moody This thesis analyzes a trend in a subgenre of motion pictures that are designed to not only entertain, but also provide a message for the modern world after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The analysis provides a critical look at three different films as artifacts of post-9/11 culture, showing how the integration of certain elements made them allegorical works regarding the status of the United States in the aftermath of the attacks. Jean Baudrillard‟s postmodern theory of simulation and simulacra was utilized to provide a context for the films that tap into themes reflecting post-9/11 reality. The results were analyzed by critically examining the source material, with a cultural criticism emerging regarding the progression of this subgenre of motion pictures as meaningful work. “WHY SO SERIOUS?” COMICS, FILM AND POLITICS, OR THE COMIC BOOK FILM AS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY AND NARRATIVE IN A POST-9/11 WORLD A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Communications Mass Communications Area by Kyle Andrew Moody Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2009 Advisor ___________________ Dr. Bruce Drushel Reader ___________________ Dr. Ronald Scott Reader ___________________ Dr. David Sholle TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................................................... III CHAPTER ONE: COMIC BOOK MOVIES AND THE REAL WORLD ............................................. 1 PURPOSE OF STUDY .................................................................................................................................... 4 WHAT IS A SUPERHERO? ............................................................................................................................. 6 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 8 Issues of Method and Theory ................................................................................................................ 8 Issues in Source Materials ...................................................................................................................10 Influential Works on Film Adaptations ................................................................................................11 Subversion, Politics, and Icons ............................................................................................................12 Superheroes and the Real World .........................................................................................................14 Violence and Aggression ......................................................................................................................15 Terrorism and Superheroes .................................................................................................................16 SCOPE OF STUDY .......................................................................................................................................18 Iron Man ..............................................................................................................................................19 V for Vendetta ......................................................................................................................................20 The Dark Knight ..................................................................................................................................20 RESEARCH METHOD ..................................................................................................................................22 POINTS OF DISCUSSION IN NARRATIVE ......................................................................................................23 CHAPTER ORGANIZATION..........................................................................................................................24 CHAPTER TWO: THE HISTORY OF THE COMIC BOOK FILM ..................................................26 CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF THEORY AND THE SUPERHERO FILM ADAPTATION ..47 TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................50 V for Vendetta ......................................................................................................................................50 The Dark Knight ..................................................................................................................................53 Iron Man ..............................................................................................................................................54 PRIVACY/FREEDOM ...................................................................................................................................57 HYPERREALITY .........................................................................................................................................59 SECURITY/TERRORISM/INNOCENCE ...........................................................................................................60 V for Vendetta ......................................................................................................................................60 Terrorism .............................................................................................................................................62 The Joker and Terrorism .....................................................................................................................64 Anarchy in the Movies, and the Ethical Response ...............................................................................70 PATRIOTISM ...............................................................................................................................................74 Iron Man ..............................................................................................................................................74 POLITICS ....................................................................................................................................................78 Tony Stark and Fallibility/Accountability ............................................................................................80 The Dark Knight ..................................................................................................................................81 V for Vendetta ......................................................................................................................................82 TORTURE/VIOLENCE .................................................................................................................................86 Torture .................................................................................................................................................88 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................90 CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................92 ALLEGORY AND IMPACT ............................................................................................................................93 WHERE ARE WE NOW? .............................................................................................................................98 CONCLUDING REMARKS ..........................................................................................................................101 WORKS CITED ........................................................................................................................................104 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I must thank my committee for making sure that this project was a proud accomplishment, particularly my major advisor Dr. Bruce Drushel. Whether it was late nights spent reading massive chapters, sorting through logical thoughts and random synapse flares, or merely keeping the whole work from derailing into madness, their work was invaluable to the completion of this project. To everyone in the Miami University community who helped in some way, your insight provided a way of grounding me even when I seemed to have my head in the clouds. I must also thank my mother, father, sister, and grandparents for their undying love, support, and understanding. It was due to my parents‟ drive to make me read that I first came into contact with comic books, and their belief in their son will hopefully be repaid in this work. Mom and Dad, I hope you are drinking some coffee as you read this. My friends have also been incredible throughout all of this. Though naming everybody who helped would take too long, special acknowledgments go to Stephen, Justine, Eric, and Chris, who were there for the beginning of this crazy ride, and who I hope are reading this with satisfaction. Finally, I would like to thank Maricruz for being patient, understanding, and caring throughout this process. If there was an ugly side to writing this work, she saw it, and was still there to answer further questions. Muchas gracias, Corazon, it‟s finally done! iii