Classical masculinity and the spectacular body on film : the mighty sons of Hercules / Daniel O'Brien, University of Southampton, UK.

  • O'Brien, Daniel, 1967-
Date:
2014
  • Books

About this work

Description

"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.

Publication/Creation

Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

Physical description

vii, 191 pages ; 23 cm

Bibliographic information

Includes bibliographical references (pages 177-186) and index.

Contents

Introduction -- Part I. Men as Men Should be: 1. Hercules Unchained ; 2. Hercules Reformed ; 3. Hercules Diminished ; 4. Hercules Rebooted ; 5. I'm Spartacus! -- Part II. Taming the Women with Love or Death: 6. The Loves of Hercules ; 7. The Temptress from Beyond ; 8. Fight Like a Man -- Part III. This This of Darkness: 9. White Man's Burden? ; 10. Doom's Children ; 11. This is Sparta! -- Coda.

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatus
    History of Medicine
    TW.U
    Open shelves

Permanent link

Identifiers

ISBN

  • 9781137384706
  • 1137384700