Super Bitches and Action Babes: The Female Hero in Popular Cinema, 1970-2006

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McFarland, 17.04.2007 - 368 Seiten

With actress Pam Grier's breakthrough in Coffy and Foxy Brown, women entered action, science fiction, war, westerns and martial arts films--genres that had previously been considered the domain of male protagonists. This ground-breaking cinema, however, was--and still is--viewed with ambivalence.

While women were cast in new and exciting roles, they did not always arrive with their femininity intact, often functioning both as a sexualized spectacle and as a new female hero rather than female character. This volume contains an in-depth critical analysis and study of the female hero in popular film from 1970 to 2006. It examines five female archetypes: the dominatrix, the Amazon, the daughter, the mother and the rape-avenger. The entrance of the female hero into films written by, produced by and made for men is viewed through the lens of feminism and post-feminism arguments. Analyzed works include films with actors Michelle Yeoh and Meiko Kaji, the Alien films, the Lara Croft franchise, Charlie's Angels, and television productions such as Xena: Warrior Princess and Alias.

 

Inhalt

Preface
1
Female Heroes in an Age of Ambivalence
5
The Rise Against Men
39
From the Margins
105
Into the Action
167
Age of Ambivalence
247
Filmography
319
Chapter Notes
325
Bibliography
345
Index
353
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Autoren-Profil (2007)

Rikke Schubart is director of studies and associate professor of literature, media and cultural studies at the University of Southern Denmark.

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