Of Masculinity In The Film Conan The Barbarian And Mad Max...

Films are often connected by the shared use of common universal themes. This element of cinema allows for deep analysis of films and lessons one can gain from the entertaining pastime of movies. The well-known 1982 films Conan The Barbarian written by John Milius and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior directed by George Miller, share many concepts that fall under the themes of masculinity and heroes, but also differ greatly in the theme revolving around power. The theme of masculinity in both Conan The Barbarian and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior play a significant role in these films. The main actors in these movies, â€Å"one of Hollywoods . . . icons of masculinity† (Alegre 87), Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Conan and Mel Gibson as The Road Warrior,†¦show more content†¦Similar to how girls in their teen years and twenties dream to look like the bikini model in magazines, men look at Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mel Gibson in Conan The Barbarian and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior in hopes they could be as tough and manly as the two stars of these films. For example, the scene where Conan and his ally invade Tulsa’s palace and defeat his army to rescue the princess (Conan The Barbarian) is directed to the male gaze as the masculine action of this scene is more appealing to the male gender. Similar, the scene where Max fights through his injuries and leads the pure faction to freedom, fighting off the scavengers almost single h andedly (Mad Max), strongly attracts the male gaze as it has very masculine actions that the male gender wishes they could accomplish. The shared theme of masculinity attracts both the female and male gaze in both Conan The Barbarian and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior by utilizing the masculine appearances for the female gaze and the masculine actions for the male gaze. Relating to the shared theme of masculinity in these films, the theme of heroes plays a large role in both Conan The Barbarian and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. According to Sara Martà ­n Alegre in her research regarding masculinity in Hollywood she wrote, â€Å"As for his impressive physical appearance, the particularity is that Schwarzenegger has used it to play . . . heroes† (88). The impressive physical appearances of Conan and Max make them theShow MoreRelatedMasculinity In Conan The Barbarian1187 Words   |  5 PagesIn the movie, Conan the Barbarian, the director John Milius provides the audience with the opportunity to enter into a fictional world where a man has the ability to transform into a snake. Throughout the course of the movie, the lead character, Conan, experiences many hardships including the death of his parents, being a prisoner, and even death. Another movie that involves a fictional world is Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, directed by George Miller. The se tting of this movie in a post-apocalyptic