Monuments And Masculinity In Roland Emmerich's Independence Day

World War II-one of the most devastating events in history that will always be remembered whether by textbooks, personal accounts, or merely just stories about how one man could have done the impossible: conquered the world. As students today and future generations learn about the War, they are exposed to the battles, leaders, political parties, heroes, and turmoil of this period; however, important events that often were overshadowed are slowly becoming forgotten and neglected. Robert Edsel, in his book The Monuments Men, tells the story of the “greatest treasure hunt in history” and the race to sa

As a science fiction film, it undoubtedly features many elements of technology, including the invention of war machineries and the time machine. George, the British protagonist of the film, seeks to challenge Man's knowledge of physics by experimenting with the fourth dimension, time, in 1899. However, because of Britain’s preparation for war with Germany and the dismissive attitude of his peers, George later seeks to time travel to the future in hopes of escaping his disenchantment of the present. On the one hand, the film explores the unethical and dehumanizing effect of technological advancement in society through the use of the time machine as a plot device, thereby painting a grim depiction of technological advancement. On the other hand, it seeks to reconcile these problems of technology through the use of technology itself. Hence, although the film clearly reflects the fears of the mid-twentieth century: nuclear war and human degeneration, it still reminds us that technology has a double-edged function as both a weapon of destruction or tool

Essay Question: Discuss the ways in which masculinity is constructed in Gallipoli and / or First Blood? What codes and norms of gender are used to construct masculinity in the film(s)?

Many have pondered with a tinge of sadness on the ephemerality of existence. A man may die, civilizations prosper and decline, but ideas endure without death. They are trampled upon for a time, “yet seldom do they fail of their seed, and that will lie in the dust and rot to spring up again in times unlooked-for” (Tolkien, 294). The power of idea is seen throughout media and literature. Both 1984, a dystopian novel written by George Orwell, and the film V for Vendetta portray a world besieged by poverty, warfare, and totalitarianism. Amongst the turmoil and destruction, V emerges victorious while Winston Smith succumbs to the Oceanian hegemony. Both V and the Party of 1984 succeed - V in the ousting of the government while the latter in its

During the Reagan-era in American society of the 1980s, there were more opportunities for middle-class college graduates and women for work as there was a rise in rise of hi-tech firms, finance and retail. Where as for men, the decline in heavy industry made it hard for men to find high paid full-time work in industry, in which so many working-class men joined the military. Yet Ripley with all these male attributes can relate more to men in the Reagan-era. ’ James Cameron rewrites Ripley as an action hero, as Aliens (1986) is a military expedition/combat film. At the same time, the political climate of the Reagan era informed the film’s conservative revision of Ripley into a socially authorized female role: the “mother” Ellen Ripley’.

As a portrayal of history it reinforces some of the worst aspects of America's collective vision of the world and our understanding of military operations. For a target audience of males aged fifteen to thirty, Ridley Scott has produced a celebration of American courage and spirit without a serious explanation of why we were forced, in the end, to rely on those two very real American characteristics. Mark Bowden's complex tale of modern war has become a simple story about not leaving any man

the winning and holding of power and the formation (and destruction) of social groups in that process” (644) such that it is crucial that the ruling class establishes and maintains its domination. Moreover, it includes persuasion of a big part of the population, especially through the media and the organization of social institutions. Homophobia and heterosexuality form the foundation for hegemonic masculinity and all comprehension of its meaning is predicated “on the feminist insight that in general the relationship of men to women is oppressive” (644). Hegemonic masculinity is grounded in form of the hero and displayed through forms that deal with heroes, e.g., sagas, and westerns, in television, books, and movies (Connell qtd. in Donaldson 646). To define a specific form of masculinity as hegemonic, it is important to note that “its exaltation stabilizes a structure of dominance and oppression in the gender order as a whole” (Connell qtd. in Donaldson 646).

Robertson begins by pointing out “men’s rights advocates” that expressed ire toward the film for being too feminist, then discusses sexist themes in apocalyptic works, mainly that women lose freedom in an apocalypse.

During the scene in which she is getting dressed in her apartment with her partner Reggie, she is not represented in flattering feminine wear. Instead, she is seen wearing what appears to be a sports bra. In this scene, Reggie is represented as a homosexual man, advising Kate on her bra choice without any apparent sexual innuendo. Another uncanny aspect of Kate’s spiral into a subjected female by patriarchy is her lack of a husband and child; she is an independent woman who holds a successful career in a male-dominated taskforce. Kate and Reggie each represent the progression of what used to be strict binary gender roles and heterosexual natures.

Children of Men is a film that explores a dystopian future in which the world as we know it has collapsed, and it seems that humanity will die out because women can no longer become pregnant. Quite a few elements of this film seem to fit the popular definition of science fiction, but does it hold up under closer scrutiny? Unfortunately, simplifying the expansive genre of science fiction under one classification is not so easy. Using the ideas of Adam Roberts and other experts of the genre, we can begin to form the criteria for what constitutes a work of science fiction.

The science-fiction film genre serves as an excellent medium for examining shifting power structures, social paranoia and Cold War politics during the 1950s. A number of films released during this period, including: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Them (1954) and Attack of the 50ft Woman (1958), are particularly symptomatic of the social and political atmosphere of the time. These films navigate not only narrative based issues such as the threat of aliens and science experiments gone wrong; but also wider issues of the time, such as the Cold War, changes in the US film industry, urbanisation, politics, the growing power of women and most significantly, social concern about nuclear energy.

From the silent epic of Fritz Lang Metropolis 1927 to Ridley’s Scott’s spectacular Blade Runner 1982 the connection between architecture and film has always been intimate. The most apparent concepts that connect these two films are the overall visuals of both films and their vision of city of the future. The futuristic city of both Scott and Lang are distinct in their landscapes, geography, and social structure. These two films sought to envision a future where technology was the basis by which society functioned. Technology was the culture and the cities would crumble without it. Metropolis and Blade Runner uses the themes relationships amongst female sexuality and male vision, and technology. However, Gender roles and technology seems to be the most important part in both films.

Action-packed and highly-rated, Mad Max: Fury Road is a critically-acclaimed film about a journey of survival through a post-apocalyptic wasteland. There is no doubt that post-apocalyptic films are becoming increasingly popular among audiences as seen with movies such as the Hunger Games. However, Leggatt (2012) describes another variation in the post-apocalyptic genre, one that has been dubbed post-9/11 after a string of patterns prevalent in some post-apocalyptic films. Leggatt’s definition of post-9/11 apocalyptic films are ones that have a pessimistic tone towards the future of a society. As the world evolves and progresses, many new issues overlap and outgrow previous issues that have plagued the world before - though this transgression, the film industry follows suit in order to invent stories and media that is thought-provoking and relevant to changing society. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) is a film that encapsulates many elements of Leggatt’s post 9/11 apocalypse film genre through the apocalyptic setting, derailment of redemption, and societal obsession with apocalypse over utopia.

The apocalypse is a common subject addressed in films and such Doomsday scenarios have become increasingly popular since the beginning of the Cold War. These films provide a different cause for the downfall of human kind and approach the subject with various degrees of despair and hope. Despite the obvious differences in approach that different directors take, these films all serve to highlight not only the negative qualities of human kind that led to and are represented by the agent of destruction but also to highlight the strength of the survivors who keep the will to fight for their lives despite the bleak circumstances. For the most part, The Mist, adapted from a Stephen King novella, sticks closely to the archetype. The Mist, a

Most of the science fiction works contain a crucial message that the writer wishes to convey to the viewers. There are two categories of film message, one is positive and the other is negative. A positive message is one that is expected to have favourable outcome to the audience, and continuously aiming to promote better societal changes. In contrast, a negative message is one that could deliver threats or unpleasant information to the audience, which could have significant impact on the normal order of the society. This essay will argue that if the message contains positive elements, then it is not a bad sign to embed science fiction works with a message. First, this essay will suggest that the well-integrated message within a particular