
Gender and Action Films
Road Warriors, Bombshells and Atomic Blondes
Emerald Publishing Limited
Published on 24. November 2022
Book
Hardback
192 pages
978-1-80117-515-9 (ISBN)
Description
The noughties witnessed rapid change in Action Cinema, carrying with it the new action stars of the previous decade, and the boundary blurring experimentation of films such as The Matrix, that incorporated not only action but science fiction. The now dominant Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debuted, and the Young Adult fictional worlds of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games further developed the scope of the action sequences. Despite this context, the action genre had still not engaged fully with contemporary social issues.
Focusing on a less acknowledged period in Action Cinema history, Gender and Action Films: Road Warriors, Bombshells and Atomic Blondes examines specific action stars such as Michelle Rodriguez, Zhang Ziyi, and Pam Grier to analyse how female stars encounter the male gaze. Split into four parts - 'Star Bodies', 'Transmedia Action', 'Intergenerational Action' and 'Politics and Race', chapter authors prioritise female led action movies and champion a more meaningful interaction and representation between the action genre and contemporary issues of race, sexuality, and gender.
Offering novel interpretations of depictions of gender within action movies, this edited collection demonstrates gender portrayal can be developed to incorporate meaningful representation in the wake of the movements such as #Oscarssowhite or #MeToo that have confronted Hollywood. The collection is a must-have for academics, students and lovers of film and media and those interested in gender studies.
Focusing on a less acknowledged period in Action Cinema history, Gender and Action Films: Road Warriors, Bombshells and Atomic Blondes examines specific action stars such as Michelle Rodriguez, Zhang Ziyi, and Pam Grier to analyse how female stars encounter the male gaze. Split into four parts - 'Star Bodies', 'Transmedia Action', 'Intergenerational Action' and 'Politics and Race', chapter authors prioritise female led action movies and champion a more meaningful interaction and representation between the action genre and contemporary issues of race, sexuality, and gender.
Offering novel interpretations of depictions of gender within action movies, this edited collection demonstrates gender portrayal can be developed to incorporate meaningful representation in the wake of the movements such as #Oscarssowhite or #MeToo that have confronted Hollywood. The collection is a must-have for academics, students and lovers of film and media and those interested in gender studies.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Bingley
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
437 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80117-515-9 (9781801175159)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Steven Gerrard | Renee Middlemost
Gender and Action Films
Road Warriors, Bombshells and Atomic Blondes
E-Book
11/2022
1st Edition
Emerald Publishing Limited
€84.99
Available for download
Persons
Steven Gerrard is Reader of Film at the Northern Film School, Leeds Beckett University.
Renee Middlemost is Lecturer in Communication and Media at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She is the co-founder of FSN Australasia, and a co-editor of Participations.
Renee Middlemost is Lecturer in Communication and Media at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She is the co-founder of FSN Australasia, and a co-editor of Participations.
Editor
Leeds Beckett University, UK
University of Wollongong, Australia
Content
Introduction; Renee Middlemost and Steven Gerrard
Part 1. Star Bodies
Chapter 1. Road Warriors, Bombshells and Atomic Blondes: The Action Cinema of Charlize Theron; Thomas Sweet
Chapter 2. Let Rain Shine: Michelle Rodriguez - Action Star; Steven Gerrard
Chapter 3. 'Musculinity' and the Empowered Female Body in Haywire (2011); Douglas Rasmussen
Part 2. Transmedia Action
Chapter 4. Gender, Violence and Empowerment: Reworking the Female Action Hero in Dollhouse; Jessica Ford
Chapter 5. All Access Action Heroes - Between Cyberpathy and New Media; Anne Ganzert
Chapter 6. Hard Bodies in Virtual Worlds: Assessing the Reception of Abby's Spectacular Body in The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog, 2020); Dean Bowman
Part 3. Intergenerational Action
Chapter 7. Dark Fathers and Damaged Sons: The Paternal Betrayal of Jason Bourne; Toby Reynolds
Chapter 8. Beyond Actions: Remodelling Heroine-hood in The Grandmaster; Jasmine Yu-Hsing Chen
Part 4. Politics and Race
Chapter 9. 'Always Bet on Black': Wesley Snipes - Action Star; Shelley O'Brien
Chapter 10. Dismal Setbacks and Stunning Breakthroughs: A Look at Pam Grier's Career and How It Changed Hollywood; Dahlia Schweitzer
Chapter 11. Playing With Type? Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Rivalry, and Race in Hobbs and Shaw; Renee Middlemost
Conclusion; Renee Middlemost and Steven Gerrard
Part 1. Star Bodies
Chapter 1. Road Warriors, Bombshells and Atomic Blondes: The Action Cinema of Charlize Theron; Thomas Sweet
Chapter 2. Let Rain Shine: Michelle Rodriguez - Action Star; Steven Gerrard
Chapter 3. 'Musculinity' and the Empowered Female Body in Haywire (2011); Douglas Rasmussen
Part 2. Transmedia Action
Chapter 4. Gender, Violence and Empowerment: Reworking the Female Action Hero in Dollhouse; Jessica Ford
Chapter 5. All Access Action Heroes - Between Cyberpathy and New Media; Anne Ganzert
Chapter 6. Hard Bodies in Virtual Worlds: Assessing the Reception of Abby's Spectacular Body in The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog, 2020); Dean Bowman
Part 3. Intergenerational Action
Chapter 7. Dark Fathers and Damaged Sons: The Paternal Betrayal of Jason Bourne; Toby Reynolds
Chapter 8. Beyond Actions: Remodelling Heroine-hood in The Grandmaster; Jasmine Yu-Hsing Chen
Part 4. Politics and Race
Chapter 9. 'Always Bet on Black': Wesley Snipes - Action Star; Shelley O'Brien
Chapter 10. Dismal Setbacks and Stunning Breakthroughs: A Look at Pam Grier's Career and How It Changed Hollywood; Dahlia Schweitzer
Chapter 11. Playing With Type? Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Rivalry, and Race in Hobbs and Shaw; Renee Middlemost
Conclusion; Renee Middlemost and Steven Gerrard