Choice Reviews Online · 1994 · 80 citations · 0 references
HumanitiesFilm StudiesGender StudiesFilm CriticismFilm HistoryMasculinity StudiesFilm ActingFilm GenresHegemonic MasculinityMasculinity In FilmRepresentation In FilmGender In CinemaGender Representation In ProductionMasculine Agency
The study is authored by Bingham, an English professor at Indiana University. The study examines the star images of James Stewart, Jack Nicholson, and Clint Eastwood to trace the evolution of their personas and record portrayals of masculinity over their careers. The authors analyze film images and career trajectories to achieve this. Stewart evolved from a boy‑next‑door image to a darker, tormented figure in the 1950s; Nicholson’s rebel persona was co‑opted into Hollywood superstardom; Eastwood’s macho image became more complex; the study is recommended for cinema collections.
Bingham (English, Indiana Univ.) closely examines the star images of three male film icons, tracing the evolution of their personas and recording their portrayals of masculinity over the course of their careers. Stewart evolved from the boy next door to a darker, even tormented figure in the 1950s; Nicholson's rebel was co-opted into Hollywood superstardom; and Eastwood delved more deeply into the complexities of his macho image. Besides his own thought-provoking analyses, Bingham discusses (and occasionally disparages) the theories of other writers on film. This often perceptive study is recommended for cinema collections.