Category: Gender Studies
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Nicolas Winding Refn and the Construction of a Stable Masculinity: Part IV
Christopher Olson continues his discussion of the construction of masculinity in the films of Nicolas Winding Refn by analyzing the violent portrayal of the main characters. Does this type of portrayal glorify or condemn such violence? Stay tuned for Olson’s thoughts on just that issue. Nicolas Winding Refn and the Construction of a Stable Masculinity:…
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Nicolas Winding Refn and the Construction of a Stable Masculinity: Part III
In this third part of his analysis of how the Danish director Nicholas Winding Refn portrays masculinity in his films, Christopher Olson deconstructs the films to understand how Refn creates men that reflect this idealized notion of individualism as an important characteristic of men. Read all about how this applies to Pusher, Bronson, Valhalla Rising, and Drive in Nicolas…
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Nicolas Winding Refn and the Construction of a Stable Masculinity: Part II
Christopher Olson’s writing on the portrayal of masculinity in the films of Nicolas Winding Refn moves into a focus on one characteristics that seems to define what a “real man” is: stoicism. The strong, silent type. The man who acts instead of speaks. We see it all the time in our pop culture, and Olson…
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The Problem with Prequels: The Beginning and Dominion
It’s no secret that the Exorcist series of movies were plagued with bad luck and controversy; however, no other movie in that series was probably as plagued as the planned prequel that would explore Father Lankester Merrin’s experiences with the demon Pazuzu in Africa. According to Mark Kermode, writing for The Guardian back in 2004,…
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Nicolas Winding Refn and the Construction of a Stable Masculinity: Part I
As part of his master’s thesis, Christopher Olson is considering how Nicolas Winding Refn is creating and depicting a stable notion of masculinity in his films; specifically, in Pusher, Bronson, Valhalla Rising and Drive. In this blog post, he explores what is Refn’s notion of a mythical masculinity, and how he begins to develop and…
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The Exorcist III: A Regan-less Affair
Going in chronological order, we started our series on Feminist Tensions in Exorcism Cinema by examining what occurred in the movie that started it all, The Exorcist, and then continued with its bonkers, not-really-about-exorcism sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic. Next in this series of exorcism cinema comes the next sequel, The Exorcist III. This movie is unique in…
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Language and Masculinity in the Films of Nicolas Winding Refn
This video essay by Christopher J. Olson explores how four movies from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn depict the relationship between how much men speak and the requirements for being masculine. via Language and Masculinity in the Films of Nicolas Winding Refn.
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Masculinity under the gaze
An analysis of the David Beckham commercial that premiered this past weekend during the Super Bowl via Masculinity under the gaze.
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The Bonkers Exorcist II: The Heretic
To use the words of my partner, this movie is just bonkers. Continuing the reporting of our initial thoughts on the Feminist Tensions in Exorcism Cinema, we come to the sequel to the horror blockbuster that started it all, The Exorcist. Coming out four years after the blockbuster that supposedly scared audiences into sickness and shock, Exorcist…
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