In this term paper the construction of black masculinity and black male characters in Blaxploitation movies and Hood Movies will be compared to analyze if the two periods of filmmaking have created another view on the black masculine. To make the two genres comparable in such a limited scope I will focus on two movies, each of which can be regarded as prototypical for its genre. Considering the ‘Blaxploitation’ genre I will focus on the movie Shaft (1971) by Gordon Parks. The Hood movie I chose is John Singleton’s Boyz N The Hood (1991), which will be called Boyz in the rest of this term paper.
Anybody who has seen movies featuring black male protagonists in major roles – like Bad Boys or Django Unchained – might have noticed that often those black male characters are depicted in certain and often clichéd ways. This depiction can be described by another term which is ‘construction’. What those films actually do is a construction of a black masculinity through means of acting, filming techniques or even the choice of the actor, especially with regard to his outward appearance.
The black male character has been a very central figure in American literature and movies for a long time. Considering movies it can be argued that for roughly one century there have been constructions of African-American males in American cinema starting with the highly racist film The Birth of a Nation. Nowadays virtually everybody will know movies that feature black masculine main protagonists. Two periods which can be considered as highly influential with regard to the construction of black masculinity are the early seventies and the early nineties because they originated two important genres. These two genres will be referred to as ‘Blaxploitation’ and ‘hood movie’ throughout this text.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction.
- Introducing Black Masculinity.
- Femininity vs. Masculinity...
- Black vs. White masculinity..
- Genre Definitions...
- Blaxploitation.
- Hood movies
- Analysis
- Analysis of Shaft..
- Analysis of Boyz N The Hood........
- Comparison of Shaft and Boyz N The Hood.
- Conclusion........
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This term paper examines the construction of black masculinity in Blaxploitation films and Hood movies. It aims to compare the representation of black male characters in these two genres, exploring whether they offer different perspectives on black masculinity. To achieve this, the paper analyzes two prototypical films: Shaft (1971) and Boyz N The Hood (1991). The paper begins by providing a theoretical framework, outlining the concepts of masculinity and femininity, and exploring the complexities of defining "black masculinity" within the context of gender and racial hierarchies.
- Construction of black masculinity in film
- Comparison of Blaxploitation and Hood movies
- Analysis of prototypical films: Shaft and Boyz N The Hood
- Theoretical framework of masculinity and femininity
- Intersection of gender and race in defining black masculinity
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- The introduction sets the stage by discussing the portrayal of black male characters in films, highlighting the use of clichés and the concept of constructing black masculinity through filmmaking techniques and casting choices. It introduces the two key genres, Blaxploitation and Hood movies, and outlines the scope of the paper, focusing on the analysis of Shaft and Boyz.
- The chapter "Introducing Black Masculinity" provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the complexities of black masculinity. It begins by exploring the concepts of masculinity and femininity, emphasizing that both are social constructs. The chapter draws on Judith Butler's work on gender performativity, highlighting the binary opposition between masculinity and femininity and the dominant role of masculinity within the gender hierarchy. It further discusses the hegemonic nature of masculinity, particularly white, middle-class masculinity, and explores the concept of subordination in relation to femininity.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This term paper explores key concepts such as black masculinity, Blaxploitation films, Hood movies, gender performativity, hegemonic masculinity, and the intersection of race and gender in film representation. It analyzes two influential films, Shaft and Boyz N The Hood, to examine how these genres construct and portray black male characters.
- Quote paper
- Stephan Jaskolla (Author), 2014, The Construction of Black Masculinity in Blaxploitation and Hood Movies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/494264
