Gender Representations in the Thriller Genre - Males

Due to the ability to divert from true to life characters and plots lines, one would expect film to be a great medium to produce and portray diverse gender identities, however quite the opposite occurs and generally gender ideologies of the present time are conveyed in film. 'Masculinity' is a perception of men that is made up of more rigid stereotypes than femininity. Representations of men across all media tend to focus on the following:

Harrison Ford-Blade Runner

-Physical Strength

-Mental Stability

-Power

-Sexual Attractiveness

-Physique

-Independence

Leonardo DiCaprio-Shutter Island

Idris Elba-Obssessed

Male characters are typically represented as independent, not needing to rely on others and being a "lone hero". If they capitulate to being part of a family, this is usually part of the resolution of the narrative as opposed to being an integral part of the initial equilibrium. The male protagonist is usually white, and in his mid thirties, although as the years have gone by, this age has lowered and in modern thrillers the age range is quite varied. There also has been a rise in the afro-caribbean protagonist. They are usually an exaggeration of your average everyday man, with a weakness or "Achilles Heel".

Morgan Freeman-Se7en

Denzel Washington-Training Day

Tom Cruise-Collateral

The male antagonist is also common in film today, much as it always has been. They are also powerful and isolated and independent, however they usually appear to have a more peculiar weakness, which is their downfall. Despite being an isolated persona, they may have a group or gang, the antagonist almost always having henchmen to do his dirty work. These are more burly men with larger physical strength although the main lead villain is always able to fight themselves in the end.

Sean Connery-Thunderball

It is interesting to see how the male physique is becoming a more important factor in representing masculinity. Outward appearance is a higher priority and new and upcoming actors are praised on their defined muscles and clean shaven appearance, whereas maybe forty years ago men where seen as more masculine sporting a more care free, natural and rugged look

Matt Damon-Bourne Identity