Violence and Femininity in Contemporary Cinema
Author: Bernava, Cristian C, carla.bernava@usp.br
Department: Sociology
University: University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Supervisor: Paulo Roberto Arruda de Menezes
Year of completion: 2010
Language of dissertation: Portuguese
Keywords:
violence
, femininity
, contemporary cinema
, abject-subject
Areas of Research:
Arts
, Visual Sociology
, Women in Society
Abstract
This research investigates the connection between femininity and violence in contemporary cinema. Given the changes in how female violence has been portrayed in recent years, the first part of the dissertation explores the particularity of female violence cinematographic imagery and the emergence of a new kind of character, the warrior. It does so through the analysis of Ms. 45 and The Brave One. The second part of the dissertation analyzes the movies that featured three distincts icons of the period - Nikita, Lara Croft, and Beatrix Kiddo - and explores the transformations and contradictions relative to the stereotypical female violence aspects presented in these three different warriors.
