The American Ideals of Masculinity in the Science- Fiction film Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
There are many protagonists within science- fiction films that demonstrate American ideals on masculinity. In almost every film, in one way or another, there is a bad guy and a hero that comes in and ends up saving the girl, the day, and/ or the city. Out of our three thesis questions, I feel this is our best one and hits just about any movie genre. I believe a great example of a protagonist within a science- fiction film that demonstrates American ideals on masculinity is the film Cowboys & Aliens starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford.
Daniel Craig plays Jake Lonergan as a gun happy fugitive that ends up saving Earth. What the viewer ends up learning is that Craig was abducted by aliens and somehow broke free and in the process of breaking out, he steals one of the aliens’ weapons that end up helping mankind defend themselves from the intruders. Longergan is what us moviegoers love to see in the typical male lead actor, a guy who was in the dumps and then turns his life around to become the guy who ends up saving the day, demonstrating American ideals of masculinity.
I believe American ideals of masculinity all started with Harrison Ford who plays Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde in Cowboys & Aliens. He continues his excellence and what I believe to be the perfect example of the American ideal of what masculinity is by playing a cowboy in the Wild West. He plays the same form of hero as he portrayed in Star Wars; however, this time he is a gun slinging cattleman that won’t stop at anything to save his son. Any dad that lost touch with his son would go mad and do anything to get him back in his life just as Harrison Ford proceeds to do in the film Cowboys & Aliens, demonstrating the American ideal of masculinity, stopping for nothing to get what you want.
With that being said, Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford exhibit the American ideals of masculinity in Cowboys & Aliens. Craig plays the guy with the terrible past who ends up turning his life around by saving the world and Ford continues being great by portraying the American ideal of masculinity by not stopping for anything until he gets what he wants.
[Cowboys & Aliens Cast] Wikipedia, "Cowboys & Aliens." Last modified December 08, 2011. Accessed November 4, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys_&_Aliens
Daniel Craig plays Jake Lonergan as a gun happy fugitive that ends up saving Earth. What the viewer ends up learning is that Craig was abducted by aliens and somehow broke free and in the process of breaking out, he steals one of the aliens’ weapons that end up helping mankind defend themselves from the intruders. Longergan is what us moviegoers love to see in the typical male lead actor, a guy who was in the dumps and then turns his life around to become the guy who ends up saving the day, demonstrating American ideals of masculinity.
I believe American ideals of masculinity all started with Harrison Ford who plays Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde in Cowboys & Aliens. He continues his excellence and what I believe to be the perfect example of the American ideal of what masculinity is by playing a cowboy in the Wild West. He plays the same form of hero as he portrayed in Star Wars; however, this time he is a gun slinging cattleman that won’t stop at anything to save his son. Any dad that lost touch with his son would go mad and do anything to get him back in his life just as Harrison Ford proceeds to do in the film Cowboys & Aliens, demonstrating the American ideal of masculinity, stopping for nothing to get what you want.
With that being said, Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford exhibit the American ideals of masculinity in Cowboys & Aliens. Craig plays the guy with the terrible past who ends up turning his life around by saving the world and Ford continues being great by portraying the American ideal of masculinity by not stopping for anything until he gets what he wants.
[Cowboys & Aliens Cast] Wikipedia, "Cowboys & Aliens." Last modified December 08, 2011. Accessed November 4, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys_&_Aliens
The Potential Fears of American Society
These two photos from the 2011 science- fiction film Cowboys & Aliens, depict the potential fears that American society has in a couple of different ways. One of the biggest fears the American society has is being attacked by an extraterrestrial race and if we would be technologically advanced enough to protect ourselves. You see Daniel Craig as Jake Lonergan in the first photo that just saved the town by using one of the alien’s weapons that you see on his left wrist. This was only because he was able to escape their headquarters earlier on in the alien invasion. In the second photo, you can see how defenseless the cowboys are by riding horses and not having anything innovative enough to protect and fight back against the flying aliens.
1. [Cowboys & Aliens photo 1] Fleming, Ryan. "Cowboys & Aliens Trailer Shoots History in the Face in this New Trailer." Last modified April 15, 2011. Accessed November 04, 2013. http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/cowboys-aliens-trailer-shoots-history-in-the-face-in-this-new-trailer/.
2. [Cowboys & Aliens photo 2] Staff, . Below The Line News, "HALON Entertainment Handles Previs for Cowboys & Aliens." Last modified July 25, 2011. Accessed November 04, 2013. http://www.btlnews.com/crafts/post-production/halon-entertainment-handles-previs-for-cowboys-aliens/.
3. PixelPinch, "Cowboys & Aliens – Wallpaper Collection." Last modified July 31, 2011. Accessed December 16, 2013. http://pixelpinch.com/2011/07/cowboys-aliens-wallpaper-collection/.
- Joshua Frye
1. [Cowboys & Aliens photo 1] Fleming, Ryan. "Cowboys & Aliens Trailer Shoots History in the Face in this New Trailer." Last modified April 15, 2011. Accessed November 04, 2013. http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/cowboys-aliens-trailer-shoots-history-in-the-face-in-this-new-trailer/.
2. [Cowboys & Aliens photo 2] Staff, . Below The Line News, "HALON Entertainment Handles Previs for Cowboys & Aliens." Last modified July 25, 2011. Accessed November 04, 2013. http://www.btlnews.com/crafts/post-production/halon-entertainment-handles-previs-for-cowboys-aliens/.
3. PixelPinch, "Cowboys & Aliens – Wallpaper Collection." Last modified July 31, 2011. Accessed December 16, 2013. http://pixelpinch.com/2011/07/cowboys-aliens-wallpaper-collection/.
- Joshua Frye