Weekly Reading Response 2/22/10

Willis told the story of when Raoul Walsh found John Wayne: he explains that Wayne had an “'I own the world' way of walking.” That was exactly what Walsh wanted for his Western film. "That sonuvabitch looked like a man." Though Wayne was well aware of the way that he walked, talked and posed (like Michelangelo’s David), it was his natural movements, gestures and easy control of his large body that Willis seemed to think conveys the “man’s man” image. In his films, his authority transcends that of any other character in the film. For example, in Stagecoach, he is seen – as an individual – fighting against an entire group of Native American’s who seemed to have lots of power (until he got involved... and took care of them). With his lack of vulnerability, he fights off the entire group allowing the coach to continue its trip. However, the reading does also explain that “Wayne was not born Wayne. He had to be invented.” Wayne was well aware of that.

The other reading, “The Spy in the Gray Flannel Suit” from Masked Men explains that Cary Grant’s masculine image, especially in North By Northwest, was equally as developed (including his clothes and roles played in films to help further define his masculinity.) If masculinity is defined by the roles that one plays in a film, then can masculinity be strategically developed? (One of the texts explained that the producers of the Dirty Harry films planted homosexuals for Harry to mock, therefore dissociating himself from them in fear of him coming across less masculine.)

Or was it that John Wayne and Cary Grant knew how their personae were being fabricated – and therefore agreed to live their lives and play their roles accordingly? Can Bruce Willis in Die Hard be compared to the fabricated masculine personae? Since John Wayne refused to play “less masculine roles”, it is hard to determine what he would be like in them. Bruce Willis, on the other hand, has played emotional father figures as well as authoritative (police/detective) figures. Is his masculinity at risk because of the wide spectrum of roles that he plays? What makes him less masculine than John Wayne? It may be interesting to point out that Bruce Willis did not make the “Favorite Star” list at the beginning of “The Most Dangerous Man” reading. Could that have to do with anything... possibly being less masculine than the others on the list?