Supplemental Post #3: Angelina Jolie in Action Films

Our discussion last week centered on the portrayal of masculinity in action films- how they mostly feature male protagonists, how they are often hyper-masculine in their physical build, how female action films are rarely that successful. However, there are a few exceptions to this general rule. Angelina Jolie is one of the more obvious examples - though she has starred in a variety of film genres, the ones that are successful - the ones that have molded her star image - are action films. She is one of the rare female action stars.

However, we must ask the perception of female stars. Just as the bodies of action stars such as Schwarzenegger and Stalone become sites of discourse of masculinity (EG: masculinity in crisis, using the male body as a focus of the "gaze"), the bodies of such a female action star is also a central in analyzing the perception of women in today's culture. Specifically, is Angelina Jolie only continuing the male fetish of seeing skimpily dressed girls with guns, or is the focus on physical prowess in these films a truly feminist statement?

The answer undeniably lies somewhere in the grey area between these two extremes. Jolie's star persona is also extremely distinct in terms of the kind of action flicks she chooses - they are usually intense and straightforward. Her ferocity is real: there is no cutesy, feminine aspect to her characters (as opposed to the kitschy female action movies like Charlie's Angels). Moreover, though she has tried to branch out into different film genres - most notably, as the passionate mother role in The Changeling - it is evident that she is most successful in roles where she is the action hero.

So, exactly what does her star persona represent in today's culture? What does her type-casting reveal about concepts of femininity? How many different ways can you read her star image?