Critical and Semiotic Analysis of the Shift in Women’s Erotic and Romantic Roles in Action Movies and Movie Posters across Three Eras of Hollywood

Abstract

Adopting CDA and social semiotic analytical frameworks, the research investigated 30 action movies and accompanying posters from 1930 to 2012, with the following objectives: (1) to examine verbal and non-verbal elements in women’s representation, and (2) to trace significant changes in the romantic and erotic roles of female characters across three eras of Hollywood. Lovers showed their emotions in the most appealing and polite manner during the classical era, but they were more multifaceted during the last two eras. The new Hollywood era turned a blind eye to skin color by including indigenous lovers in the starring roles in movies and portraying them in movie posters. The post-classical movies contained the highest number of erotic roles. Women were shown in the most demeaning forms with nudity or seductive poses in the post-classical movie posters. Women used the most impolite speech in the post-classical movies. They were also addressed as sex objects by male leads in this era.