I’ll be back? The Deconstruction of the 1980s and the 1990s Hard Body Movies

Moshe Machlev

doi:10.5195/cinej.2021.369

Abstract

The following essay discusses the cultural factors that inspired the “hard body” movies of the 1980’s and 1990’s, but it also describes the changes that occurred, later on, that contributed to the deconstruction of those movies. The hard body movies were characterized by having a reoccurring set of actors (Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Van Damme) and themes (facing adversaries in a forceful manner), and some of the factors that influenced this portrayal were the Reagan Revolution and a revaluation of the Vietnam war. However, a change in political ideology, and a reassessment of America’s place in the world, inspired the deconstruction of those movies, and newer movies brought with them a new message, of what could be considered a soft body.

Highlights

The actors who portrayed action heroes in the movies of the 1980s and the 1990s have a special place in our cultural consciousness
Why is that? Why is there a shift from the aspects that characterized those hard bodies in the 1980s and 1990s to the way in which they are characterized in more recent movies? This paper would illustrate that changes in the cultural, political, and social contexts that created those types of characters in the first place, created this deconstruction
This essay sought to examine the reasons for the deconstruction of the 1980s and 1990s hard body movies such as Bloodsport, Total Recall, and Rocky IV, by using more recent movies such as: The Last Action Hero, JCVD, and Creed

Summary

Introduction

The actors who portrayed action heroes in the movies of the 1980s and the 1990s have a special place in our cultural consciousness. The hard bodies exhibited power and dominance through the manner in which they looked (masculine), the actions that they performed (fighting), the pain that they were able to overcome (attack by other characters in those movies or physical tests that they put upon themselves) and the end result (triumph against their enemies). They have a consistent structure that manifests itself in the types of weapons the hero uses and the independence of their actions. In the third scene, the hard body is able to defeat his enemies while using a soft body as collateral damage

Rocky IV

Reasons for the Deconstruction

Conclusion