Abstract
This article applies recent work on haptic imagery in the cinema, especially Barker’s The Tactile Eye , to a quite different archive: “peplum” films, low-budget and frequently lowbrow movies set in classical antiquity with muscle-bound stars generally drawn from the world of bodybuilding, athletics, professional wrestling, and fitness. The peplum genre flourished at midcentury, and flourishes again today ( 300, The Legend of Hercules, Pompeii ); its generous use of haptic imagery, however, is often deployed to cement conservative ideologies, particularly the idea that the time of true masculinity is always over, particularly in the peplum’s ancient world.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
