The figure of the hero in cinematographic and urban spaces: Fear and politics in Ciudad Juarez

Abstract

Using the example of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, this paper explores the evolution of the articulation between fear, urbanity, and political action since the 1980s. Analytically organised around three periods representing different political moods, and using the metaphor of the hero, the article argues the possibilities and modalities of political action evolving from anti-heroism to post-heroism, with a brief heroic interlude at the turn of the millennium. Each of these political moods privileges specific conceptions of subjectivity and fear, which are explored through an analysis of the construction of the hero as seen in three different Batman movies. The paper also discusses the implications of post-heroism in our conception of political action, hope and social change under conditions of ubiquitous urbanity. Questions are raised more specifically in the context of extreme violence related to drug trafficking in Ciudad Juarez. The paper ends with a reflection on the need for developing a different epistemology to begin to understand the complexity of the situation.