Vengeance Is Mine: Gender and Vigilante Justice in Mainstream Cinema

Abstract

Vigilante justice has a long history in film. From Dirty Harry to Death Wish to Death Sentence, Hollywood frequently depicts male protagonists committing violent acts as a way to exact revenge or extrajudicial punishment. These male characters are frequently depicted as heroes and their actions are portrayed as understandable and justifiable. They go after violent criminals and are doing what the legal system can’t or won’t. The audience is meant to identify with the male protagonist and cheer them on as they take matters into their own hands. Female protagonists, on the other hand, are not often featured in mainstream films that focus on vigilante justice. Two of the more recent examples are 1996’s Eye for an Eye, starring Sally Field, and 2007’s The Brave One, starring Jodie Foster. Each film depicts a woman seeking justice outside of the law after a loved one is brutally murdered. They defy law enforcement and resort to vigilantism after concluding it’s the only way to attain justice. What role does gender play in the way these films showcase the protagonists seeking vengeance? How do they compare with similar films that feature male protagonists? Is the audience meant to identify with and cheer for them? What kinds of ideological messages are present? I’m interested in attempting to answer those questions while exploring how gender influences the way mainstream films depict vigilante justice and the messages Hollywood is sending audiences through these films.