A Study Of Masculinity In Hong Kong Action Films

Film is one of the main forms of contemporary mass culture,which has an important impact on cultural concept and identity.Hong Kong film is an important part of Hong Kong culture,and action film is the most representative type of film.The study of masculinity is one of the hot spots in the field of gender research.Masculinity is dynamic and diverse,deeply influenced by social class,race and culture.In the face of social changes,movies can not remain unchanged.Hong Kong action movies also respond to social changes.This paper selects the representative works of different periods in the development of Hong Kong action films as the research object,places the research object in the specific social,historical and cultural context,uses masculinity as the theoretical perspective,and uses the methods of literature and text analysis to carry out the research and analysis from the point to the face,aiming to explore the performance of Hong Kong action films in the process of localization The characteristics of masculinity and its construction process and representation,as well as the social motivation behind the representation.It is found that in the time since the rise of Hong Kong action movies,the masculinity constructed in Hong Kong action movies has shown the characteristics corresponding to the social culture of the times: in the early 1970 s,Bruce Lee led the first action movie development boom,in which he constructed the image of tough man against foreigners,breaking the status of subordinate masculinity;entering In the late 1970 s and early 1980 s,due to the social transformation and the formation of local consciousness,action movies created the humorous comic image represented by Jackie Chan and partially dispelled the image of the pure tough guy.In the early stage of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland,the complex mentality of Hong Kong Society was reflected in the creation of action movies,and the action stars represented by Jet Li were more flexible,elegant and sexually active In the new era of the 21 st century,with the return of Hong Kong,action movies ushered in new development opportunities and directions.The male image of "Confucian generals" represented by IP Man by Donnie Yen is more in line with the ideal masculinity under the background of the interweaving of traditional culture and modern culture.Through the emphasis on family relations,IP Man’s image is more three-dimensional.At the same time,the study also found that the masculinity of Hong Kong action films is still insufficient,and a more diversified gender culture should be constructed in the future.