Representation Of Masculinities In Contemporary British Cinema (1959-2014)

The British Cinema has more than 119 years history. Its realism traditional determines its focus on characters from reality. From the 1950s till now, the British cinema has created many interesting masculinities. This thesis makes a thorough study in the British Cinema from 1959 till now, combs masculinities from different periods, and discusses the characteristics and changes of these masculinities. Meanwhile, as film is often considered as the reflection of the reality, when analyze masculinities; it cannot be separated from the related historical and social background. Therefore, this thesis takes the history as a main clue to make a thorough study in politics, economics, and culture of Britain ever since the end of the Second World War, and try to analyze their influences over the creation of masculinities on British big screens. Also, this thesis makes a comprehensive study on British film industry, policies and art development, and tries to depict the historical trace of British cinema in industrial and cultural fields. Finally, the thesis discusses how British Cinema tries to escape from the shadow of Hollywood by re-establish the "Cool Britannia" culture brand, and creating typical masculinities that are welcomed by audience all over the world. The thesis hopes to expand the view of British Cinema studies, and attract more attention and interests in this field.Cinema is the reflection of the reality, so it is impossible to isolate the characters from its historical or social background. This research place the representations of masculinities back into the historical and social context, explores the politics, economics and culture of Britain, and analyses how the male characters in films change with the economics, culture, ideologies. Chapter one focuses on the "Long 1960s", the postwar prosperity changes the center of working class young men from working places to consuming places, and the heat of the "Swinging London" creates male characters who not only enjoyed the openness but also worried about their dominance, while the counter-culture movements influenced on the masculinities in films in terms of the out-of-focus resistance. Chapter two looks at the period when the Thatcher Government caused huge changes in Britain, which are revealed in films by some anxious male characters. Chapter three discusses about the complication and dynamics of the "Cool Britannia" period, in which the various masculinities in films represented Britain’s exploring in national identity and cultural identity.