...Nicholas Vonderheyde Masculine Identity in Science Fiction Film: From Reagan to Bush From the 1970s to the early 1990s, there were many anxieties regarding shifting gender definitions and roles in American society. Ronald Reagan’s attempt to “re-masculinize” the country was during a time when communism and terrorism posed real threats to our nation. After these problems were resolved diplomatically rather than through physical action in the early 1990s, the definition and representation of masculinity began to shift. This was directly reflected in the media in “critical dystopias”, or films that envision an apocalyptic future. Essentially, these Science Fiction productions are artistic critiques of contemporary issues in society. Terminator 2 (James Cameron, 1991) and Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993) are both critical dystopias from the early 1990s that exemplify the social commentary of such films. The protagonists of both films completely redefine the white, heterosexual male super-body version of masculinity that was popular in the 1980s. By examining the narratives, the characterization, and the cinematography of each critical dystopia, one can see a clear cultural shift in the definitions of masculinity and a growing critique of contemporary masculinity within these films of the early 1990s. Following the Vietnam War, the nation experienced a period of feminization. This can best be depicted in the creation of the “New Man” in men’s magazines; the “New Man” is...
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