New heroes on screen: prototypes of masculinity in contemporary science fiction cinema

This book analyses the representation of new models of masculinity in US recent science fiction cinema. By examining the figure of the “new hero”, a male protagonist with visible unconventional features, it explores new ways of gender representation on screen. Lynch’s Dune (1984) and the Wachowsky brothers’ The Matrix (1999) share many traits concerning gender representation and offer the type of the androgynous hero who stands for innovative prototypes of masculinity. As a result of these films’ analysis, the book uncovers the tangible controversy in current US society about gender tolerance.