Why our heroes are becoming darker by the day (metaphorically)

“Why so..... serious?” - Joker.


Movies reflect extensively how the society, or public at large is. The most fascinating and evident aspect of this, is the fantasy genre, which speaks about an unreal world, yet reflects vastly what the real world is like. It depicts what the people would like the world to be, what pleases them, fascinates them, and in a way, also shows the limit of its audience’s imagination. More than anything, it is exciting - for anything can happen! It is simply beyond a regular life, magic seen through the reel. 

One of the prominent film genres under the fantasy category, is superhero movies. Since the 1980s, where they first flourished, superhero movies are bigger than ever today - and also, extremely unusual. The kinds of characters are diverse and new, and the same old set of characters - though still present - are not people’s ‘favorites’ anymore (Sorry Superman). They are unusual not just because of a varied character range, but also in the way the characters are portrayed. They are made to appear real, and ‘normal’. Superhero movies have made the bold move of bridging fantasy, with reality. 

We know the movies today show characters fighting, not just with tons of extraterrestrial enemies, but with their inner demons at the same time. They think a lot, struggle a lot, fail ALOT, and embrace their vulnerability. They are dark, sometimes notorious, and in some cases, they even turn evil. This is most definitely not how superhero movies used to be - they were pure entertainment. It was just a story of inhuman beings saving the day, with perfect love stories, and ‘chilled out’ personalities. The superheroes of today: they’re strong, effective, experienced, majestic - and messed up.


My essay would fundamentally create this contrast between superhero movies in the last few years and back in the golden era. They reflect thep kind of change in society, which seeks less entertainment and more realism. I would deeply analyze why people of today need something different from their superheroes; what works/ what doesn’t.

Comments

  1. Liam KennyOctober 19, 2017 at 6:57 AM

    I think this topic is really interesting, but you will definitely need some concrete examples to defend your claim. Also, make sure to address the outliers, because not all heroes will fit this ever changing mold you have identified.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 19, 2017 at 6:58 AM

    This is a really interesting topic. I think there will definitely be a sufficient amount of evidence to support your thesis. I would maybe solidify what years specifically you are going to focus on to give a better timeline. Also, what do you think the causes are that brought about this change?

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownOctober 19, 2017 at 7:01 AM

    This is a very unique topic nothing I would have thought of. You could try to incorporate the reason behind these changes from a societal viewpoint, like including the increasing awareness of mental illness currently. And specific examples of these superheroes that are more malicious will allow the reader to easier follow along.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Leah JoslynOctober 19, 2017 at 7:02 AM

    As an avid fan of superhero movies, I loved this topic! Just a few suggestions. The first is, use examples of superheroes then and now. The next, in your thesis, define more specifically what the "golden era" is.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Morgan MalinichOctober 19, 2017 at 7:03 AM

    I really like you topic! I was actually just watching clips from the X-Men movies on YouTube the other day! I noticed that you don't have the specific dates of what your comparing, and feel once you find those dates you will be able to focus more! I also like how you explain at the end what you plan to write about! I couldn't exactly pinpoint your thesis, but I get the gist that it's your sentence, "[t]hey reflect the kind of change in society, which seeks less entertainment and more realism." I wish you the best of luck in your research!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jacob GlenisterOctober 19, 2017 at 7:11 AM

    This is an excellent choice for a topic. Perhaps the best comparisons for the topic would be contrasting the same superhero(es) across the time period that you have selected. In addition, it might be advisable to cover different comic book eras in addition to the Golden Age and modern comics to show the progression of realism in comics and other works about superheroes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Robin KramerOctober 20, 2017 at 1:16 PM

    Shwetanc, I think your classmates have given you valid feedback. I'll be interested to learn what you're setting forth as a thesis, as you didn't directly specify that in this post.

    ReplyDelete

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