From the new man to the metrosexual, British society from the 1990s to the 2000s was pre-occupied with questions about masculinity, and more specifically with the idea that it was somehow 'in crisis.' The first book-length study of British cinematic representations of masculinity in this period, this fascinating study offers a feminist analysis of key tropes in this era, including the New Lad, fatherhood and masculine violence. Positioning these representations within the specific context of British manifestations of postfeminism and neoliberalism, the book explores the shifting representations of masculinity in popular British cinema and offers a detailed analysis of important recent developments in gender culture. With case studies of films like Brassed Off (1996), The Full Monty (1997), Trainspotting (1996) and About a Boy (2002), this book is a fascinating insight into an understudied period of British cinema and culture.
Sarah Godfrey is Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at the University of East Anglia. Her publications include work on gender, race and class in British and American film and television.
List of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsIntroduction: Masculinity in British Cinema 1990-20101: Changing Britain, Changing Men From ‘New’ Man to the New Millennium2: Representations of Class, Crisis and White Masculinity in Postfeminist, Neoliberal Britain3: From Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to The Football Factory: Lad culture and its legacy4: Social Exclusion, Poverty Culture and Marginalised Masculinities Narratives of Youth and Race5: Framing Fatherhood Class, Race and discourses of dysfunction and redemption6: Violence and victimhood: Representations of Excessive MasculinitiesConclusion: Reflections on Representations of Masculinity in British Cinema 1990-2010BibliographyList of FilmsList of Television Programmes
A significant contribution to an understanding of the variety of masculine representations in British films during a period of social, cultural and industrial turbulence. It also contributes to the literature on masculinity and should become required reading for students and scholars investigating the politics of gender and its intersection with ethnicity, class and national identity.
