Abstract

This research aims to examine the figure of the american hero in cinema, understood as a heroic figure and not just a main character. By waving aside the idea of a Golden Age for the hero (which could be embodied by classic Hollywood characters) followed by a decadent era (the new Hollywood), we wish to focus - beyond the heroes themselves - on their heroism, especially in a genre considered as the ideal context for harvesting new Herculeses: the action film. Heroism is revealed as being critical, meaning in crisis - in other words, heroes live their heroism on a conflictual mode, which results in images showing impossible corporeities, where the body is pushed to borderline states. We have thus treated this concept of heroism by searching for its opposites; in this framework, the stereotypical figure of the nerd, dominant in the American culture, imposed itself. The nerd presents a counter-heroism that is not only a reversed model, but also a necessary term in the heroic equation. The super-heroes that we see nowadays on movie screens seem to present a sublime image of heroism in the cinema, but thanks to the interplay of their dual identity, they also reaffirm the inner fragility of heroism, which can only emerge when it accepts its contrary.

Keywords : hero, american, nerd, body, action film, western