Action Films

Nowadays, American cinema is action-oriented. Of the ten most popular films of 2022 so far, nine are action movies (IMDB.com). Yet, action is not a genre; rather it cuts across the various genres. Action films can be science fiction, fantasy, horror, and even a police procedural piece. So what makes an action film, action? Do we need explosions? Car chases? Hand-to-hand martial arts combat? This course explores the history of American action films, examines how the concept of “action” has changed over the decades, but also focuses on what these movies reveal and articulate about the discourses of race, gender, sexuality, aging, disability, and nationhood, among other things. Weekly we will watch one film together and spend the next class discussing our observations and critical analyses.