Problematical Gender Identity in Romper Stomper - Essay Example

 Problematizing Identity Essay Introduction Gender identity is a difficult and controversial topic, and the attitude to it has been changing throughout centuries. Primarily being a matter of personal self-perception in reality gender comprises a number of categories which allow the society treating a human being as male of female. However, the development of civilization influences even this category of gender identity. In the XXI century when society does not expect much from men and women this identity passes through obvious transformation. The film “Romper Stomper” is a perfect example of a media text which portrays gender identity in a rather disputable and problematic way because the heroes of the film hold archaic opinions on what being a male or female means. It seems that the main character of the movie, Hando, has absorbed all the exaggerated negative characteristics of manhood at once. Hando attracts most attention with the help of “mixture of menace and animal magnetism” (Holden, 1993). His masculinity is overwhelming, charismatic, and absolutely distorted. Moreover, all the characters of “Romper Stomper” look like saturated versions of themselves: emotionally unstable girl with serious mental disorders, her perverted father living in luxury, obedient skinhead that stays with his grandmother when he decides to quit his criminal life. This combination of exaggerated negative masculine and feminine traits creates certain dissonance of perception: characters are portrayed as either men or women while their general human qualities are neglected. Thus, problematic gender identity of the characters prevents them from being humans as it imposes too many obligations and requirements. Main Body It is impossible to deny that images created by media texts have a serious impact on society. Whether watching TV, looking through magazines or not people still shape their understanding of how a real man or a real woman should look like from media. In this regard the image of masculinity and femininity can also be attributed to media construction (Gautlett, 2008). Moreover, according to the queer theory formulated by Foucault in the 1990s sex and gender are rather socially constructed than inherited or predetermined biologically (Queer Theory, 2010). That is why the creation of masculine or feminine identity is determined by a number of factors such as social pressures, traditions, conforming, linguistic and symbolic codes and so on. So according to the theorists of queer theory, sex is stipulated socially, and even on biological level there is a possibility of mixed sex (Foucault, 1978). It is possible to observe the situation of masculinity being socially constructed in “Romper Stomper” when city outcasts and yesterday children without education and decent care try to create their gender identities by applying the most common and the harshest characteristics of femininity and masculinity. That is why the men portrayed in the film act extremely aggressively in order to fit into the category of real manhood. The heroes of “Romper Stomper” represent that class of men for whom the desire of immediate power and violence is valued most of all. In most cases they are not motivated by racism or they do not seek for some financial benefits as it is clear from the scene with the producer`s robbery. Their violence towards rich and Asians is just the ground to behave aggressively. They aim to feel omnipotent, fierce, because it is associated with being masculine. Hando is also abnormally seductive and charismatic, which is also perceived as a hallmark of manhood (Smelik, 2001). Hando demonstrates his body often, in one of the episodes he walks in underwear only, and the whole gang knows that he is the real leader as he is physically strong and sexually attractive. It does not take him much time to have the woman he wants, so his masculine charisma seems abnormal. The director dedicates much time to examining difficult psychological and sexual relationships between Hando and Davey, who is attracted to his friend. This exaggerated masculinity and domineering is evident in the moment when Hando mentions to Davey that he was planning to give him Gabrielle. Therefore, in the world of “real men” women are the things that they owe and pass whenever they do not want to use them anymore. However, this attitude to women is completely outdated and irrelevant to modern norms of society. The masculinity of the main hero Hando is balanced by hidden feminine qualities of his friend who seems to feel reluctant to violence and does not show up his temper often (Scharf et al., 1993). It is noteworthy that the main hero of the movie ends his days tragically-being killed by his best friend for a woman. Nevertheless, such solution of a love triangle is obvious because death is the only possible exodus for a man with this type of masculinity. According to Pinto & Boucher, the death of the principal character releases auditory from the troubling manhood he represents. It is typical for Australian movie heroes to die before fulfilling some potential for masculinity. The author states that death is the only possible way out for those men whose “masculinity is unraveling” (2006). Feminine gender identity is also depicted in a strange ad disputable way. According to Johnston, who analyzed the “myth” of a woman in cinema, in most cases this sign is represented as totally dependent on a man. The author underlines that movie tradition portrays a woman as “not man” which means that she has relation to herself and no position in society. Johnson claims that it is impossible to find an example of “a woman as a woman” in the cinema (Johnston, 1991). Women in “Romper Stomper” are represented according to the worst stereotypes: promiscuous, hysterical, and unpredictable. Doanne underlines that it is typical for the cinema to depict women involved into the following psychological processes: masochism, paranoia, mania, and hysteria (1987). “Romper Stomper” reinforces this perception of a woman and only makes the stereotype of femininity and false ad problematic gender identification even more problematic. Gabrielle, the main female personage, is shown as thoughtless, sometimes superficial, and inadequate personality. She passes from a man to a man, and it does not take her long time to find another male who would determine her life and behavior. Her self-perception is influenced by the behaviour of men. When Gabrielle she is with authoritative and sexually charged Hondo, Gabrielle behaves seductively and over-free. While her interaction with Davey makes more childish, romantic, and tranquil. Her relationships with men are totally influenced by her relationships with her father. Even Gabrielle`s father abuses her trust by forcing her to sexual connection that affects the girl. It seems that the director of the film aimed to say that regardless of the status, wealth, and moral principles, masculinity is totally deviant (Tasker, 1993). This is another problematic representation of masculinity- patriarchal, domineering, and aggressive attitude to women. Men treat women only as sexual objects and women allow them doing it unfortunately. The society was picturing real man throughout centuries in such a way and that is how the most powerful men look like. This image of a man is typical for poorly developed society with low medieval culture. Throughout the history men were forming their identity with the help of rituals most of which involved murders. That is why military bravado, aggression, and violence were worshiped during war times (Johnston, 1991). Ironically, where there is no war men tend to create it themselves. In Australia of the XXth century there is kind of war- between white marginalized Australians and Asians who came to the country in search of better life. Here it is possible another interesting opposition: citizens of Australia living on allowance and immigrants working hard to earn some money. However, the hero`s excessive masculinity prevents him from seeing life as it is: he is obsessed with restoring word order with some animalistic desire to establish his power. Such militant character was not typical to Australian identity that is why the director of the film made the main hero an outcast and a marginal to somehow preserve the image of the national hero. Stephen Holden notes that gang activity, crime, and street violence are common for America as well, however, since this is Australia “the violence is done with fist, boot, baseball bat and tire chain; not with firearms. But the absence of high-efficiency technological splatter doesn't make it any less bloody or intense” (1993).Thus, Australian aggression is close to animal, natural aggression and the methods applied remind wild nature laws of survival. This only proves distorted and problematic gender identification- with the help of animalistic rituals of killing and marking the territory. However, the author of the book “Media, Gender, and Identity: an Introduction” speaks about obvious degradation of Australian male culture provoked by changes in working and family conditions of the society. As a result “Australian mates and good blocks have been replaced by nervous wrecks, metrosexual knobs, and toss-bags “(Gauntlett, 2008). Clare explains that male used to know the place in social structure as provider for the family and guards, while with sexes equality establishment this roles have become redundant and men need to. So deviation of masculine identity was evident in society and only later was reflected in visual art and this attempt to reverse a new image creates rather negative impression. Conclusion “Romper Stomper” represents a problematic gender identity of the main hero who develops himself through harsh and exaggerated masculine characteristics. The character portrayed by Russell Crowe can be described as a “real man” in the worst understanding of this phrase: aggression, violence, and powerful animalistic nature. His relationships with men are built on fear while his relationships with women are based on domineering. The perception of women is also distorted in this film: masochism, hysteria, promiscuity become the defining features of feminine gender identity. The hero`s Australian origin also gives the main character negative drive: he seeks to shape his masculinity by killing and torturing immigrants, the least secure part of the society. So Hando`s manhood is established in the most archaic way: by eliminating imaginable enemies that is why the film cannot be perceived as a reliable media text. References Foucault, M. (1978).The History of Sexuality Vol. I: An Introduction, Harmondsworth: Penguin Gauntlett, D. (2008) Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction, (Second Edition) London and New York: Routledge. Holden, S. (1993). Review/Film; Of Skinheads High on Hate and Violence, The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/09/movies/review-film-of-skinheads-high-on-hate-and-violence.html?scp=2&sq=romper%20stomper&st=cse on 30 October 2014 Johnston, C. (1991). Women`s cinema as counter cinema, Notes on Women`s Cinema. Feminist Film Theory. New York: A Reader Queer Theory (2010).ChangingMinds. Retrieved from: http://changingminds.org/explanations/identity/queer_theory.htm Scharf, D., Pringle, I., Wright, G., & Murphy, N. (1993). Romper Stomper, Cinéaste, 20( 2). Smelik, A. (2001). And the mirror cracked: feminist cinema and film theory. London:  Palgrave Macmillan Tasker, J. (1993). Gender, Genre and the Action Cinema. New York: Routledge Read More