Action and

Adventure!

To explore the range of archetypes of

the hero character.
To understand the theories about
representations of the villain.

Name the hero

Name the Hero

Starter
Make a list of heroes from action
adventure films that you have seen.
What conventions are used: gender /
costume / physical appearance / props /
skills / qualities.

Starter:
According to our Russian friend Propp, there are also a list of stock characters:
The hero- who departs on a search (seeker-hero), reacts to the donor and weds at end
The villain- who struggles with the hero
The donor- who prepares and/or provides hero with magical agent
The helper- who assists, rescues, solves and/or transfigures the hero
The princess- a sought-for person (and/or her father), who exists as a goal and often recognizes
and marries hero and/or punishes villain
The dispatcher- who sends the hero off
The false hero- who claims to be the hero, often seeking and reacting like a real hero

Think of a list of about 5-6 heroes.

(Try and go for a range)

There isnt just one type of

hero

The Swordsman
The Commando
The Cop
The Epic Leader
The Superhero
The Explorer
The Woman

Which archetype
do you think your
heroes fit in to?

The Swordsman:
Profile: With a cutlass at his side and a faithful stead between his legs this is the Action
Hero from legend and fairy tale. Probably set in the past, somewhere in the east, or the
east in the past.
Motivation: There's a nasty evil overlord who's enslaving the people. The traditional hero
will cut him up and probably fight some monsters/big men along the way.
Mark of Masculinity: His stead and his cutlass.
Skills: Swordfighting, horse riding and romance.
Tools: Again, the sword and the horse. Possibly a mask. Perhaps a bow and arrow.
Examples: Zorro, Robin Hood, Aladdin, Conan, Prince of Persia.

From a by-gone age this hero comes from a time far more romantic than ours where heroes fought with sword instead of guns. Full of beautiful princesses,
kings, sultans, sorcery and mystery, the classic hero fights with honour and

The Commando:

Profile: Usually incredibly muscular and savage they carry equally big man guns
and knifes. By the end of the film they will have their top off and be covered in
blood.
Motivation: They're sent by a government agency/the army to take out a
terrorist threat probably in a jungle.
Mark of Masculinity: This guy couldn't be more masculine; he's the most
muscular man IN THE WORLD. He also has big guns, big knives and is just
generally big.
Skills: He's a commando, he can kill an entire army of men and probably not be
seen.
Tools: Guns, Knives, Bombs, maybe a tank or something big.
Examples: Rambo, Commando, Eraser, Dutch

The commando is an almost extinct hero, but in his hey-day (The 80s) he was
a perfect example of everything it was to be male: strong, resourceful and
tooled up to the teeth with weapons, he always managed to over come the
odds.

The Cop:
Profile: A cop who has a problem with authority, a lose cannon untamed. This is ALWAYS the case. He
may or may not have a 'buddy' with whom much humour will be generated. The cop is never in uniform.
It's quite likely that his wife was killed.
Motivation: He's been suspended for being untameable and now he's out to get the bad guys and get
his job back so he can do it all again.
Mark of Masculinity: Hating authority.
Skills: Really accurate shooting, one liners.
Tools: Cop badge and gun.
Examples: Axel Foley, John McClane, Jack Traven

This also allows the audience to live out the fantasy of defying their orders and running amuck
with a gun. Cops and Cowboys are perhaps the closest things to the Commando, still retaining a
decent level of the male hormone.

The Epic Leader:

Profile: The epic leader is a character in a period piece who commands
a massive army. For some reason he almost always dies at the end of
the film... up until that point however he normally does okay.
Motivation: Peace usually. (which is ironic)
Mark of Masculinity: Have a massive army of warriors.
Skills: Leadership, good with a sword and a shield. Public speaking.
Tools: Sword, shield, horse and massive army.
Examples: Maximus, Leonidas, William Wallace.

They manage to stay relevant by drawing on history to make a

comment on current politics.

The Superhero:

Profile: Not like regular guys- instantly this means the superhero is isolated
from others. They will fight somebody equally mutated, but fighting for the
well being of ordinary folk.
Motivation: Destroy their polar opposite, usually the villain who is just as
super as they are.
Mark of Masculinity: Tight clothing which extenuates the height and
muscles.
Skills: Hand to hand combat, athleticism, secrecy.
Tools: Technology, the supernatural, their loving (but rather ordinary)
friends.
Examples: Batman, Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, Neo.

The boost in the popularity of this archetype is argued by many to be

a reaction to post 9/11 insecurities in urban environments, and the
rapid development of technology.

The Explorer:

Profile: Quiet type who is happy digging around in their university until
somebody very rich (usually the government) will offer a financial grant if our
hero will go and find a mythical object.
Motivation: Money to fund their intellectual studies and further the
knowledge of mankind.
Mark of Masculinity: Rugged good looks, keen to be outdoors (hunter
gatherer style)
Skills: Languages, orienteering, other cultures/species.
Tools: Knowledge, nature, ropes, trusty backpack.
Examples: Alan Grant, Indiana Jones, Captain Kirk

This hero is a mixture of the donor character from Propps

theory and the traditional hero. Knowledge is power for this hero.
You could argue that he is a smarter version of The Commando.

The Woman
Profile: Lone woman in the wilderness (rural or urban) Due to lack of men
around, woman has to defeat the bad guy, usually the villain wants to hurt
the womans child. Usually this hero is tall and stereotypically unfeminine.
Motivation: Protect the children, maternal instincts, revenge.
Mark of Masculinity: Traditional weaponry, determination to protect.
Skills: Resourceful, intelligent, caring.
Tools: Emotional and mental strength,
Examples: Sarah Connor, Ripley, Alice, The Bride.

James Cameron sort of invented this archetype with Terminator.

Seen by many to be a feminist reaction to the masculine
commando films of the 80s.

THE BIG QUESTION

Which one is Bond? Justify your answer!

The Swordsman? The Commando? The

Cop? The Epic Leader? The Superhero?
The Explorer? The Woman?

Representation of heroes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO-LQqX
d0fE
In your books identify the use of
Props:
Costume:
Camera Angle:
Editing:
Sound:
To show that our character is the hero.

Top Ten Action Adventure Hero Conventions

Villains in action adventure

cinema

Spot the Villain!

Which action adventure characters are
heroes / villains?
How is mise-en-scene used to represent
the villains?

Remember

CLAMPS

Action Film Binary Opposites

Die Hard

John McClane
(Bruce Willis)

Hans Gruber
(Alan Rickman)

Action Film Binary Opposites

The Fifth Element

Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis)

Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman)

Action Film Binary Opposites

Robin Hood

Robin Hood (Russell Crowe)

Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong)

Action Film Binary Opposites

The Mummy

Rick OConnell (Brendan Fraser)

High Priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo)

Action Film Binary Opposites

National Treasure

Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage)

Ian Howe (Sean Bean)

Action Film Binary Opposites

The Terminator

Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn)

The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Binary Opposites
A media term meaning opposites
Linked to how we understand meaning. For example,
our understanding of the word 'coward' surely depends
on the difference between that word and its opposing
idea, that of a 'hero'.
Other oppositions that should help you understand the
idea are the youth/age binary, the masculinity/femininity,
binary the good/evil binary, and so on.
In Media studies, we use this when analysing images.
For example, sometimes film makers juxtapose opposite
images in the same frame to emphasise their difference.

Binary Opposites in Action Adventure Films

Hero vs villain

Name the Villain / Film

Starter
Make a list of villains from action
adventure films that you have seen.
What conventions are used: gender /
costume / physical appearance / props /
skills / qualities.

Theories about villains in

action adventure cinema
Look at these three theories on cinema villains.

Which ones do you agree with? Can you think of

any examples which support/ go against them?

1. The OtherA concept used in horror cinema. The monster/villain has to be

depicted as other from the hero and his people.
This could mean a difference of:
Ethnicity/ Species
Age
Accent
Costume
Politics
Gender
Physique
This fear of outsiders is primeval. We fear what we dont understand.
The use of otherness is used regularly in action adventure cinema.

Examples
of the other:
European accent, Criminal

Ghost, criminal.

Crazy, disfigured (thumb)

Different species, man eating

Think back to the other. How does Darth Vaders costume

show that he is a villain?

THE SORT OF
THING YOU
WRITE ABOUT
IN THE EXAM!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MftSEu4vgg0

2. Polarisation (opposites)
Some theorists suggest that the villain has be the exact
opposite of the hero in every way. This develops the other
theory.
Think of some hero/villain combinations. Are they the exact
opposite of each other? How can you tell?
Harry Potter/ Voldemort
Luke Skywalker/ Darth Vader
Batman/ The Joker
Spiderman/ The Green Goblin
Bond/ Silver (Skyfall)

Polarisation (opposites)
Harry Potter / Voldemort

Luke Skywalker / Darth Vader

Batman / The Joker

Bond / Silver (Skyfall)

3. Were not so different, you and I

The hero and villain have undeniable similarities.

This could suggest that the hero must destroy the dark
side of himself.

Which theory do you think is

most valid?
1. The Other
2. Polarisation
3. Were not so different, you and I

Be prepared to justify your answer with an

example!

Homework
(Due next lesson)
Find a confrontation scene between a hero and
a villain in an action/ adventure film.
Write two paragraphs analysing how:
1.The hero is represented
2.The villain is represented
ENSURE YOU USE MEDIA TERMINOLOGY!