Blood, Guns, and Testosterone: Action Films, Audiences, and a Thirst for Violence

by Barna William Donovan

Since the early days of film, the representation of masculinity has changed considerably. In the beginning, men instinctively knew right from wrong. They rode to the rescue and saved the day in the nick of time to the admiration and gratitude of society. But over the decades, heroes have evolved from being larger than life and infallible to being cynical, washed up, unwanted outsiders. Violent content in these films also "evolved"―from fistfights and gunplay to brutal attacks and nuclear explosions―repeatedly ramping up in frequency, intensity, and graphic depictions.

But there is more to a violent film genre than violence, and Blood, Guns, and Testosterone: Action Films, Audiences, and a Thirst for Violence brings an entirely new understanding to the nature of such entertainment. In this book, Barna William Donovan examines masculinity and violence in action and adventure films and discusses how the most ardent fans of the genre incorporate this controversial form of entertainment into their lives. Donovan argues that far from becoming violent, the fans of the action film look at the genre as an artistic rumination on the nature of violence, good and evil, and the ever-changing definitions of manhood.

At their very best, or most interesting at least, these films may even reflect on the nature of violence, on human nature, on aggression, and how a self-reflexive, moral society can deal with violence. And since so much of the violence of the world has always been perpetrated by men, action films―more often than not―are contemplations of the complicated meaning of manhood. In addition to fans of the genre, Blood, Guns, and Testosterone will appeal to scholars of film, history, popular culture, gender studies, and audience research.

280 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2009

About the author

Barna William Donovan, a professor of communication and media studies, is a graduate of the film school of the University of Miami and he earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University. His books on film and fandom include “The Asian Influence on Hollywood Action Films,” “Blood, Guns and Testosterone: Action Films, Audiences, and a Thirst for Violence,” and “Conspiracy Films: A Tour of Dark Places in the American Conscious.” He is also the author of the novels “Confirmation: Investigations of the Unexplained” and “The Cedar Valley Covenant.” His commentaries on film, television, and popular culture have been quoted in media like the BBC, Variety, LiveScience, Forbes, Yahoo News, HLNTV, and various publications from Europe to Latin America.