The Threshold Moment: Masculinity at Home and on the Road in Australian Cinema
‘The Threshold Moment’ is a critical interrogation of the performance of masculinities in Australian road-genre cinema. The article scrutinises mythical articulations of national identity to assess the cultural and political significance of masculine conduct and iconography as it is represented in p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Western Australia
2001-06-01
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| Series: | Limina: A Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.archive.limina.arts.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/186570/biber_new.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818580301960445952 |
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| author | Katherine Biber |
| author_facet | Katherine Biber |
| author_sort | Katherine Biber |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ‘The Threshold Moment’ is a critical interrogation of the performance of masculinities in Australian road-genre cinema. The article scrutinises mythical articulations of national identity to assess the cultural and political significance of masculine conduct and iconography as it is represented in popular narrative film. Viewing the 'Mad Max' trilogy and 'The Adventures of Priscilla', 'Queen of the Desert', as well as 'The Big Steal', 'The FJ Holden', 'Backroads', 'Stone', 'The Crossing', 'Metal Skin', 'Long Weekend' and 'Malcolm', the article explores notions of violence, freedom, family and home. Vehicular masculinities are diagnosed as fantasies in opposition to domesticity, love and success, and this article identifies the mechanisms through which the films command approval for the irresponsibility, loneliness and loss of its heroes. The Australian landscape – its roads, its places, and the spaces in between – serves as a metaphor and an arena for the manufacture of mythical masculinity; a venue from which women are eliminated and difference is quarantined. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:15:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0882627397048a9ac4dfe044a339885 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1833-3419 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:15:26Z |
| publishDate | 2001-06-01 |
| publisher | University of Western Australia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Limina: A Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0882627397048a9ac4dfe044a3398852022-12-21T22:39:48ZengUniversity of Western AustraliaLimina: A Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies1833-34192001-06-017None2646The Threshold Moment: Masculinity at Home and on the Road in Australian CinemaKatherine Biber‘The Threshold Moment’ is a critical interrogation of the performance of masculinities in Australian road-genre cinema. The article scrutinises mythical articulations of national identity to assess the cultural and political significance of masculine conduct and iconography as it is represented in popular narrative film. Viewing the 'Mad Max' trilogy and 'The Adventures of Priscilla', 'Queen of the Desert', as well as 'The Big Steal', 'The FJ Holden', 'Backroads', 'Stone', 'The Crossing', 'Metal Skin', 'Long Weekend' and 'Malcolm', the article explores notions of violence, freedom, family and home. Vehicular masculinities are diagnosed as fantasies in opposition to domesticity, love and success, and this article identifies the mechanisms through which the films command approval for the irresponsibility, loneliness and loss of its heroes. The Australian landscape – its roads, its places, and the spaces in between – serves as a metaphor and an arena for the manufacture of mythical masculinity; a venue from which women are eliminated and difference is quarantined.https://www.archive.limina.arts.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/186570/biber_new.pdffilm, australia, masculinity, gender roles, national identity, genre cinema |
| spellingShingle | Katherine Biber The Threshold Moment: Masculinity at Home and on the Road in Australian Cinema Limina: A Journal of Historical and Cultural Studies film, australia, masculinity, gender roles, national identity, genre cinema |
| title | The Threshold Moment: Masculinity at Home and on the Road in Australian Cinema |
| title_full | The Threshold Moment: Masculinity at Home and on the Road in Australian Cinema |
| title_fullStr | The Threshold Moment: Masculinity at Home and on the Road in Australian Cinema |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Threshold Moment: Masculinity at Home and on the Road in Australian Cinema |
| title_short | The Threshold Moment: Masculinity at Home and on the Road in Australian Cinema |
| title_sort | threshold moment masculinity at home and on the road in australian cinema |
| topic | film, australia, masculinity, gender roles, national identity, genre cinema |
| url | https://www.archive.limina.arts.uwa.edu.au/__data/page/186570/biber_new.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT katherinebiber thethresholdmomentmasculinityathomeandontheroadinaustraliancinema AT katherinebiber thresholdmomentmasculinityathomeandontheroadinaustraliancinema |