The American Anti- Hero Response

What historical factors influenced the rise of the American Anti-Hero in cinema and how does this hero contradict the Classic Hollywood Ideology.


An anti hero is is a character who inspires the audience to great heights, but as this hero tries to become great, it will commit actions or behave in a non heroic way. In Post World War II, the anti hero began to change, and between 1945 to 1980 it was the golden age for the anti- hero. This new hero was recognized more as a human. Also males were not the only heroes, females became heroes too. 


After World War II because people began to relate to the non hero who was not involved in world problems but devoted its time to focus on its personal problems.There was a growth in character that focused on their individual aspirations and their identity. For example in films such as Duel in the Sun and The Best Years of Our Lives showed that post- war America isn't a good place to live, and there isn't a happy ending all of the time.In the 1940s people enjoyed seeing the dark side of anti- heroes. John Garfield casted people who are only concerned about their gains and loses. When the Cold War broke out in the 1950s, people began to get fearful and hateful. So now characters had to embrace the nature of a man. That person was good and evil, for example in the movie A Place in the Sun (1951), a character is torn between with two women he loves, but can't chose which one to be with.This is a new type of hero that would be loved and hated by the people. 


 In the early 1950s America was fighting in a war and trying to prevent Communism. This leads to a revolution of the father figure because America youth began to feel that the their authority figures are doing bad, and they want to have good order in their country. In the 1950s James Dean interpreted the rebels as misunderstood innocence. He put out the emotion of passionate and sympathetic, which made him very likable and a great anti- hero. In the film Rebel Without a Cause Dean's character is a misguided youth who gets drunks, fights, and gets in trouble. Rebels are the anti- heroes who fight big authority figures no matter what the price is in order for justice, and what they believe is right.This type of hero is very stubborn and ends up having a tragic life. In the 1960s rebellions in America were to reform America.America was born from a rebellion and rebellion is a citizen's right. In the 1960 many rebels such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X changed the world by rebelling for what they think is right. 


The anti hero contradicts the Classical Hollywood Ideology because anti- heroes are not seen as heroes by others until they actually do something that helps their community or the people. The Classical Hollywood Ideology makes a hero well known by everyone due to their characteristics, but the anti- hero does not have those characteristics. An anti- hero becomes heroic with no intention.