BY GLEN DONNAR

Reviewed by Paul Doro

Excerpt: “One could wonder why the book contains no mention of superhero movies that have routinely surfaced in discussions of 9/11, including The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008) and Man of Steel (Zack Snyder, 2013). Nevertheless, Donnar’s book is a meticulous examination of masculinity in Hollywood genre films during a specific period of time and adds great value to the discourse surrounding masculinity in contemporary culture. It challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding films that have received significant scholarly contention and persuasively argues that the films are more complex than they appear. It might seem as if mainstream Hollywood films would work diligently to comfort the audience while conjuring memories of 9/11 and reassuring them that normative masculinity will save the day and restore America’s identity, but such is not the case.” Read the full review here