Masculinity never plays itself

This chapter explores how masculinities emerged as a focus for analysis within cinema and media studies. While the literature is extensive, the chapter maps key theories that developed in conversation with American cinema. The majority of these works remain references for work on masculinities in Hollywood, European, and World cinemas. Beginning with an overview of early works and transitioning to examine the notion of a masculine crisis, the chapter also references texts that build from these debates. The chapter concludes by highlighting recent work that returns to film style to further interrogate masculinities as well as mapping the capacity to read masculinities as forms.