Highbrow Magazine - The Avengers https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/avengers en The Role of Feminism in Action Movies https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/5148-role-feminism-action-movies <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 07/24/2015 - 10:21</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1actionmovies.jpg?itok=8W4yjXsi"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1actionmovies.jpg?itok=8W4yjXsi" width="480" height="384" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>Feminism has become something of a buzzword in the media lately, used to trip up pop stars and actresses in interviews with very little thought to the actual meaning or application of the term. It tends to create fervor either way, whether a new film or show or something is deemed too feminist or not feminist enough, leaving dozens of thinkpieces in its wake – not unlike this one.</p> <p> </p> <p>It is unequivocally a good thing that feminism is at the forefront of the public mind, and that media is being held accountable for failing female narratives. There has been a definite clamor for more female-led projects, particularly in regard to popular mainstream films, most especially action movies, considering they are currently dominating the market. With such a suffusion of films dealing in similar subject matters, it's hard not to notice that they've been telling the same stories for years, and those stories all revolve around white men.</p> <p> </p> <p>Nothing exemplifies the tug-of-war of female portrayals in action movies like two of the more highly anticipated big-budget films of recent memory: <em>Avengers: Age of Ultron</em> and <em>Mad Max: Fury Road</em>. There was a divisive reaction to the movies, with the former receiving criticism for its one-note, seemingly out-of-character version of Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff and the latter receiving surprise acclaim for its treatment of women.</p> <p> </p> <p>They're two films that share little in common besides colons in the title. <em>Age of Ultron</em> was a much-hyped, long awaited follow-up to 2012's <em>The Avengers, </em>one of the highest-grossing films of all time. <em>Age of Ultron</em> did well financially but was ultimately a disappointment to many critics and fans. <em>Mad Max</em> was also a follow-up, but one that had taken many years to come to fruition: it took over a decade of pre-production before filming even began. It garnered a great deal of praise upon its release, and a lot of that praise was thanks to its women.</p> <p> </p> <p>There was even a bit of outcry on that front, which some sexist men on the Internet made uncomfortable and angry by the feminist message of the film. Which is, ultimately, that women are people. That's it. That's the big, revolutionary message of <em>Mad Max: Fury Road</em>: women openly declaring that they are not things. It makes one realize how far we haven't come, if such a simple statement can cause such a fuss.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2actionmovies.jpg" style="height:417px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>But it is nevertheless true that after dealing with scraps for so long, the fair treatment of <em>Mad Max</em>'s women was honestly refreshing. It tells a story of women facing sexism and abuse without the narrative heaping similar abuse on the women, or reveling in their pain. There are young women, old women, disabled women. There are women with dreams and journeys, who fight for their right to their own bodies, who fight for their independence. And the film's titular character, Max, is a mostly-silent supporter.</p> <p> </p> <p>For sheer numbers, <em>Mad Max</em> has more women in its main and supporting casts than most mainstream films, and certainly more than our Marvel point of comparison. <em>Avengers: Age of Ultron</em> had a total of seven women with speaking parts; <em>Mad Max: Fury Road</em> had nearly fourteen. But, of course, it isn't just a numbers game. The point is how that screentime is utilized. This is where a great deal of <em>Age of Ultron</em>'s criticism came out. At the beginning of the film, there is only one woman on the Avengers team (and by the end, only two), and that woman is Natasha Romanoff. She has appeared in four films total, <em>Ultron</em> included, and is a fan favorite, with regular entreaties from fans for a movie focused entirely on her (which Marvel maintains they just can't seem to find the time for, despite moving around their entire schedule to fit in <em>yet another</em> Spiderman reboot).  Natasha has always been something of a lone wolf, forming friendships with her teammates but remaining slightly emotionally distant, finding it difficult to trust because of her traumatic past. It's a classic story and character type, especially for films in the genre, but more commonly used with male characters – in movies, at least. Natasha is unique in that respect, no doubt leading to her popularity.</p> <p> </p> <p>Many fans were taken aback by her storyline in <em>Age of Ultron</em>, where she spends a great deal of time chasing after Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner with an openness that seemed at odds with the character up until that point. It's not that all romantic subplots are automatically awful, or even that a romance between those characters is ridiculous on its face; it was the cringing, cutesy way it was written, culminating in a scene in which it appeared Natasha was linking her infertility with her being a "monster."</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Age of Ultron</em> was an underwhelming film in a variety of respects, but the dated gender politics throughout were especially strange. In addition to the seeming affiliation between Natasha's monstrosity and infertility (potentially a result of bad phrasing, but if so, it was <em>really bad phrasing</em>), there was the sudden existence of Linda Cardellini's Laura Barton, wife of Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye, who seems to exist in total seclusion on a farm in the middle of nowhere – barefoot, pregnant, and preternaturally supportive of her husband's constant near-death experiences. There was a subtle thread throughout the film that the ideal life, symbolized by the Bartons, is that of a married heterosexual couple with two-point-five kids living honestly off the land. It's not an idea that feels very relevant to 2015, nor does it give women much to do besides be defined by their ability to be wives and mothers.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3actionmovies.jpg" style="height:351px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>But these are only two films out of many. Television will be bringing us female action heroines in the form of Supergirl, Jessica Jones, and Agent Carter. Wonder Woman is making her first live action appearance in <em>Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice</em>; there are several women of note in the upcoming <em>Suicide Squad</em>. Marvel claims there will be a Captain Marvel movie someday, probably. Analysis on female representation in those films will have to wait, but it's become increasingly clear that audiences are much less willing to settle for scraps. Female-led films have proven themselves immensely profitable and have proven that they have an audience. It's up to the studios to catch up, and to do it right.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p><strong><em>Megan Walsh, a former writer at </em>Highbrow Magazine,<em> currently writes for adorama.nyc.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/feminism" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">feminism</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/feminists" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">feminists</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Movies</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/action-movies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">action movies</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mad-max-fury" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mad max fury</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/avengers" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">The Avengers</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/scarlett-johansson" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">scarlett johansson</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/charlize-theron" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Charlize Theron</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Megan Walsh</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 24 Jul 2015 14:21:45 +0000 tara 6210 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/5148-role-feminism-action-movies#comments ‘Avengers,’ ‘Alfred Hitchcock - Masterpiece Collection’ Arrive on DVD, Blu-ray https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1599-avengers-alfred-hitchcock-masterpiece-collection-arrive-dvd-blu-ray <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Wed, 09/26/2012 - 17:04</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumAvengers%20-%20Horizontal.jpg?itok=BApfw4cL"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumAvengers%20-%20Horizontal.jpg?itok=BApfw4cL" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> Only one major theatrical release is making its way to home video this week, but that’s just as well because it’s one of the biggest hits of 2012. </p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>The Avengers</strong></p> <p> <strong>3½ stars (out of four)<br /> Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference<br /> Disney<br /> Available on: DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, digital download and on demand </strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> Creating a movie with a half-dozen key protagonists is a daunting feat. It means developing multiple characters to a reasonable depth and balancing the screen time and egos of several stars, all while telling a story that viewers actually care about.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Anyone who thinks this is simple will do well to remember “Batman &amp; Robin,” director Joel Schumacher’s 1997 take on the Caped Crusader. That film not only relates the adventures of the title characters, but two supervillains (Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy) as well as Batgirl. By most accounts, the film was a failure, and one of the problems is that it has way too much going on.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Surely writer-director Joss Whedon found himself thinking about “Batman &amp; Robin” and similar efforts when charged with bringing the Marvel Comics superhero group The Avengers to the screen. Success would mean merging characters from several previous Marvel movies – “Iron Man,” “Captain America,” “Thor” and “The Incredible Hulk” – and introducing them to even more players. The potential for failure was immense, making it rather astonishing that Whedon not only succeeded but produced one of the best films of 2012 so far.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “The Avengers” gathers the previously mentioned superheroes under the banner of S.H.I.E.L.D., a powerful government military organization dedicated to protecting the United States from all threats. This time around, it’s not just America that’s in trouble, however. Thor’s god-like adopted brother, Loki, has amassed an army powerful enough to take over all of Earth, so things look dire.     </p> <p>  </p> <p> Realizing that Loki can’t be stopped using normal military channels, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) activates the “Avengers Initiative,” a program designed to bring uniquely powerful individuals together in the interest of fighting a common enemy.</p> <p>  </p> <p> As promising as the program seems, it has drawbacks. Most notable is the fact that the heroes that Fury assembles not only have egos but decidedly different outlooks on the world.  Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who moonlights as Iron Man, is a maverick. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), also known as Captain America, is an all-American soldier. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is torn by the fact that his brother is the enemy. And Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) is horrified by the knowledge that he can’t control the Hulk lurking within him.</p> <p>  </p> <p> This is a dysfunctional group to say the least, and much of the screen time focuses on the characters getting to know one another and learning to work together. That may sound dull, but Whedon – who directed the film based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Zak Penn – does a fine job balancing these character exchanges with action sequences, creating a film that delivers a pleasant mix of plot, drama and spectacle.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Really, that’s all one can ask of a big-budget superhero film. This sort of movie isn’t meant to win Oscars or inspire late-night discussions on the meaning of the universe. The goal is to relate a winning story in a fashion that is exciting, entertaining and just plain fun, and “The Avengers” does all that.      </p> <p>  </p> <p> DVD and Blu-ray extras include a making-of feature and an audio commentary by Whedon.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2mediumHitchcockFilm_0.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 450px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>ALSO OUT THIS WEEK</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Alfred Hitchcock – The Masterpiece Collection:</strong> Few directors have impacted the world of movies like Alfred Hitchcock, and this set collects 15 of his most noteworthy movies into one Blu-ray boxed set. Perhaps most noteworthy is the fact that this marks the Blu-ray debut of 13 of the 15 titles. Included are: “Saboteur” (1942), “Shadow of a Doubt” (1943), “Rope” (1948), “Rear Window” (1954), “The Trouble with Harry” (1955), “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1956), “Vertigo” (1958), “North by Northwest” (1959), “Psycho” (1960), “The Birds” (1963), “Marnie” (1964), “Torn Curtain” (1966), “Topaz” (1969), “Frenzy” (1972) and “Family Plot” (1976).</p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Bond 50”:</strong> It’s time for 007 fans to rejoice. This release collects all 22 James Bond movies into one impressive boxed set. The movies are available on either DVD or Blu-ray, and the only negative is the rather expensive list price. Because so many movies are included, the Blu-ray collection has a suggested retail price of $299.99, and the DVD set has a suggested price of $199.98. The good news is you can find both sets significantly cheaper if you shop around.</p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“American Horror Story” – Season 1:</strong> This horror drama is a critical and commercial success for FX. The first season tells the story of a Boston family that moves across the country into a haunted Los Angeles mansion. Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Jessica Lange and Taissa Farmiga star. Season two is set to debut Oct. 5, and it will focus on new characters and a new location.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Resident Evil – Damnation”:</strong> With “Resident Evil: Retribution” making its way through theaters, this seems like the ideal time for Sony to release this animated movie based on the same franchise. The story is a sequel to the 2008 animated film “Resident Evil: Degeneration,” and it tells the story of a U.S. federal agent who travels to a European battle zone to investigate claims that Bio-Organic Weapons are being used.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumraoulmovie.jpg" style="width: 413px; height: 600px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Eating Raoul”:</strong> Criterion Collection release of director Paul Bartel’s 1982 comedy about a New York couple who hatch a horrific plan for ridding themselves of bad neighbors and acquiring funding for a restaurant they’ve dreamed of opening.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“The Game”:</strong> David Fincher is one of the finest director’s working in Hollywood today, and this Criterion Collection release of his 1997 hit is a reminder of how special he is. The film stars Michael Douglas as a wealthy man whose brother (Sean Penn) gives him the opportunity to play a life-changing game for his 48<sup>th</sup> birthday. Criterion’s release features not only the film but an audio commentary by the filmmakers and an hour of behind-the-scenes footage.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Delicacy”:</strong> French romance about a young widow (Audrey Tautou) who learns to live again thanks to an unexpected romance. Francois Damiens also stars. Directed by brothers David and Stephane Foenkinos. Presented in French with English subtitles.  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“The Man From Beijing”:</strong> German drama about a Swedish judge (Suzanne von Borsody) who mounts a private investigation into the brutal murder of 19 people. Presented in German with English subtitles.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Snowman’s Land”:</strong> German thriller about two hit men who find trouble when the wife of a crime boss is accidentally killed while under their protection. Written and directed by Tomasz Thomson. Presented in German with English subtitles. </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Desperate Housewives” – The Complete Eighth and Final Season:</strong> ABC concluded this astonishingly successful primetime soap opera in May. Now fans can relive all the Wisteria Lane drama. Bonus features include cast recollections about the show’s entire eight-year run. Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria and Vanessa Williams star.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/manfrombeijingfilm.jpg" style="width: 366px; height: 527px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“CSI”:</strong> Several incarnations of the popular “CSI” TV franchise are making their way to video this week. Fans can choose from the 12<sup>th</sup> season of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” the 10<sup>th</sup> and final season of “CSI: Miami” and the eighth season of “CSI: New York.” </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Gossip Girl” – The Complete Fifth Season:</strong> The sixth and final season of “Gossip Girl” is slated to kick off Oct. 8 on the CW. Fans who can’t wait, will find plenty of teen drama in the 24 episodes on this set.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“The Carol Burnett Show”:</strong> Time Life is rolling the popular Carol Burnett comedy show onto DVD, and fans have four different purchasing options. Folks who want the deluxe package can buy the 22-DVD “Ultimate Collection,” which features 50 episodes of the show plus more than 20 hours of bonus features. Since that set is massive and pricey, Time Life is also delivering the six-DVD “Carol’s Favorites” collection, a two-DVD “Best Of” release and a single-DVD “Best Of” option. The main difference between sets is pricing and the number of episodes included.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Key &amp; Peele – Season 1:</strong> This sketch comedy series starring Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele is entering its second season, and the episodes presented here are a reminder of how it started.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Klown”:</strong> Danish comedy detailing the adventures of two friends (Frank Hvam and Caspar Christensen) who have no idea how to blend into proper society. Directed by Mikkel Norgaard. Presented in Danish with English subtitles.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>“Touched by an Angel” – The Sixth Season:</strong> Twenty-six episodes of the long-running CBS drama about angels who help humans through difficult periods in their lives. Della Reese, Roma Downey and John Dye star.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> <em>Forrest Hartman, a contributor at</em> Highbrow Magazine, <em>is an independent film critic whose byline has appeared in some of the nation's largest publications. For more of his work visit <a href="http://www.ForrestHartman.com">www.ForrestHartman.com</a>. </em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/avengers" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">The Avengers</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/alfred-hitchcock" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">alfred hitchcock</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/desperate-housewives" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Desperate Housewives</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/eating-raoul" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Eating Raoul</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/james-bond" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">James Bond</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/american-horror-story" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">American Horror Story</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/resident-evil" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Resident Evil</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Forrest Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Wed, 26 Sep 2012 21:04:28 +0000 tara 1621 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1599-avengers-alfred-hitchcock-masterpiece-collection-arrive-dvd-blu-ray#comments Joss Whedon’s ‘Avengers’ Take on (Old) Calcutta https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1141-joss-whedon-s-avengers-take-old-calcutta <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 21:56</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumavengersmovie.jpg?itok=l2_LwnUM"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumavengersmovie.jpg?itok=l2_LwnUM" width="480" height="321" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> From <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/news/">New America Media</a> and <a href="http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/the-avengers-go-to-calcutta-an-incredible-hulking-shame-293444.html#.T56G3En_h88.facebook">FirstPost.com</a>:</p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> West Bengal’s chief minister <a href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120425/jsp/calcutta/story_15412738.jsp#.T55Lz3bPmeY" target="_blank">promised</a> to turn Calcutta into London. But Joss Whedon in the Marvel comics saga, <em>The Avengers</em>, has gone backwards instead. Calcutta in the age of superheroes looks suspiciously like the one described in the <em>City of Joy</em> circa 1985 – cramped, squalid and leprous.</p> <p>  </p> <p> In the 1992 film version of <em>City of Joy</em>, Patrick Swayze played the do-gooder doctor exorcising his personal demons by saving the lepers.</p> <p>  </p> <p> This time around Mark Ruffalo is Dr. Bruce Banner keeping his inner Hulk under control by saving the eternally ill slum-dwellers of Calcutta.</p> <p>  </p> <p> But why is he hiding out in Calcutta? “Joss (Whedon) and I were wondering, ‘So where is Bruce Banner?’ And I said, ‘I think he’s in a leprosy colony’…. It didn’t turn out to be a leprosy colony, but he’s in the slums in Calcutta, which I thought was a cool place to find him at,” Ruffalo said in a <a href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120425/jsp/calcutta/story_15412738.jsp#.T55Lz3bPmeY" target="_blank">recent interview</a> in <em>The Telegraph</em>.</p> <p>  </p> <p> I guess it is “cool” given that the other cities that share screen time with Calcutta are Manhattan and Stuttgart. Unlike Calcutta, however, they look like cities actually worth saving from marauding alien hordes.</p> <p>  </p> <p> When the evil Loki decides to unleash his extra terrestrial army on Manhattan, Captain Fury fights the council of leaders tooth and nail when they want to send in the nukes to wipe out the city. This is not any island, he thunders at the council, this is Manhattan. One wonders if he would have ridden to Calcutta’s rescue with equal fervor.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2mediumavengersmovie.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 338px; " /></p> <p> Calcuttans should be glad though that they were spared Stuttgart’s fate. When Loki decides to announce his diabolical ways to the world with a flourish, he seeks the opera house in Stuttgart as his staging ground. In a scene that looks straight out of some Nazi news reel, cowed Germans kneel in front of him with submissive alacrity until Captain America lands with a grand NATO flourish to save the day. Had Loki chosen Calcutta, the crowd would surely have been larger but much more argumentative and much less disciplined in its submission.</p> <p>  </p> <p> But it is still a mystery why Bruce Banner relocates to Calcutta.  This is not the reverse migration story that the <em>New York Times</em> is writing about where the West comes east in search of the future. “For a man avoiding stress you picked a helluva place to settle,” the Black Widow tells Banner. That is an understatement. Given Calcutta’s pea soup of notorious traffic jams, stifling sweaty heat, and frustrating torpor of lackadaisical inefficiency, Bruce Banner should be exploding into the <em>Incredible Hulk</em> every second day. That he keeps his cool in Calcutta is one of the unexplained mysteries in <em>The Avengers</em>. However the vision of an out-of-control angry Trinamool-green monster running amok on the city’s congested streets would have been gripping and not entirely out of place.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The Calcutta cameo in <em>The Avengers</em> is brief. It was not even filmed in Calcutta. Those scenes were outsourced to some set in New Mexico. We cannot quibble too much about that. That fantasy time capsule vision of India is difficult to find in India anymore. Sooraj Barjatya recreated an entire small Indian town in New Zealand for a Bollywood film. “We worked with the Indian community in New Mexico, where we shot the movie, to recreate a very realistic version of India,” producer Jeremy Latcham told the media.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Realistic as long as your vision of India and Calcutta is about “congested, chicken and livestock-bred streets.” Indian-American actress Rashmi Rustagi, who plays the Hulk’s patient in the film, used those criteria to applaud the Joss Whedon vision of the city – all slumdogs, no millionaires. Calcutta may have its problems, but this is a complete throwback to an older idea of India, where the lights are dim and the televisions flicker feebly, where wide-eyed children tug at the sleeves of the good doctor and whine plaintively “<em>mere</em> <em>baba</em> sick.”</p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumcalcutta%20%28giancarlo%20de%20luca%20fotopedia%29.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 398px; " /></p> <p> It works because the film itself, despite its gee-whiz 3D special effects, is an unabashedly old-fashioned American movie. “People might need a little old-fashioned,” one character reassures Captain America when he wonders if his old red, blue and white uniform is a little too uncool for today’s day and age.</p> <p>  </p> <p> These days superheroes are not just super. They are angst-riddled misfits inside the costumes of dark knights. <em>The Avengers</em> are from a simpler age. As the film says, it’s about “believing in the <em>idea</em> of heroes.” In that simpler age, a place like Calcutta also fulfils a simple old-fashioned role – a black hole, the heart of darkness, a place where troubled heroes can atone for their sins. Mother Teresa has been dead for 15 years, but they are still holding out for her in Whedon’s Calcutta.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The only sign that the world has moved on comes not in the script of the film but in its rollout. <em>The Avengers</em> opened around the world in 39 countries a week before it opens in the United States. It’s already done a bang-up global business netting $178.4 million. It opened in the Number 1 position in every country where it debuted, <u><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-boxoffice-side-20120430,0,5729310.story">writes</a> </u>the <em>Los Angeles Times</em>.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The businessmen in Hollywood are aware there is a new world out there. The scriptwriters, it seems, are still blissfully stuck in the old one.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong><em>Note: Kolkata has been called Calcutta in the article, keeping with its reference in the film. </em></strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2012/05/if-the-avengers-is-right.php">New America Media</a></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><strong>Photos: Marvel; Giancarlo de Luca, Fotopedia</strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/avengers" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">The Avengers</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/joss-whedon" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Joss Whedon</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mark-ruffalo" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Mark Ruffalo</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/super-heroes" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">super heroes</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/calcutta" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Calcutta</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/kolkata" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Kolkata</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/india" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">India</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/marvel" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Marvel</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Sandip Roy</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 04 May 2012 01:56:20 +0000 tara 897 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1141-joss-whedon-s-avengers-take-old-calcutta#comments