Constructing Good and Evil: Analysis of Women Protagonists and Antagonists in High Fantasy Films

The role of films in constructing and reinforcing reality has been in discussion for decades. Films feed information regarding everything, from basic understanding of the world to social institutions. The gender roles as specified by the society has been reinforced by films. Studies also state that films aid in the construction of stereotypes of gender (Steinke, 2005). One of the most popular genres, fantasy films, have created huge fan base globally. They have driven box office collections to a pinnacle which the movies of other genres have not achieved (Thompson, 2003). Though created in a fantasy world, these films cohere with the existing gender constructions. This paper tries to analyse the physical features and behavioural traits of primary women characters in high fantasy films. The paper attempts to analyse, interpret and compare the physical features, tone of voice and behavioural traits of both protagonists and antagonists.

Download Pdf