Ce mémoire explore la construction d’un discours mythologique à travers les films de superhéros, dont la production a explosé après les évènements du 11 septembre 2001. La perspective généalogique proposée retrace la figure du superhéros dans les comics des années 1900 pour en suivre l’évolution jusqu’à aujourd’hui dans le cinéma hollywoodien. On montrera comment les évènements du 11 septembre 2001 ont été déterminants dans la production de ce type de films, dont on dégagera les principales caractéristiques : un contenu fortement mythologique, prenant appui sur le mal absolu, et une fonction idéologique, axée principalement sur celle de cohésion sociale. Une étude de cas à partir de Batman relèvera la teneur mythologique et les idéologies présentes dans quatre films, réalisés entre 1943 et 2012. Les écrits de Gérard Bouchard sur le mythe social, ainsi que les thèses de Robert Jewett et John Shelton Lawrence sur le monomythe américain, serviront d’appuis théoriques et critiques à la démonstration de la prégnance de ce type de film dans l’imaginaire cinématographique étatsunien depuis 2001. / This essay examines the construction of a mythological discourse by analyzing superhero movies, a genre whose popularity exploded after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This essay traces back the origins of the superhero figure through the history of the comic book medium in the 20th century all the way to contemporary Hollywood cinema. We will demonstrate how the terrorist attacks have been central to the production of this type of movie, of which we will examine the most important characteristics: a strongly mythological content, supported by a representation of absolute evil, and an ideological function, mainly based on the principle of social cohesion. A case study on the character of Batman will be able to show the mythological content and the ideologies present in four movies, produced between 1943 and 2012. The writings of Gérard Bouchard on the social myth as well as the theories of Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence on the American monomyth will be used to demonstrate the importance of this type of movie in the American culture since 2001.

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Seriemediet inkorporerar lingvistiska och ikoniska tecken för att uttrycka etiska, moraliska, sociala och politiska budskap, vilka kan slätas över av en underhållande och tilltalande form. Detta gör mediet lämpligt för en retorisk analys. Ett omdiskuterat ämne inom seriemediet är dess gestaltning av kvinnor, å ena sidan i form av stereotypa könsroller och underrepresentation av verkligt intressanta kvinnliga karaktärer, å andra sidan sexualiserande porträtteringar, våld och övergrepp. Denna uppsats undersöker hur våld mot kvinnor gestaltas i mötet mellan olika typer av bilder och texter i ett och samma serieförfattarskap. Undersökningen genomförs med hjälp av Roland Barthes ”Rhétorique de l’image” (1964) och teorin om the male gaze som Laura Mulvey diskuterar i artikeln ”Visual pleasure and narrative cinema” (1975). Analysen inspireras av en komparativ metod beskriven av Lennart Hellspong i Metoder för brukstextanalys (2001). Uppsatsen granskar utdrag ur Watchmen, Batman: The Killing Joke och The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen av Alan Moore, en av vår tids mest ansedda författare inom seriemediet, också känd för att porträttera våld mot kvinnliga karaktärer.  Uppsatsens påvisade en ambivalens i porträtterandet av våld mot kvinnor i utdragen ur Alan Moores graphic novels, samt behovet av att problematisera såväl Alan Moores serier som Laura Mulveys the male gaze, men också möjligheten att använda hennes och Barthes teorier inom retorikdiskursens och seriemediets ramar för att granska hur samspelet mellan bild och text kan uttrycka olika typer av budskap och attityder.

L'objectif de cette thèse est de montrer le déclin de la figure du superhéros dans les films américains après le 11 Septembre. Les films de superhéros n?ont jamais été si nombreux. Jamais le moral du superhéros n'a été si bas. Ce paradoxe trouve sa meilleure illustration dans l'image double de Batman relégué au ras du sol, alors que le symbole commercial de la chauve-souris brille au firmament de Gotham City. La marchandise culturelle transcenderait donc un superhéros considérablement amoindri. Ce travail se concentre sur trois domaines en particulier : la perte de masculinité du superhéros à la fin du siècle dernier, qui amène à une confrontation symbolique entre le quarterback et la majorette, ou entre Superman et un hypothétique Everyman, et la réémergence d'un monomythe réactionnaire après 2005 ; les errances d'un Surmoi freudien affaibli, et sa relation fluctuante avec un Ça très séduisant, incarné par le superméchant du vingt-et-unième siècle ; la toile de fond sociopolitique contemporaine hostile aux exploits du superhéros, pour qui l'isothymie fukuyamienne omniprésente constitue une injuste condamnation de son action salvatrice. Icône d'une démocratie libérale qui règne désormais sur notre planète, le superhéros postmoderne semble singulièrement désadapté à la culture qui l'a vu naître. / The main topic of this doctoral thesis is the study of the decline of the superhero icon in American films after 9/11. Superhero productions are at an all-time high, and yet, the superhero's morale is at an all-time low. This paradox is best illustrated with the dual image of Batman stuck at Ground Zero, staring up at the projection of his chevron looming large in the sky of Gotham City. The glowing merchandise transcends an otherwise sullied character. This dissertation focuses on three main realms: the superhero's loss of masculinity at the end of the twentieth century, leading to the formal opposition between the figures of the quarterback and the cheerleader, or between Superman and Everyman, and the reactionary, warpath revival which started in 2005; the travails of the flailing Superego and its shifting relationship to the almighty Id, represented by the twenty-first century glorified supervillain; and, finally, the inimical sociopolitical backdrop for the superhero's prowess, in which Fukuyama's prevalent isothymia eventually denies the superhero his just laurels. The postmodern superhero thus appears as a national misfit, also because this cultural commodity now reaches far beyond the traditional boundaries of the « American Way », to embrace an increasingly globalized market.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the importance of the orphan hero in film and his resonance with the American people. It explores the orphan and the American identities, the archetypes found in myths, and the hero in American culture. The three heroes (Batman, Anakin Skywalker, and Harry Potter) represent certain aspects of orphan heroes: the capacity for sacrifice and the need to resist focusing on oneself. The type of hero each becomes has its source in the response he takes to his orphanhood. These young men suffered great loss early in their lives, but found the strength to sacrifice themselves for others, the ultimate sign of a hero.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:23:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5832.pdf: 2261692 bytes, checksum: ede99af3ddeae2cf732575bcfea3aea3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-18 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The main goal of this dissertation is to introduce the alternate reality game as a new narrative for multiplatform. By new narratives are understood the forms of storytelling arising from the current development of digital technology; and for multiplatform the variety of means by which the contents of these stories can travel. For this main objective is reached, two main hypotheses are formulated: 1) ARGs are stories for multiple platforms using code-breaking with playful and narrative functions; and 2) they are developed from an intense transtextuality guided by pop mythology that flourished during the twentieth century. Based on this starting point, this thesis will examine two ARGs, Uncertain Zone and Why So Serious?, in a way that it contributes to the hypothesis that Alternate Reality Games are a native narrative form of convergence culture founded on an extensive base of pop culture references. In the chapter dedicated to Uncertain Zone will be listed the various media used during the performance of the ARG, that together with interviews with the developers and testimonials from participants will weave a more descriptive overview of how alternate reality games are composed as multiplatform narratives. In addition, a brief discussion on the playful and narrative functions of the code-breaking in ARGs will be outlined. With Why So Serious? the analysis will focus on the intense transtextuality that alternate reality games establish to what will be called pop mythology in this dissertation and in the relationship between ARGs and market. Incidentally issues related to participatory culture will be raised throughout the text, but without further reflection, since, worth reiterating, the main goal of this thesis is the demonstration of a contemporary narrative form from some elements previously submitted, this form is the alternate reality game. / O principal objetivo da presente dissertação é apresentar o ARG (Alternate Reality Game) como uma nova narrativa para multiplataformas. Por nova narrativa, entendemse as formas de contar histórias decorrentes do desenvolvimento atual da tecnologia digital; e por multiplataforma os variados meios através dos quais os conteúdos dessas histórias podem trafegar. Para que esse objetivo principal seja atingido, duas hipóteses principais serão formuladas: 1) os ARGs são narrativas para múltiplas plataformas que utilizam a quebra de código com função lúdica e narrativa; e 2) são desenvolvidos a partir de uma intensa transtextualidade pautada pela mitologia pop que floresceu durante o século XX. Partindo desse ponto de partida, esta dissertação analisará dois ARGs, Zona Incerta e Why So Serious?, de modo a apresentar as características que corroboram a hipótese de que os Jogos de Realidade Alternada são uma forma narrativa nativa da cultura de convergência fundamentada sobre uma extensa base de referências à cultura pop. No capítulo dedicado ao Zona Incerta serão elencadas as diversas mídias utilizadas durante a realização do ARG, que em conjunto com entrevistas com os realizadores e depoimentos de participantes tecerão um panorama mais descritivo de como os Jogos de Realidade Alternada se compõem enquanto narrativas multiplataformas. Além disso, uma breve discussão sobre o caráter lúdico e narrativo da quebra de código nos ARGs será esboçada. Já com Why So Serious? as análises irão se focar na intensa transtextualidade que os Jogos de Realidade Alternada estabelecem com aquilo que nesta dissertação será chamada de mitologia pop e nas relações que os objetos mantêm com o mercado. Incidentalmente questões relacionadas à cultura participativa serão levantadas por todo o texto, porém sem um maior aprofundamento, uma vez que, vale reiterar, o objetivo principal desta dissertação será a demonstração de uma forma narrativa contemporânea a partir de alguns elementos previamente apresentados, essa forma são os Jogos de Realidade Alternada.

The desire for heroes is a global and cultural phenomenon that gives a view into society’s very heart. There is no better example of this truism than that of the superhero. Typically, Superheroes, with their affiliation to values and morality, and the notion of the grand narratives, should not fit well into postmodernist theory. However, at the very core of the superhero narrative is the ideal of an individual creating his/her own form of morality, and thus dispensing justice as the individual sees fit in resistance to metanarrative’s authoritarian and restrictive paradigms. This research will explore Superhero comic books, films, videogames and the characters Superman, Spider-Man and Batman through the postmodernist conceptions of power, plurality, and morality.

This project investigates the loss of power on screen for female comic book characters. Specifically, I investigate how scenes create narratives using heteronormativity and over-sexualization of female characters. The artifact of analysis included in this project is Batman and Robin (1997). This text focuses on Poison Ivy, including the background of the character before dissecting her role in the film. Turning to Sonja J. Foss (2009) and her feminist critique as a guide to understanding the implications of this research. Using feminist criticism, I argue that Poison Ivy was put in a lesser position, removed of her power, and was made dependent on men more than she is in comics. Poison Ivy was created from the feminist movement, and Batman and Robin (1997) create tension between the comic book representation and the expectation of gender. Superheroes have skyrocketed in popularity over the past fifteen years, and their narratives are extending to individuals that are not necessarily comic readers. This cultural significance of superheroes suggests that comic books and therefore their characters appeal to a wide audience who has the potential to be influenced, even implicitly, by these messages.

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