Lakon : Jurnal Kajian Sastra dan Budaya
Vol. 15 No. 1 (2026): JURNAL LAKON

Gender Role Representation in Hollywood Action Cinema: A Comparative Analysis of Blade Runner (1982) and the Avengers (2012)

Michala Michala (Universitas Islam Bunga Bangsa Cirebon)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jun 2026

Abstract

Blade Runner (1982) and The Avengers (2012) are separated by thirty years, yet both cast women in roles that appear, on the surface, physically formidable. This study compares gender representation across both films along four dimensions: characterization, fighting style, costume, and image representation. Through qualitative textual analysis and a comparative framework, drawing on Butler's theory of gender performativity and role typology from Tasker, Gilpatric, and Inness as primary analytical instruments, the study finds that the most significant representational shifts have occurred at the narrative and costume levels, while the physical homogeneity of female characters remains unchanged across the thirty-year interval. This suggests that progress in gender representation is hierarchical — more achievable at the level of narrative than at the level of how the female body is visually constructed.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

LAKON

Publisher

Subject

Arts Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

LAKON adalah sebuah jurnal ilmiah yang diterbitkan oleh Magister Kajian Sastra dan Budaya Universitas Airlangga Surabaya. Cetakan pertama terbit pada tahun 2012 dan terbit dua kali dalam setahun sejak tahun 2013. Jurnal peer-review ini juga berfungsi sebagai forum yang menampung berbagai penelitian ...