Iron Man 3: Polarized Portrayals of Women, Escaping Fear and Abandoning Digital Distractors

Kas and I went and saw Iron Man 3 a few days after it came out and we had a great time. It was a fun movie and an exhilarating experience -- all that an action-packed Hollywood comic book hero film should be. Interesting themes and ideas both implicit and explicit grabbed my attention. For example, the oddly similar comparison between the zombie-like henchmen and the objectified ping pong playing women. Or what about when the President of the United States is hanging in the unmistakably same pose as Jesus on the cross? Also, the fascinating paradox of Tony Stark's morality (Refusing to partner up with "bad guys"and killing enemies means you're a hero and an American idol; living unchaste and sleeping around has zero consequence and harms nobody).

Though similar themes are explored in my post about the newest installment of the James Bond series, I feel that discussing the portrayal of women, escapism, and digital distractors in Iron Man 3 can yield some good insights within my own head, and with students of these United States.

Polarized Portrayals of Women

Pepper Potts is the secretary turned official partner (not in the sidekick sort of way) of Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man. In the previous film, Iron Man 2, Pepper takes the helm of Stark Industries which gives here apparent power and notoriety. However, in this film all such power and strength disappears. Pepper assumes two extreme roles that most supporting women characters play in Hollywood these days: the damsel in distress (Think M.J. from Spiderman), or the unhinged sexual feline (Think Black Widow from Avengers).

This is an issue way more complex and deeply rooted in a variety of other issues, but I wanted to bring it up. Why is it that Pepper is either clinging to Tony's chest or rampaging in uncontrolled bloodlust? Neither of these portrayals come close to portraying the caring, thoughtful, nourishing, strong, courageous, and humble ideals I have come to appreciate in the women in my life. Obviously this is Hollywood, but we should care because all media teaches and all media has a message. Lets at least think about it. If your students are watching this film, do they pick up on any of these themes? Maybe you might ask them something like: How is power distributed between genders in super hero movies like Iron Man 3? Is that accurate to your real world experience? Why or why doesn't that matter?

Escaping Fear

or ?

This article makes some excellent points about the change of American cinema (and especially of super hero movies) post 9/11. In this review, Mr. Dargis of the NY Times has some strong words for the filmmakers of Iron Man 3 when it comes to escapism and our current society's interest and willingness to face our fears.

“Iron Man 3” is conspicuously meant to be escapist entertainment (a pathetic conceit, given what it says movie people think about real life — or rather the real lives of their customers). But Mr. Black and his colleagues, like other filmmakers who use the iconography of Sept. 11 and its aftershocks, want to have it both ways. They want to tap into the powerful reactions those events induced, while dodging the complex issues and especially the political arguments that might turn off ticket buyers. The result is that in some movies Sept. 11 — along with Afghanistan, Iraq, terrorism, the war on terror and torture — registers as just a device, at once inherently political and empty, in a filmmaker’s tool kit.

To be honest, when I was watching the film and Ben Kingsley's character was revealed (SPOILER!) to be just a pawn actor with no bad intention, it was a large and happy surprise. I felt it was a clever way to play with my expectations of the narrative structure of the film and I also appreciated the lighter tone it brought to the seemingly dark movie. So, is my happiness with the surprise all because I was going to escape, and not to engage? I don't know, maybe. Either way, Dargis' thoughts have caused me to reflect quite a bit. Large budget hero films seem to be getting darker as time goes on (e.g. The Dark Knight, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and the upcoming Thor: The Dark World) and perhaps that has to do with our society's unhappy flirtation with the reality of our complex global community which isn't all happy.

Abandoning Digital Distractions 

Something I love about this film is it makes for a great analogy of recognizing the imperfections and distractions of digital/non-human technologies (obviously, this has been on my mind recently)

Tony Stark sits in contemplation next
to his technologyenhanced self. 

In an early scene in the film, Pepper comes home and is met by what appears to be Tony in his Iron suit. However it is just a robot and Tony is down in his man-cave working on things, leaving the technology to handle his relationship with Pepper. This small storyline (or maybe it is big?) is concluded when he destroys all of his suits and ultimately gives up being Iron Man. This was the strongest theme of the film for me: spend real time with real people and in doing so you will find your true identity.

It isn't just students who struggle to put away their phone or focus on their work for long periods of time without Facebook, this is something we all face. Iron Man blew up his distractions - how do you deal with yours?

Skyfall: Heroism, and Women

Daniel Craig in "Skyfall"

My wife and I hit the dollar theater the other night to see the latest installment of the 50 year old 007 franchise. What most intrigued me about the film was the fact that Roger Deakins shot it (and that the film redeemed the series from the waste of Quantum of Solace), and I was not disappointed. However, as I began to think more about the film and my adrenaline stopped pumping I began reflecting on how it could be used in teaching. What has the 007 series taught us? I realized that this film offers some great opportunities to discuss elements of media literacy such as cultural heros and their reflection of the society that supports them, as well has the depiction of women. This post is intended to be a launch pad to discussion rather than a dissemination of well-packaged wisdom.

Who is this "hero" and why do we like him?

Obviously Bond, James Bond. The problem, however, is what happens if you were required to explain to an alien population why Bond is such a great hero. Well lets see . . . he kills people, he drives cool cars, he has nifty gadgets, and he never smiles or cries. Oh and don't forget, he usually travels with, travels to, or travels over a woman wearing something people call a dress . . . though it never really could be properly defended as such.

This depiction of a hero offers students the chance to talk about what it means to have a hero, and support heros. Washington was a hero to the newborn United States, Lincoln to the repressed Negro, Kennedy to Catholics around the globe. Why? I think more importantly than just naming the why is reflection on questions such as: "Who are your heros? How does what they do influence how you think and act?" 

What can be learned about the ideal man or ideal woman?

Bérénice Marlohe in "Skyfall"

If you have seen Skyfall, then you know why the picture to the left is deeply ironic. Marlohe's character is one of three women in the film that Bond makes sexual moves on. Interestingly enough, he comes at the woman after expressing his desire to help her escape the man who purchased her from the sex trade as a young girl. How does Bond "help"? He has sex with her, allows her to be captured and beaten, and then shot. All he can say about it is, "That was a waste of perfectly good scotch."

So a question one might ask their students: How is Bond's treatment of this woman different than that of her "owner"? Does this image help or hurt the idea of sex trafficking?

The Bond Girl has been around since the first film of the franchise (Dr. No). Over the years the role and impact of the women in each 007 film has changed, reflecting a continuing evolution of the role of women. This article gives a great summary and perspective of Bond's "psychosexual complexity" and reveals that there is more to discuss here than just how 'cool' the movie was.

Beyond heroism, women, and the journey of heros in film and literature, other topics of discussion include Bond's relationship with Q (the evolving use and love of technology) as well as the rule of law and military crime.