Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2023

Abstract

This essay analyzes gender stereotypes and male feminization in two Latin American films, El beso de la mujer araña (1985) by Héctor Babenco and El lugar sin límites (1978) by Arturo Ripstein. Using criteria proposed by Vinodh Venkatesh regarding a paradigm shift in gender representation in film, these films could be categorized either as “Maricón Cinema” (Faggot Cinema) (before the paradigm shift because the homosexual character is stereotyped and does not appeal to the emotions of the viewer) or as “New Maricón Cinema” (New Faggot Cinema) (after the paradigm shift because they are protagonists and appeal to viewer emotions). To determine this categorization, it is important to analyze how the character’s feminizations are portrayed in the films, if the public cares about the feminized men, what the directors do to highlight femininity, the characteristics of any corresponding masculine characters, and if the movies represent a binary or not. Given these criteria, this essay concludes that both films are considered “New Maricón Cinema.”

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