할리우드 슈퍼히어로 영화의 영웅성 변화 연구 : 2000년대 영화를 중심으로 = A study on change of heroism in Hollywood superherp movies : focusing on 2000s movies

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study started from a curiosity about the recent successes of Hollywood superhero movies that now established a genre after 2000. After <Superman> in 1978, which is the beginning of super hero movie, only 10 movies were produced during more than 2 decades but after 2000, more than 30 superhero movies were released in the market. The reason why superhero movie became popular as of 2000 is due to the change of heroism and hero characters which is represented by superman(absolute superhero) and spiderman(who has many thoughts) reflecting the times and needs of audiences. This paper is focusing on analyzing diverse aspects of the change assuming that the change is the major factor of successes of superhero movies.
As an extension of ideology study (but different from other previous studies that were more focusing on criticizing), this paper is focusing on capturing collapsing American legend or analyzing superhero's inner mind who grow up through introspection. So far, commercial films, especially hollywood blockbusters, have tendedto be devaluated. However, Hollywood blockbusters are the quickest genre to reflect changes of the time and audiences' needs. Superhero movie is the one which adapted to this change most smartly. Although superhero movies are usually deployed on the front line of Hollywood blockbusters, this paper tried to reach a produceable discussion through finding a new point of view for superhero movie rather than repeating conventional discussion that superhero movies glorify Americanism through spectacles.
As per a mythologist, Joseph Campbell, who said movie can be seen as a myth of modern times, superhero movie is a text for reenacting of hero adventure stories and to analyze myth, interpretation of metaphors and symbols is most critical. Myths around the world have similar original forms and superhero movie also shares this form. The ultimate objective of this paper is to see how superhero movie creates modern myth and to study the changes of heroism in movies by capturing differences between traditional superheroes which is represented by <Superman> and modern superheroes in 21 century.
Among recent superhero movies which released in domestic market after 2000, <The Dark Knight>(2008), <Spider-Man>(2002) and <Watchmen>(2009) are analyzed as they convey the change of heroism most clearly.
Potential for social/cultural criticism of superhero movie was analysed through <The Dark Knight> which showed collapse of American munitions industry/capitalism through an ironic situation that an attempt to protect peace rather invites bigger villain.
Hero myth seemed only interpretatable in macroscopic perspective but <Spider-Man> showed superhero's personal pointof view as a man who has inner conflict between a man who loves a girl and superhero who has to save the world. Based on this aspect, this paper analyzed how superhero's conflicts and characters became more personal.
Lastly, through <Watchmen>, which described paradox that superhero- who suppose to pursue world peace- can be the most dangerous person in the world when he use the power for his own sake, elitism which represent two side of power was criticized in order to make a point that the world is now became a place to be developed by social intelligence not by a few powerful people.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 1. 서론 1
• 1.1 연구목적 1
• 1.2 선행연구 및 문제제기 5
• 1.3 연구대상 및 연구방법 9
• 2. 새로운 영웅들 12
• 2.1 영웅이란 무엇인가? 12
• (1) 영웅성의 정의 12
• (2) 현대 신화로서의 슈퍼히어로 17
• 2.2 영웅성의 변화 20
• (1) 2000년 이전의 슈퍼히어로 20
• (2) 새로운 슈퍼히어로의 특징 24
• 3. 텍스트 분석 29
• 3.1 미국 신화적 영웅의 붕괴 : <다크나이트> 29
• 3.2 정체성 갈등에 빠진 영웅 : <스파이더맨> 39
• 3.3 영웅에 대한 근본적 회의 : <왓치맨> 53
• 4. 결론 68
• 참고문헌 71
• ABSTRACT 75