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How do?

Only slightly tongue in cheek, I’ll admit. But this is a thread to share clips of the impressive manliness that ever manned on the big screen.

Few rules, because rules are boring.

All I want to see are movie scenes that helped inform and define your own masculinity.

Here’s my pick of the pops. Battle of the Barrows, from Conan the Barbarian. Not for the massively enjoyable yet somehow restrained ultra violence, but for Conan’s entreaty to Crom. Just cinematic perfection.







Automatically Appended Next Post:
Honourable mention, if only because they had far greater numbers than Conan?

Charge of the Rohirrim. Yeah, you know it’s near perfect.




So with the low hanging fruit plucked? Educate me!

But please no misogyny.

Charge of Rohirrem is a fantastic charge, but at the same time whilst they went to their doom it was a huge army against another unprepared for them. Helm's Deep is far more moving in terms of them convinced they are charging only unto their death. Only to distract and delay the orks in one last valiant effort to stand alone.

Fair point.

I find it difficult to choose twixt ‘we stand, because eff you, you’re not taking it without a fight’, and ‘we charge, because eff you you’re taking that without a fight’

Both examples an near equal in terms of having balls of cast iron brass.

And yes, women can have balls of cast iron brass, because it’s an attitude, not a gender!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Actually, having watched it again?

Theoden knew he was riding to his death. And wasn’t taking anyone’s poop.

It is the manlier scene for that!

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
All I want to see are movie scenes that helped inform and define your own masculinity.

My own masculinity?
Well I guess I can only offer the opening scene of A gun for Jennifer then!
NSFW for sexual violence. You can stop at 2:50

For pure unadulterated masculinity in a film?

Only one winner really (watch the making of the film documentary - crazy stuff ).

If it has to be a movie I'm out. I didn't start watching movies before I'd formed all my presumptions of masculinity through Adam West's Batman, the A-team and such.
By the time I watched Micheal Keaton battle Danny de Vito in theatres, I had some experience with the Superman movies on home video- echoing West's gentleman hero.

I was 8 years old watching this. One scene that definitely had a lasting effect on my um, 'masculinity' was the following exchange:



A cool manly scene was this: Batman beating the snot out of a load of bad guys. A genuine anger at villainy, combined with a stoic refusal to panic, reliance on preparation, skill and technology.
This is who I wanted to be at 8.




The fight choreography was entertaining to watch, if tame by today's standards, but there's a sense that Keaton could have been seriously injured or killed by any of these goons. He's not a ninja striking from the shadows here- its a street level brawl.

Hmmm there’s quite a few but the one that jumps to mind is the last of the mohicans in particular the finale.

https://youtu.be/q8ZisDHg6v0

Jingle all the way.

Hear me out.

Yes, it’s Ahnahld once again, but this is a film about a Dad doing whatever it takes to put a smile on his child’s face.

And he even helps out another Dad in the end. That’s a positive message, no?

Son, you've started this thread off in manly fashion!

A little tidbit from a church just south of here:



A little snapshot on how we used to settle of our differences in peaceful fashion



A little school cheer:

some say he's a one note actor but by bod is that note glorious, say arrrrrrrrrgghhh to Reb Brown, a staple of teen turnip's VHS crap i dun rented (general nerd herd policy was if all the good films were out find the worst one, hence my useless knowledge of all things 80's shooty or horror related)

I'm not sure it defined masculinity or anything for me as I didn't see it until I was older, but I adore Commando and try to watch it in some form every year.

I do admit, I have always had a soft-spot for the "You just messed with the wrong man" genre.

I mean, it's Kurt Russell...what else do you need?




And this is Brian Blessed...with Shakespeare..beautifully interpreted by Branagh.

These are both subtle, but speak volumes.




And this is John Wick (the best of the bunch, before the third movie threw it all off the rails). Exposition is a pretty overdone thing in many films. John Wick manages to deliver everything you need to know in a simple 30-second phone call with the Mafia boss. Simple, short, and to the point. The elaborate on it shortly after, but it was almost unnecessary. The "...oh." just says everything you need to know. Sums up John Wick's character instantly.

So far so stereotypically knuckle-dragging.




Frank N. Furter is the single 'male' character that has had the most impact on my self-image.

Though I am neither sweet nor a cross-dresser.

I dunno.

I’m genuinely impressed that peeps haven’t gone for overly macho stuff.

I mean, sure we’re a product of our environment, but I’m genuinely fascinated to see the positive spins taken from hyper masculine characters.

What I’m seeing isn’t ‘grrrrr, me man, me fight’, but examples of bravery and honourable actions.

Of course, there is no one definition of masculinity, far from it.

Frank N Furter is a solid fave, but I associate more with Eddie!

I think there is room to appreciate all forms of the "masculine" image. Is it outlandish muscle and rescuing bikini-clad ladies from baddies? Cool. Is it a strong core of a character delivered in intimidation/strength? Cool. Is it a vengeful or protective father (ala Kevin Bacon in Death Sentence)? Cool. Is it duty-bound honor (ala Bone Tomahawk...a wonderful film)? Cool.

As any man grows up they learn a lot about what it is to be "bad ass". And that bad ass nature almost never correlated to film. In the words of Tywin Lannister "Any man who must say 'I am the king' is no king...". This is something we generally learn as we age. In my time on duty I can assure you that all of the baddest dudes in the agency were the smallest, nicest, most humble guys who never said gak about what they'd done. The big muscled, tattooed, MMA-lovin' knuckleheads, while good agents were never on par with the real guys.

I was qualing one time and a small goofy supervisor (who was an absolute ass to me as a trainee) was qualifying next to me. I noticed after our first half he'd punched a clean target with the first 36 rounds. I asked someone about it later, turns out he'd been all over the special forces community before joining the agency. In short, he was a fuckin' genuine bad-ass. You'd have never known it at all from talking to him.

Overly macho stuff is often amusing in films, but rarely is it any good...Predator being an exception. It's actually a damned solid film despite being lumped in with Arnold's other messes. Overly macho roles are often kind of goofy or intentionally silly, or they're often cast with people who are terrible actors, or thinly written characters.

A great example of all of this in action is one of my favourite films: Man on Fire. A retired guy from "that" world trying to do a simple bodyguard gig when it all goes south. It's basically Taken or Equalizer...but good? Denzel does a superb job, and only rarely lets it shine:

For me it has got to be that which in my books embodies the spirit of loyalty, honour, duty and self sacrifice. Which realy are the only hallmarks of a true man.

Its easy to take what you want be a thug and force your will on others. It just takes being a selfish prick and doing what you want and not caring. Its an easy way out.

But doing the right thing when nobody is looking, admiting to your failures and sacrificing yourself for others takes character.

Couple of mine personal favourites i could find clips on youtube for:

The qualities by which I define my own sense of masculinity.

Care for loved ones:
- providing resources (time, money, etc)
- providing leadership (with my wife. We both know the right way to do things )
- supplying labour as needed
- mentoring children
- a willingness to do what is best, and accepting the consequences of my actions

Leadership
- willingness to grab the bull by the horns and handle difficult situations
- ability to lead from the front, not push from the back
- sharing the “glory” of success with companions

Being fething Awesome
- being reasonably strong (physically)
- having “True Grit”, and able to tough it out
- having a give ‘em hell attitude with the courage to follow through
- belief that a man (person) is free, that is willing to accept the consequences of his (their) actions.

So basically I like Chaotic Good characters.

Batman, John Maclean, Rooster Cogburn... every hero that said, “feth you. I know how to fix it so get out of my way.” And the. Proceeded to “fix it” whatever it is.

 Turnip Jedi wrote:
some say he's a one note actor but by bod is that note glorious, say arrrrrrrrrgghhh to Reb Brown, a staple of teen turnip's VHS crap i dun rented (general nerd herd policy was if all the good films were out find the worst one, hence my useless knowledge of all things 80's shooty or horror related)

Reb Brown One of the most underated men in the movies

Reb Brown is no Zap Rowsdower.

Breaking out from the Big Screen, to the smol.

Possibly one of the best examples of how to man? Mr Rogers.

Now, being British, it wasn’t a childhood feature, as I don’t recall it airing like ever. Which is a shame. But by delving into YouTube, and particularly the fact fiend video on him?

What. A. Dude. Avuncular, fatherly, educational, patient, and pretty much to Compassion as an Avatar is to Khaela Mensha Khaine.




Next vid is the Fact Fiend one, so be aware it can be a bit sweary.




Seriously.

What. A. Dude.

The fact that Rorke's Drift has yet to be brought up is saddening...

Karl Urban in Dredd. https://youtu.be/y7TmC0Lfsbo

 Excommunicatus wrote:
So far so stereotypically knuckle-dragging.

Unfair, mine wasn't knuckle-dragging.

Though I totally missed an opportunity to post this, so I'm doing it now:


Mike is… such a great guy, really. During the whole movie.

For Dredd its the summary he gives his boss compared to the film- dozens of gangers, continuous gunplay, 4 currupt judges and a a quater of a level destroyed by gattling cannon -
"drug bust. Perps were uncooperative"

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

 Excommunicatus wrote:
So far so stereotypically knuckle-dragging.

Unfair, mine wasn't knuckle-dragging.

Though I totally missed an opportunity to post this, so I'm doing it now:


Mike is… such a great guy, really. During the whole movie.

Spoiler:

Looks like a bro, but is compassionate and thoughtful and talented. Full of muscle, but never, ever think of using violence.

Maybe we are supposed to be dishonest if it doesnt fit her idea of manliness lest we be branded knuckle draggers...

Aaaaand that’s plenty thankyouplease.

On with the show.

This is one of the more gnarly scenes I have yet to see. But its manly and also is of importance to the plot of the moive its taken from

If you liked Vahalla Rising, check out “The Mute”, same “grimdark viking” vibe;

 Argive wrote:
Maybe we are supposed to be dishonest if it doesnt fit her idea of manliness lest we be branded knuckle draggers...

What? That's not what I had in mind at all.

IMHO one of the best shows about masculinity is Black Sails - every character portrays a different aspect of it and there are some brilliant dialogues in later seasons between John Silver and Captain Flint that go deeper under the hood of male view of the world and male interactions with the world.