Masculinity In The Film 'The Last Picture Show'

Peter Bogdanovich 1971 film, The Last Picture Show, tells a coming of age story about a boy and his friends in the dying Texas town of Anarene, in the 1950s. While exploring various themes of masculinity pertaining to relationships—in the friendship, family, and romantic aspects—as well as the style in which the film was shot, and the staging of various scenes, Bogdanovich’s film leads into Siegfried Kracauer’s theory of the realist tendency. Also, the usage of various cowboy ideologies, combined with elements of western-styled films, permits the viewers to make a meaningful connection to the story up on the screen. These themes work together to add a significant sense of realism to the plot, making it an exceptionally enjoyable film to watch.
Kracauer’s realist tendency theory states, “…films go beyond photography in two ways. First, they picture movement itself, not only one or another of its phases...Second, films may seize

And how does it relate to masculinity? Kracauer describes one form of movement known as “the chase.” Although Bogdanovich isn’t as extreme with his usage of motion, the basic concept of “establishing a continuity of physical action (Kracauer, Theory of Film, 42).” There are several long takes that make excellent use of “the chase,” one being the scene where Billy is hit by the truck while sweeping in