By staying independent, have postmodern filmmakers begun to remake the classic hero by means of alternative conventions? Certainly, while festival circuits may seem to be out of the mainstream of cultural influence, many of these independent films eventually appear on Netflix cues next to those with more classic Hollywood forms. While some argue that Hollywood may not yet be undergoing such a permanent shift, the adventuresome viewer with a well-used streaming account is certain to feel it now.
As one examines herophobic films featuring protagonists on aimless journeys saturated with aheroic agency, once may ask if the classic hero has begun to languish within our collective consciousness. Critics and scholars are invited to pay close attention to the long-term social consequences of this new monomyth—cultural narratives that replace the orthodox heroic protagonist with the aheroic model. These are heroes who, at best, do nothing at all of consequence and take no moral stand. At worse, they find redemption in unapologetic rage and revenge—bringing back to their community not an elixir, but a poison. These are stories by filmmakers who substitute a coherent and pro-social teleology with a fragmented journey toward meaninglessness and destruction.
In this session, we will examine a selection of notoriously aheroic protagonists in independent films screened at top-tier festivals over the last several years.