Boxers and Boxing in American Cinema

In this course we will examine the representation of boxing and the boxer in American film, principally fiction film. Popular images of “the fight” and “the fighter” will be investigated and special attention will be given to social conflicts including class, race, and gender expressed through these films. We will study the influence of literature, painting, sports culture, and the film industry upon the evolution of the boxer in American cinema. The formal conventions and innovative practices that organize such representations and, in turn, affect audience response will also be investigated.