Creating a Counterpoint: Kirk Douglas, Dustin Hoffman, and the Elaboration of a Film Archetype.

The article traces the historical evolution of the anti-hero in U.S. cinema and television, highlighting the shift from traditional heroic archetypes to morally ambiguous and flawed protagonists. Topics include the development of the "chink-in-the-armor" anti-hero by Kirk Douglas, the "nebbish" anti...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quarterly Review of Film & Video Vol. 42; no. 8; pp. 2107 - 2121
Main Author: McGuire, John Thomas
Format: Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Nov/Dec2025
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:The article traces the historical evolution of the anti-hero in U.S. cinema and television, highlighting the shift from traditional heroic archetypes to morally ambiguous and flawed protagonists. Topics include the development of the "chink-in-the-armor" anti-hero by Kirk Douglas, the "nebbish" anti-hero by Dustin Hoffman, and the rise of contemporary anti-heroes in modern media.