Neo-noir Populism and nostalgia of masculinity

the case of Drive

Abstract

This text deals with analysing the process of construction of the protagonist of Drive, directed by Winding Refn in 2011. Based on a scheme of the prototyping of the fictional character, the content of the film is analysed in terms of characterization, using for this a template that codifies the interventions of the protagonist, both in the script and in the film. The results reveal an archetype that functions as an floating signifier that challenges the public to be filled with nostalgic interpretations, not only in terms of masculinity but also with respect to cultural keys associated with the collective imaginary of music and the scenarios of the eighties. Such an archetype is part of a media populism that reinvents noir cinema for the 21st century.