The Jungian Psychology of Cool: Ryan Gosling and the Repurposing of

What is defined as masculinity in this country is very nebulous. There is the archetypal ideal male, but there are plenty of visions of masculinity such as the “rebel ” and “outcast ” which do not easily fit in that category. These rebel archetypes appear in such actors as James Dean, Steve McQueen, and Dustin Hoffman. This research project looks at the connections between 1950s and 1960s Hollywood film and current American independent cinema through the lens of psychoanalyst C.G. Jung’s work on archetypes, specifically those appearing within the male youth population of America. It is designed to analyze the “how ” and “why ” of American youth masculinity in mid-20th century cinema and how it reshapes to appear in the star Ryan Gosling. To collect the necessary research, intensive reading of both primary and secondary sources will be required as well as close analysis of 50s, 60s, and current cinema. This is not simply a film analysis in the vein of Jung; it is a gender study using Jungian and post-Jungian psychoanalytic theories. The anticipated conclusion(s) of this study is/are that Jung’s theories can justify that modern American indie cinema reincarnates “cool, ” young stars of the 50s and 60s not simply because these stars are symbols of youth culture and fashion but because this kind of masculinity is an archetype of the American psyche, and our psyche projects these images as cultural symbols through film