The American Anti-Hero

The American Anti-Hero draws its roots from the effect of WWII on the US, as it caused the innocence of filmmaking to be shattered and sparked the need for darker heroes that were far from perfect, and could perform 'bad' or wrong deeds. Additionally, these anti-heroes feel like they need to rebel against the norms of society, and relates to the tragic period of the Korean and Vietnam wars, especially concerning the public reaction of rebelling to these allowed Hollywood to react and create characters that would follow the mood of the country, and that of real Americans as well. Also, the anti-heroes were supposed to portray the life of an average American, and the audience connects to these characters knowing from the start that these characters are doomed to a tragic fate or doomed to fail in their endeavors. In the 1960's and 70's these anti-heroes embodied the feelings of the average American at the time period, in addition to trying to find a new definition of the American spirit with each Hollywood production.