Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Ciara Whelan: My article is analyzing and evaluating the ethnic whiteness represented in Rocky IV (1985). This film is selected as an apt example of a cinematic representation of Italian Americans in late-twentieth-century cinema, during a period in which discourse around whiteness in America was shifting to include hybridized ethnic and racial identity forms. The essay considers the significant juncture between hegemonic masculinity and whiteness in this film that is characteristic of Reagan-era somatic aesthetics.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
CW: This research involved a variety of scene analyses to discern important thematic, ideological, and formal elements that support the paper’s thesis. The examination of racial identity and whiteness in this paper is indebted to the important work of Richard Dyer, and particularly to his book White (1997). The analysis of gender paradigms was supported by the work of Susan Jeffords on hard-body heroic images during the Reagan administration in the 1980s. The paper evaluated disparate elements of the Rocky character to constitutes its thesis, and engaged critically with Stallone’s star image, the antagonism of Ivan Drago’s (Dolph Lungren) ethnic identity, the role of women and Blackness in the text, and the formal effects of the montage.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
CW: This paper was produced for a final assignment in a class during the first semester of my final year entitled “Whiteness, Ethnicity, and U.S. Culture.” The purpose of the assignment was to select a film that was not a part of the class curriculum and apply the theory and analytical skills that we had developed over the course of the semester.
FM: What does your writing process look like?
CW: My writing process begins necessarily with a large amount of reading. Once I have gathered the appropriate amount of secondary criticism, I begin the process of planning the paper down to the smallest detail. I like to have a detailed plan to refer back to throughout my writing process to keep the aim of my paper in mind, and because my process can be a little haphazard, it helps maintain the structure and flow of the paper. I tend to write papers out of order and begin wherever I feel I have the strongest sense of my argument and move around the paper as the points come to mind.
FM: How have your personal experiences shaped and influenced your writing?
CW: Writing was always something I enjoyed and endeavored to enhance; completing the bulk of my undergraduate work during the COVID-19 lockdown meant that there was plenty of time to better this skill and very little else to do. My writing is surely influenced by the level of work I put in during the pandemic and is a credit to the effort I managed to put into my undergraduate study during this challenging period.
FM: What are your methods for finding diverse and relevant sources?
CW: I tend to begin with the literature prescribed in my coursework and then branch out to some further reading after that. JSTOR and Google Scholar are essential search engines, in this regard, and have provided me with a number of key readings throughout my studies.
FM: Why is including marginalized voices in research important to you?
CW: Film studies is nothing without the diverse voices that introduce so much knowledge and insight into the field. It was important to include eminent literature like the work of Dyer and Jeffords, but it was also important to include newer work by a range of diverse scholars from across the field.
FM: What aspects of the writing process were most challenging? Why?
CW: The planning process was probably the most arduous part of producing the essay, because despite the fact that the paper only engages with one film, there was a lot to say about Rocky IV, and deciding what to limit my analysis and discussion to was challenging.
FM: What’s a resistance point you hit in your writing, and how did you move past it?
CW: I would say that ensuring the introduction was as strong as possible was a bit of a resistance point, as I wanted to make sure that it formed a solid foundation for the rest of the essay. I found myself returning regularly to edit the introduction as my paper progressed but, in the end, it was a matter of reading and re-reading the final draft and feeling sure it was strong enough to support the entire piece.
FM: What do you enjoy most about your article?
CW: I knew that I would have to select a film myself for this article and, after some deliberation, I landed on Rocky IV. The film franchise was a big part of my childhood, and getting to watch the film again was something I really enjoyed. It was also really interesting to watch the film with a fresh and critical perspective; I got a lot more out of the film than I had previously as a result.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
CW: This is my first experience of an editorial and publication process and I imagine it will be great to have engaged with this process in years to come as I hopefully continue to publish in journals and elsewhere. I’m grateful for the peer-review process that Film Matters offers, and the extensive feedback that it helpfully provided.
FM: What audience do you hope to reach with your Film Matters article and/or what impact do you hope it has on the field of film studies?
CW: I’m grateful for any audience that my research might reach, and hope that it might interest anybody in the field of film studies. I hope that this article will be a welcome contribution to the existing literature on Reagan-era cinema and somatic aesthetics.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
CW: The English, Drama, and Film Department at UCD have founded my knowledge in the field of literature and cinema and have provided me with the skills and knowledge necessary to proceed with a career in academia.
FM: How have your faculty mentors fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
CW: The academic staff at UCD have been invaluable to my development as a junior scholar and I have had the opportunity to broaden my knowledge in a range of different modules and areas of study.
FM: What advice do you have for undergraduate film and media scholars?
CW: My advice would be to maintain a strong focus in an area that is of deep interest and importance to you, while also maintaining a relative interest in the broader field of film studies and other areas of research that may converge in and contribute to your academic work.
FM: What are your future plans?
CW: I’m almost finished with my MA in Literature and Culture in UCD, and I hope to begin my PhD research into crisis masculinity and Irish screen culture in the coming months. I plan to keep writing and producing papers in key areas of interest in my field and develop my knowledge of other areas of film studies as well.
Author Biography
Ciara Whelan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and Film Studies from University College Dublin in 2023. She has since pursued an MA in Literature and Culture and plans to begin her PhD research in Irish cinema and crisis masculinity in the coming academic year.
