Masculinity can be expressed in many ways. Allot of men feel that to be caring, affectionate and to show an appreciation for the arts, they have to show their masculinity by playing a contact sport, driving fast cars or womanizing. It is much the same in movies although the film usually takes on only one side- the tough march man or the caring affectionate. Strictly Ballroom and The Big Steal are both Australian movies but have completely different ways of portraying each male's masculinity. In these two movies the males show their masculinity through their attitudes and actions, the power they hold over others and the way the camera has helped in technical aspects.
When looking at the actions and attitudes of the males you find that Strictly Ballroom takes an alternative view towards the way the male characters act and behave, whereas in The Big Steal the use of the stereotypical male is what the movie is based around. The three friends in the big steal each play important roles. The most dominant character of the group is Danny around whom the plot revolves. Danny is a likable person who loves cars and anything to do with cars including women. When compared to Strictly Ballroom's main character Scott we find that they are very different. Scott lives to dance unlike Danny who would have nothing to do with it. Scott is not a womanizer and is not concerned about cars in any manner. This is completely different to the stereotyped Danny who enjoys all these things. Danny is always out with his friends having fun while Scott seems to spend a lot of time on his own practicing his dancing. Something they both have in common is taking risks. Scott took a huge risk when he danced his own moves in a ballroom competition and Danny almost got caught swapping a motor to get even with a car salesman. This risk-taking illustrates Scott and Danny's new-found power over other dominant characters.
A perfect example of a character with power is Joanna's dad, Desmond in The Big Steal.
