Female Embodiment and Existential Transformation of Sally Hyde in the Coming Home (1978) by Hal Ashby

Abstract

Army, war and morality are always the key themes in the war film which are all related to masculinity. To unveil the problematic representation of masculine power and female vulnerability Hal Ashby's portrayal of Sally Hyde can be a very good example of how a female character transformed from a very margin to centre not only as a female character but also as an individual person that resists the previous female stereotyping in war movies. Especially films on Vietnam always establishes masculinity as the only right and legitimate theme. Women practically do not appear in films on Vietnam, and even if they do, they play the role that only reaffirms the masculinity. Vietnam War films overtly focus on the issue of gender, yet they celebrate, masculinity and mock femininity. This paper will show how the "mocked femininity”, weak, lonely and dependent female character Sally Hyde raised as an independent character and project the manifestation of womanliness possible in a male character too.