Here are my top films that showcase strength, courage, perseverance, loyalty, intelligence, self-sacrifice, charisma and sensitivity/care by strong male characters from over the decades.
The List
Casablanca (1942) — Bogart.
High Noon (1952) — Gary Cooper.
12 Angry Men (1957) Henry Fonda
The Magnificent 7 (1960), or the Seven Samurai (1954) — Most of the leads, and some of the villagers.
Yojimbo (1961) — The Man With No Name
To Kill A Mocking Bird (1962) — Gregory Peck
Superman (1978) — Christopher Reeve.
The Princess Bride (1987) — Miracle Max. Just kidding. Vizzini.
Good Will Hunting (1997) — Matt Damon and Robin Williams
Saving Private Ryan (1998) — Tom Hanks
Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 - ) — take your pick.
Milk (2008) — Sean Penn
Honorable Mentions
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) — Jimmy Stewart
North By Northwest (1959) — Cary Grant
Spartacus (1960) — Kirk Douglass
In the Heat of the Night (1967) — Virgil Tibs
Conan the Barbarian (1984) — Aaaaaahnold.
Gladiator (2000) — “My name is….”
True Grit (2010) —Jeff Bridges
Call Me By Your Name (2017) Armie Hammer
Feel free to ask me about any of these selections. I don’t want to spoil anything in the diary proper for those who haven’t seen the film.
And, what about you? What are some of your favorite movies that showcase positive masculine archetypes?