The hero's image in Iranian popular cinema in the 80's (2001 - 2011)

In this article, Iranian society in the 80s is analyzed in terms of its prevailing insights using the theory of reflection in the sociology of cinema. This theory, which considers art as a mirror for society, permits researcher to study the predominant perceptions of the period under investigation. This is done through assessment of the image of hero shown in its cinema. Moreover, the general approach of the sociology of cinema provides the opportunity to compare the findings of the analysis of movies and their contemporary political, social, and economic events. Often, the reflection of such events that appears in movies can be investigated.
This study is based on a qualitative method and the technique) used Barth’s structural narratology. This is completed with a documentary study that describes the political, social and economic conditions of the 80s. The most important finding of this article includes identifying two kinds of active and passive heroes in the popular movies of the 80s, each being dominant in the first and second half of the decade, respectively. In the other words, transforming the active hero to a passive one is the key change which is occurred in the characteristics of hero in these movies.