“Mandy” (2018) and “Jujutsu Kaisen” (2023): Virility and Humiliation

Note: I don’t always like Nicholas Cage and find him kind of a “National Treasure” meme, but his performance in Panos Cosmatos’s movie “Mandy” (2018) was a power trip in a psychedelic world.

The typical “strong men” we’ve seen exuding sexual and political power has taken a very Joker-esque turn the last couple decades. There’s a certain flamboyance of the wildcard antagonist that has a grandiosity predicated on the narcissism we have become fascinated by. In “Mandy” (2018), Nic Cage’s wife gets burned at the stake and he gets brutally tortured by a religious cult-leader, Jeremiah Sand. Nic Cage represents the typical masculine “strong man” archetype that has a stoicism and stature. He begins a revenge spree out of pure humiliation against the unpredictable Jeremiah Sand, who has an androgynous presentation. This is reminiscent of Mahito from Jujutsu Kaisen (2023). Mahito has a grandiosity and generally anti-social disposition, but a charming flamboyance that exudes virility. These leaders exude a prowess by viewing the world as their playground and indulging in the fun that chaos can be. This vastly contrasts the typical stoic “strong men” that Nic Cage and Sakuna portray themselves to be. 

But, charm only goes so far. As we see Sakuna turn Mahito into a little cowering child running away in the cold and Nic Cage turn Jeremiah into a trembling man offering a blowjob to save his life, we see that we are still living in the cage where status and stoicism overpowers the masculine charm of a wildcard. The system still finds a way to swallow up the individual.

-A