When we think of Hollywood movies that perpetuate patriarchal society, Top Gun is always near the top of that list – and with good reason, since it is a film that is entirely about machismo. In fact, it is so iconic in its depiction of exaggerated masculinity that it is one of the main sources of the movie tropes that became so prevalent in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The reason for that is simple. The film – directed by Tony Scott and written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr - is a highly successful exercise in formulaic filmmaking.

It’s all there in the story arc – the arrogant young buck, haunted by the mysterious death of his fighter...

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