REAL MEN traces the development of the Tough Guy from the beginnings of Bogart and John Wayne to the role models of today. While going back and forth in time, the film speaks about much more than just masculinity on screen. Leading men don't start their service out of nowhere, they are always a sign of the times. The film digs deeper: How are these men made or even manufactured? What forces prevail in molding them?
Reality has long since caught up with cinema. The Tough Guy image has made it into politics and has been, once again, relentlessly perpetuated in mainstream movies. Was it really so wise to leave the definition of manhood to cinema? And who's going to control the screen from now on?.