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Dealing with some of the major themes in film narratives, this book draws on the theories of French psychoanalyst Julia Kristeva. It looks at how narratives have changed over time, and considers the sources of our variable reactions to themes and representations of horror, strangers, and love.
In addition to a selection of contemporary mainstream films, the major films for analysis are New Zealand “New Wave” films such as Alison Maclean’s Kitchen Sink and Crush; Vincent Ward’s Vigil; and Jane Campion’s Sweety, An Angel at My Table, and The Piano.
"An exacting, impressive survey of Julia Kristeva's intersection with film, Goodnow's book offers numerous insights into the influential critic's work and a useful summary of the scope and range of her inquiry...This is a solid piece of cogent critical analysis, rich in detail and insight." · Choice
Acknowledgements
Preface
Chapter 1. Introduction to Kristeva
- A first general concept: Order and disturbances of order
- A second pervasive concern: The text of society and history
- Proximal history
Chapter 2. Horror - Basic concepts: The abject and its varieties
- Introducing Kitchen Sink
- The abject, borders, and images of pollution
- Varieties of the abject
Chapter 3. Horror - Specifiying the circumstances
- The nature of rituals of defilement
- The function of rituals of defilement
- Questions about rituals
- The knowledge that rituals imply
- Differences among spectators
Chapter 4. Strangers - Basic concepts: Strangers without and within
- Aspects of continuity and change
- Introducing two films: Vigil and Crush
- Who is the stranger?
- What marks the stranger?
- What creates the tension?
- What is the narrative function of the stranger?
- When are tensions and changes most likely to occur?
Chapter 5. Strangers – Expansions: The stranger’s story
- Introducing An Angel At My Table
- The stranger's position
- The stranger's feelings
- The stranger's options
- Angel’s impact upon the spectator
Chapter 6. Love - Basic concepts
- Aspects of continuity and change
- Sweetie, Piano: An introduction
- What are the forms of love?
- The difficulties of love
- Links to change: Steps towards love
- Times of difficulty and change
Chapter 7. Love - Expansions: Old and new discourses
- Aspects of continuity and change
- Current discourses and their weaknesses
- The shape of new tales of love
- The special case of motherhood and material love
Chapter 8. The text of society and history
- The paths for Vigil and Kitchen Sink
- A rockier path: Crush
- Campion’s first feature: Sweetie
- Campion’s second feature: Angel
- Campion’s third feature: The Piano
- Cross-cutting themes
Chapter 9. Some conceptual questions
- Kristeva's "generations" of feminist theory
- On ”men” and ”women”
- Women’s voice, women’s writing, women’s genius
- Some reservations
- A reminder of positives
End-notes
References