Synopses & Reviews
In recent years some of the best-known European and American art film directors have made films that place the spectator in a position of intense discomfort: Feel-Bad Films. Through analysis of films by directors such as Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant and Claire Denis, amongst others, this book explores why we are attracted to these unpleasurable viewing experiences, what directors believe they can achieve via the feel-bad experience and how we can situate the films in intellectual history.
Synopsis
In recent years some of the most innovative European and American directors have made films that place the spectator in a position of intense discomfort. Systematically manipulating the viewer, sometimes by withholding information, sometimes through shock or seduction, these films have often been criticised as amoral, nihilistic, politically irresponsible or anti-humanistic. But how are these unpleasurable viewing experiences created? What do the directors believe they can achieve via this 'feel-bad' experience? How can we situate these films in intellectual history? And why should we watch, study and teach feel-bad films?
Answering these questions through the analysis of work by directors such as Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, Lucille Hadzihalilovic, Brian de Palma, Bruno Dumont and Harmony Korine, The Feel-Bad Film invites readers to consider cinematic art as an experimental activity with ethical norms that are radically different from the ones we would hope to find outside the movie theatre.
This textbook offers invaluble insights for students of film-philosophy, film and spectatorship and film theory.
About the series: Edinburgh Studies in Film and Intermediality includes scholarly research intended to challenge and expand on the various approaches to Film Studies, bringing together film theory and film aesthetics with the emerging intermedial aspects of the field.
Synopsis
An analysis of what contemporary directors seek to attain by putting their spectators in a position of strong discomfort
Synopsis
In recent years some of the best-known European and American art film directors have made films that place the spectator in a position of intense discomfort: Feel-Bad Films. These films systematically manipulate the spectator: sometimes by withholding information from her, sometimes by shocking her, and sometimes by seducing her in order to further disturb her. As a result, they have been criticized for being amoral, nihilistic, politically irresponsible and anti-humanistic.
The Feel-Bad Film raises three questions to this body of work: How is the feel-bad experience created? What do the directors believe they can achieve in this manner? And how should the films be situated in intellectual history? Through close analysis of films by Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, Lucille Hadzihalilovic, Brian de Palma, Bruno Dumont and Harmony Korine, the book argues that feel-bad directors invite the spectator to think of art as an experimental activity with ethical norms that are different from the ones we hope to find outside the movie theatre. Only when given the freedom to take advantage of this asymmetry can film realize its ethical potential.
Synopsis
An analysis of what contemporary directors seek to attain by putting their spectators in a position of strong discomfort
In recent years some of the best-known European and American art film directors have made films that place the spectator in a position of intense discomfort: Feel-Bad Films. These films systematically manipulate the spectator: sometimes by withholding information from her, sometimes by shocking her, and sometimes by seducing her in order to further disturb her. As a result, they have been criticized for being amoral, nihilistic, politically irresponsible and anti-humanistic.
The Feel-Bad Film raises three questions to this body of work: How is the feel-bad experience created? What do the directors believe they can achieve in this manner? And how should the films be situated in intellectual history? Through close analysis of films by Lars von Trier, Gus Van Sant, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, Lucille Hadzihalilovic, Brian de Palma, Bruno Dumont and Harmony Korine, the book argues that feel-bad directors invite the spectator to think of art as an experimental activity with ethical norms that are different from the ones we hope to find outside the movie theatre. Only when given the freedom to take advantage of this asymmetry can film realize its ethical potential.
Key features:
- Detailed analyses of the work of some of the best-known contemporary art film directors
- A stimulating contribution to current debates about the ethics and politics of cinematic spectatorship
- The conceptualization of a cinematic genre that will allow us to reconsider debates about the social potential of film
Case studies include: - Lars von Trier: Dogville (Denmark)
- Brian de Palma: Redacted (US)
- Gus Van Sant: Elephant (US)
- Lucille Hadzihalilovic: Innocence (France)
- Stan Brakhage: Kindering (US)
- Ruben stlund: Play (Sweden)
- Bruno Dumont: Twentynine Palms (France)
- Harmony Korine: Trash Humpers (US)
About the Author
Dr Nikolaj Lübecker is Tutor and Fellow in French at St John's College at the University of Oxford. He has a D.E.A. and Ph.D. (Université Paris 7 - Denis Diderot), M.A. (University of Copenhagen).
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1. Assault
1.1. The Inner Bastard: Lars von Trier's Dogville
1.2. Ethics via the Body: Haneke and Staho
1.3. Going too Far? Brian de Palma's Redacted
2. Unease
2.1. Being Elephant: Gus Van Sant's Elephant
2.2. Suspension Films: Claire Denis and Michael Haneke
2.3. Embracing Childhood: Lucille Hadzihalilovic' Innocence and Stan Brakhage's Kindering
3. Transgression, Transgression
3.1. The Avant-Garde as Tragedy? Bruno Dumont's Twentynine Palms
3.2. Desperation Films: Urszula Antoniak and Marina de Van
3.3. The Avant-Garde as Farce? Harmony Korine's Trash Humpers
Conclusion