Romance-film.ppt8

RomancefilmAcasestudyoftheEnglishPatientTheEnglishPatientThefilmscoopedaheapofOscarsonitsreleasein1996.BestpictureBestdirectorBestsupportingactressBestcinematographyBestmusic,filmediting,artdirection-setdecoration,costumedesign,andbestsoundSynopsisTime:neartheendofWorldWarIISetting:NorthAfricaHook:ayoungCanadiannurse,Hana,hasagreedtoremaininadesertedItalianmonasterycaringforthemysterious“EnglishPatient”,whoisbadlyburnedandslowlydying.KipisanIndiansapperwhoenjoysabriefaffairwithHana.SynopsisTheEnglishpatientrecallsandrecountshispast.CountLaszloAlmasy(Hungarian),expeditiontomaptheregionGeoffreyCliftonandKatherineAlmasyandKatherinefellpassionatelyinloveandbeganatempestuousaffairthatledtoGeoffrey’sattempttokillthemall.CharactersUnlikelycoupleAlmasyKatherineHungarianEnglishUnmarriedMarriedUnsociableSociableMelancholicSanguineUnconventionalConventionalInlovewiththeNorthAfricandesertDreamingofanEnglishgardenfacingtheseaCharactersUnlikelycoupleKipHanaAsianWesternIndianCanadianSoldier(agentofwar)Nurse(agentofpeace)ScientificallyinclinedArtisticallyinclinedSexuallyreticent(silent,passive)SexuallyforwardAlmasy’scharacter“IwantedtoerasemynameandtheplaceIhadcomefrom.Bythetimethewarhadarrived,aster10yearsinthedesert,itwaseasyformetoslipacrossborders,nottobelongtoanyone,toanynation.”Almasy:intoleranceofrestrictionsKatherine’scharacterAconservativeEnglishwomanSheisawomanforwhomresponsibilities,emotionalbonds,andastablesenseofpersonalidentityremaincruciallyimportant.emotionallyattachedtoherhomeinEnglandNarrativeThemainplot:meeting,affair,discoveryandultimatedeathsofthetwomaincharacters,AlmasyandKatherine.Thefirstsubplot:Almasy’sbetrayaloftheAlliedforce,thetortureandmutilationofCaravaggio,andCaravaggio’squestforrevengeagainstAlmasy.Hana’srelationshipwithKip.ThefunctionsofthenarrativeItemphasizestheemotionalmagnitudeofthemainplot.Bothsubplotsareovershadowedanddwarfedbythescaleofthemainplot.Itdrawsattentiontothenotionthatgreatloveaffairshaveconsequences.ThemainplotandthesubplotContradictoryloveSeethetableStyle:propsHerodotus:fatherofhistoryThestoryofCandaules（坎道列斯）:Gyges（巨吉斯）,afterviewingthenakedbodyofthebeautifulwifeofKingCandaules,killsthekingandmarriesthequeen,therebyestablishinganewdynastyasKingofLydia(吕底亚王国).Personaldesirehastranslateddirectlyintopoliticalactionofhistoricsignificance.PropsAlmasy’spersonaldesireforKatherinecauseshimtohandoverhismapstotheNazisandtobetraytheAllied,whichleadstothedeathsofmanyatGermanhands.SettingThespectaculardesertThedesert,paradoxically,issymbolicofbothtimeandinfinityThedesertisseenasagreatdestroyer,whosesandswillerodeandwipeawayanyattemptsbymantomakeapermanentmarkuponit.Assuchitrepresentsthedestructiveforceoftime.SettingInitsmassivegeographicalextent,thedesertseemsinfinite.ItisexpressiveoftheloveofAlmasyandKatherineTemporallylimited:theprotagonistmustdieInfinite:loveintheirheartscanneverbedestroyedSettingRollingcurvesofthedesertdunes:thecurvesofawoman’sbodyThemetaphor:AlmasyandGeoffreyfightforpossessionofKatherine’sbody,inthebackgroundtheGermansandBritisharefightingforthepossessionofthedesert.CriticalperspectivesThepassionateloveTheaffairisillicit.(betraying,disloyalty,infidelity)Theaffairisoppositional.(Almasy:introspective/unorthodox;Katherine:extraverted/conservative)Theloveaffairisunrealisticandtheirdreamsunrealizable.NationalismBenedictAndersonNationsareimaginedcommunities,Nationisanideaandafeelingratherthanarealityorafact.Nationalismandsexualpossessivenessarerelated.TheparadoxofnationalismNationalismisthedrivingforcesbehindwar,yetoneofthelong-termconsequencesofwarmaybetheerosionofnationaldifferences.(HanaandKip)Nationalismhasmadethewarhappen,butthewarhasbroughtthepeoplesandculturesoftheworldcontactonanunprecedentedlevel.Post-colonialconceptofthe“other”EdwardSaidOne’sidentityisdefinedthroughcontrastsandoppositionswithanimaginedorconstructed“other”race,nation,people,orculture.Post-colonialismapproachCountAlmasyengagedingeographicalandethnographicalresearchthatproducedmanyofthecolonialtextsthatpresentedtheEastasexotic,mysterious,irrationalOther.RomanceasagenreThenarrativeoftheromancecentersontheromanticinvolvementofthemaincharacters,thedevelopmentoftheirrelationship,andtheobstaclestheyface.RomanceasagenreUnlikelycoupleConflictbetweenromanticandsocialperspectivesRomancefilmAproblem-freelovestoryisacontradictioninterms,suspiciouslylackingtheexcitement,complexityanddangerofrealpassion,unlessthehappycouplearerepressingaspectsoftheirownnatureanddesires,whichisinitselfaproblem.RomancefilmRomancefilmsarelovestorieswhosenarrativecentersontheromanticinvolvementofthemaincharactersandthecourseoftheirlove.Obstaclesandhazards:misunderstanding,Involuntaryseparation,financialdifficulty,enviouslovers,racialorclassdiscrimination,familyopposition,warorphysicalillnessTheessenceofromanticfilmTheessenceofromanticfilmisthe“forceopposedtolove”that,bypresentingobstaclestothelovers,turnsaloveaffairintoastory.Blockingcharacters:traditionallytheparent