Tragedy, Trauma and Transgression
Although once dismissed as ‘women’s weepies’, melodramas focus on potent themes, including repression, duty and defiance in relationships, motherhood and sexual identity, which resonate with audiences across the world.
This talk, by Professor Maggie Andrews, will explore how this genre’s characteristic, expressive and exaggerated style interrogates transgressive and subversive relationships, revealing the emotional conflict of the tortured inner lives of its protagonists, in films such as: ‘Stella Dallas’ (1937), ‘Waterloo Bridge’ (1940) ‘Tokyo Twilight’ (1957) ‘The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant’ (1972), ‘Far From Heaven’ (2002) and ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005).
Particular attention will be paid to the work of director Douglas Sirk, including ‘All That Heaven Allows’ (1955) and ‘Written on the Wind’ (1956) and also to those of two directors who were influenced by his work, Pedro Almodóvar (‘Talk to Her’ (2002), ‘Volver’ (2006)) and Todd Haynes’ (‘Far From Heaven’ (2002) and ‘Carol’ (2015)).
100m inc Q&A
Tickets £8