Description
ABSENCE AND EXCESS
Book Summary
This essay analyzes the paradox of the representation of female homosexuality in Hollywood cinema: the invisibility of lesbians and bisexuals as complex identities versus the recurrence of female characters who engage in explicit lesbian scenes and commit violence. Through a study of the archetype of the lesbian or bisexual murderess, the author explores its origins in classic cinema, its crystallization in the neo-noir of the nineties, and its evolution in postmodernity, revealing the tensions between misogyny, homophobia, and subversive potential.
What is it about?
Coinciding with the thirtieth anniversary of Basic Instinct, Francina Ribes Pericás investigates a persistent cinematic phenomenon: the figure of the lesbian or bisexual woman who kills. The book traces the seed of this archetype from the origins of cinema, through the figure of the lesbian vampire, to its consolidation in the Hollywood of the nineties, where films such as Single White Female, Bound, Wild Things, Heavenly Creatures, Monster, Mulholland Drive, or Black Swan popularized these excessive and violent femininities. The work examines how this character is born marked by homophobia and misogyny, but also delves into its ability to challenge the norms of gender and sexuality, questioning its meaning in contemporary cinema.
Main themes
- Analysis of the archetype of the lesbian and bisexual murderess in Hollywood cinema.
- LGTBIQ+ representation in mainstream cinema and its relationship with invisibility and excess.
- Evolution of film noir and neo-noir, and its legacy in the figure of the femme fatale.
- Relationship between violence, female sexuality, and film genres such as horror and noir.
- Study of the paradox between historical homophobia and the subversive potential of certain characters.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in gender and sexuality studies applied to film, as well as cinephiles who wish to delve into the critical analysis of popular movies. It is also of great interest to those researching LGTBIQ+ representation in media and the evolution of female archetypes in contemporary visual culture.
What this book offers
- A rigorous and contextualized analysis of a recurring cinematic archetype, from its origins to current cinema.
- A reflection on the contradictions in the representation of female homosexuality in commercial cinema.
- Keys to understanding how violence and sexuality are intertwined in the construction of female characters in genre film.
- A critical perspective that unveils both the negative baggage and the transgressive potential of these figures.
Technical Specifications
- Author: RIBES PERICAS, FRANCINA
- Publisher: DOS BIGOTES
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: FILMS, CINEMA
- Collection: DOS BIGOTES
- Publication date: October 2022
- Number of pages: 312
- Weight: 556 g
Editorial Review
Absence and Excess is an essential essay for those seeking a critical and documented perspective on female and LGTBIQ+ representation in cinema. The author combines film analysis with a gender perspective that unravels the contradictions of Hollywood, offering a reading that enriches the understanding of well-known films and raises new questions about the power of archetypes. Its academic yet accessible approach makes it a reference work for both specialists and film buffs with a critical conscience.