Description
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lacan but Were Afraid to Ask Hitchcock
Book Summary
A bold exploration that bridges Lacanian psychoanalysis and the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Slavoj Žižek, renowned philosopher and psychoanalyst, demonstrates how the films of the master of suspense do not merely entertain, but embody the fundamental concepts of Jacques Lacan. Each chapter dissects a Hitchcockian work to illuminate notions such as the objet petit a, the Real, or the non-existence of The Woman. An essential book for those seeking to understand contemporary psychoanalysis through popular culture without losing theoretical rigor.
What is it about?
The book proposes an original theoretical exercise: reading Lacan through Hitchcock and vice versa. Žižek begins with the idea that in Hitchcock's films, every detail—a shot, an object, a gesture—is charged with meaning, revealing a structure that psychoanalysis can decipher. Thus, each article in the volume addresses a central Lacanian concept—the objet petit a, the Real, the Names-of-the-Father, the function of desire—and illustrates it with scenes and characters from films such as Vertigo, Psycho, or Rear Window. The result is a work that deconstructs the apparent simplicity of Hitchcock's cinema to reveal its philosophical complexity while simultaneously making Lacan's densest ideas accessible.
Main Topics
- Lacanian psychoanalysis applied to popular culture.
- The function of the objet petit a and the gaze in Hitchcock's cinema.
- The non-existence of The Woman and the construction of desire.
- The Real, the Symbolic, and the Imaginary in cinematic narrative.
- The Names-of-the-Father and authority in fiction.
Who is it recommended for?
Students and professionals of psychoanalysis, philosophy, and film studies. Also for cinephiles interested in critical theory and readers seeking a rigorous yet enjoyable introduction to Lacanian thought through concrete examples from classic cinema.
What this book contributes
- A practical understanding of complex Lacanian concepts through film analysis.
- A new perspective on Hitchcock's films, revealing hidden layers of meaning.
- A model of interdisciplinary reading that connects psychoanalysis, philosophy, and popular culture.
- Theoretical tools for interpreting contemporary subjectivity through cinema.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Slavoj Žižek
- Publisher: Manantial Ediciones SRL
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Film, television, and radio; Modern and contemporary fiction
- Collection: Bordes
- Publication date: November 2010
- Number of pages: 205
- Weight: 253 g
Editorial Review
A work that stands out for its originality in bridging two seemingly disparate fields: Lacanian psychoanalysis and the cinema of Hitchcock. Žižek manages to bring complex theoretical concepts to life through recognizable cinematic examples, offering a stimulating read for both specialists and film buffs with a theoretical background. Its rigorous yet accessible approach makes it a reference point within contemporary cultural studies.