 |
 |
Dejan, it's not that French critics have failed to notice the death of the father in Ozon's films, it's just that they are (predictably - to me) reluctant to examine its philosophical, political and civilisational importance (I agree with you about this!), and prefer an over-hasty diagnosis of excessive perversion and/or psychosis. The presumption that psychosis is the alternative to a phallocentric Symbolic order is itself a Lacanian presumption, isn't it? And I have to disagree with you about 'Sitcom', where the polymorphously perverse family is definitely happier after taking on and killing the rat-father, even if it isn't clear what will happen next. Ozon himself doesn't tend to interpret the sexual and gender politics of his films, fortunately or unfortunately. If Zizek's book 'Organs without Bodies' argues that the Symbolic is radically inconsistent, might this be a response to the deconstruction of the phallocentric Symbolic order undertaken by feminist and queer theorists recently (e.g. Butler's 'Antigone's Claim')? I think it might be (I haven't read it and would also like to know what his argument is), in view of the dialogue that has been going on between Zizek and Butler for some years now. Kate Kate Ince Director of Graduate Studies Centre for European Languages and Cultures University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TT Tel: +44 121 414 5972 Fax: +44 121 414 3834 E-mail: [log in to unmask] * * Film-Philosophy Email Discussion Salon. After hitting 'reply' please always delete the text of the message you are replying to. To leave, send the message: leave film-philosophy to: [log in to unmask] For help email: [log in to unmask], not the salon. **