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The displaced hero in contemporary film satire
Abstract
This study is an examination of structural principles, character archetypes and important cycles in contemporary film satire. The comic theories of Sigmund Freud and Henri Bergson are utilized to establish a theoretical foundation for interpreting comic films. Particular attention is placed on the role of displaced heroic figures and protagonists in affecting satiric social commentary. Character archetypes under consideration include adolescent rebels, aliens, and young upwardly-mobile urban dwellers. Primary discussions are limited to exemplary English language films produced between 1967 and 1988. The study concludes that a new and important film cycle has become dominant in the 1980s, and that this film cycle has yielded a new comic genre. It is proposed and argued that this new genre, labeled the "culture-clash comedy," is a reflection of both localized and international concerns over disintegrating traditional cultural identities.
Subject Area
Motion Pictures
Recommended Citation
Vestrich, Roy Marshall, "The displaced hero in contemporary film satire" (1988). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI8822857.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI8822857