Truffaut Un-Sutured : a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blows

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dc.contributor.advisorHiggins, Johnen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorHansen, Signeen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-29T07:21:21Z
dc.date.available2014-09-29T07:21:21Z
dc.date.issued2002en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography : leaves 154-162.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractIn its application to cinema, suturing denotes the process by which film narrative is rendered seamless. This enables the identification required for a spectator to become the subject of a film and also functions to conceal the film’s ideological mechanisms. In a critical survey of existing criticism of Francois Truffaut's films in general, and The 400 Blows in particular, the dissertation argues that the majority of this scholarship colludes with the textual suturing process by neglecting to pose ideological questions of the films. An application of the Situationist theory of psychogeography to The 400 Blows serves as a counter to this critical trend. The concept is not only thematically pertinent to the film, but also provides an analytical tool to un-suture the filmic text and thereby to situate The 400 Blows ideologically. By focusing on the interaction between individuals and a socially conditioned environment, a psychogeographical reading combines a psychoanalytical and materialist analysis of the film. This critical perspective departs from most existing scholarship by insisting on the film as a discursive response to a particular socio-historical context. Based on a reading of the film’s conclusion as signifying Trufauts un-suturing of his own text, the dissertation argues that the director’s discourse challenges hegemonic codes by asserting the desire for a self-determined situation. Contending that this is commensurate with a rejection of the passive subjecthcod dictated by consumerist culture, it concludes that the film represents a form of discursive psychogeography. This supports the argument for situating Truffaut and the Situationists together in what Raymond Williams terms a structure of feeling, the shared ideological context that finally serves to validate a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blows.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationHansen, S. (2002). <i>Truffaut Un-Sutured : a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blows</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of English Language and Literature. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7707en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationHansen, Signe. <i>"Truffaut Un-Sutured : a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blows."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of English Language and Literature, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7707en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationHansen, S. 2002. Truffaut Un-Sutured : a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blows. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Hansen, Signe AB - In its application to cinema, suturing denotes the process by which film narrative is rendered seamless. This enables the identification required for a spectator to become the subject of a film and also functions to conceal the film’s ideological mechanisms. In a critical survey of existing criticism of Francois Truffaut's films in general, and The 400 Blows in particular, the dissertation argues that the majority of this scholarship colludes with the textual suturing process by neglecting to pose ideological questions of the films. An application of the Situationist theory of psychogeography to The 400 Blows serves as a counter to this critical trend. The concept is not only thematically pertinent to the film, but also provides an analytical tool to un-suture the filmic text and thereby to situate The 400 Blows ideologically. By focusing on the interaction between individuals and a socially conditioned environment, a psychogeographical reading combines a psychoanalytical and materialist analysis of the film. This critical perspective departs from most existing scholarship by insisting on the film as a discursive response to a particular socio-historical context. Based on a reading of the film’s conclusion as signifying Trufauts un-suturing of his own text, the dissertation argues that the director’s discourse challenges hegemonic codes by asserting the desire for a self-determined situation. Contending that this is commensurate with a rejection of the passive subjecthcod dictated by consumerist culture, it concludes that the film represents a form of discursive psychogeography. This supports the argument for situating Truffaut and the Situationists together in what Raymond Williams terms a structure of feeling, the shared ideological context that finally serves to validate a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blows. DA - 2002 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2002 T1 - Truffaut Un-Sutured : a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blows TI - Truffaut Un-Sutured : a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blows UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7707 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/7707
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationHansen S. Truffaut Un-Sutured : a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blows. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of English Language and Literature, 2002 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7707en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of English Language and Literatureen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherEnglish Language and Literatureen_ZA
dc.titleTruffaut Un-Sutured : a psychogeographical reading of The 400 Blowsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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