abstract
Despite its centralization of deviant bodies, film noir exists within a heteronormative architecture governed by patriarchal censorship. Even so, contemporary queer films have taken to imitating the style of noir, aiming to reclaim the in-betweenness of the genre which is a cinematic mirror of the oppressive closet. Thus emerges the question: can the oppressive architecture of noir truly be reclaimed by queer bodies if it is rooted so heavily in heteronormative ideologies and systems? Using a videographic methodology, this research traces an ideological progression of reclamation. The first chapter focuses on Femme (Freeman and Ping 2023) and Bound (Wachowski and Wachowski 1996), which cite gendered tropes to navigate the harsh streets of noir, yet remain confined by its inherent syntax of punishment. The second chapter examines The Handmaiden (Park 2016) and By Hook or By Crook (Dodge and Howard 2001), films that target the oppressive architecture of noir itself. By dismantling the patriarchal system, these films perform a total reclamation of noir’s inherently deviant and queer language.
Written Accompaniment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm2uR5WPrb0
Mark Received: 17.5
Received an overall first-class degree in Film Studies for all four years of study