The notion that "queer cinema" is a productive category for thinking about alternative modes of representation has become increasingly accepted within contemporary film studies.
Less attention has been given to its relationship with philosophical concepts such as subjectivity, morality, and aesthetics. This essay will explore how queer films function as a visual philosophy of the self that challenges traditional moral categories and promotes a new understanding of subjectivity. I will begin by examining how queer cinema dissolves the boundary between moral subjectivity and aesthetic expression through its focus on bodies and pleasures. Next, I will examine how queer films redefine morality by representing alternative forms of desire and relationships.
I will discuss how this process of "selfing" can be seen as an act of resistance against heteronormative power structures. By exploring these three aspects of queer film's relationship with morality, it becomes clear that they provide a unique opportunity to understand the intersection of sexuality and ethics.
The Body and Pleasure in Queer Cinema
Queer films often depict characters whose identities are constructed outside of binary gender norms or who have fluid sexual orientations. These individuals challenge the dominant narratives surrounding sex, gender, and identity.
In Todd Haynes's Poison (1990), three short stories depict men who refuse to conform to traditional masculine roles. In one story, a man named Peter experiences a surge of erotic pleasure when he kisses another man, which leads him to question his own sexual orientation. In another story, a transgender woman named Flawless Sabrina navigates her identity while working as a prostitute. Through its representation of characters like Peter and Sabrina, the film challenges the idea that there is only one way to be masculine or feminine and that sexual pleasure must be confined within certain limits.
The body also plays a crucial role in queer cinema's approach to morality. Films like Patricia Rozema's Into the Forest (2006) present viewers with a post-apocalyptic world where two sisters survive by living off the land and creating their own community. One of the sisters, Nell, falls in love with another woman named Eva after she loses her boyfriend. Their relationship is not portrayed as immoral but rather as a natural expression of desire and intimacy. This rejection of heteronormative expectations around sex and relationships highlights how the boundary between moral subjectivity and aesthetic expression can be dissolved through visual representation.
Alternative Desires and Relationships in Queer Cinema
Queer films often represent alternative forms of desire and relationships that challenge traditional norms.
In Bruce LaBruce's Otto; Or Up With Dead People (2008), a group of zombies engage in sexual acts with each other that defy categorization based on gender or sexual orientation. The film questions the notion that sexuality should be tied to binary categories and suggests that it is possible to create new forms of desire outside of these constructs. Similarly, Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin (2004) explores the complexities of childhood trauma and sexual abuse from a non-binary perspective. By representing such experiences through characters who do not fit into neat categories, the film challenges the idea that there is only one way to experience trauma and grief.
Selfing and Resistance in Queer Cinema
Queer cinema provides an opportunity to explore how individual identities can be constructed outside of heteronormative power structures. In Yorgos Lanthimos's Dogtooth (2009), three siblings are raised in isolation by their parents and taught that the world beyond their home does not exist. When they encounter a stranger who threatens their way of life, the boundaries of their identity are questioned and redefined. This process of "selfing" can be seen as a form of resistance against heteronormative power structures that seek to control individuals' sexual and gender identities.
How does queer cinema function as a visual philosophy of the self, dissolving the boundary between moral subjectivity and aesthetic expression?
Queer cinema plays an important role in exploring identity politics by creating a space for individuals who do not identify with the heteronormative construct of gender and sexuality to express themselves through filmic representation. The intersectionality of these identities often creates unique experiences that are difficult to communicate using conventional language, but film provides a medium for exploration beyond traditional narratives. Queer cinema has the potential to challenge normative concepts of morality and provide new ways of seeing and being seen.