Poststructuralist Queer Cinema Disrupts Conventional Frameworks of Temporality, Narrative, and Spectatorship
The cinematic representation of queerness is a relatively recent phenomenon that has developed throughout history to challenge traditional norms and values. Poststructuralist queer cinema disrupts these conventions through its unique approach to time, storytelling, and viewership patterns.
Time
Poststructuralist queer cinema challenges linear temporal structures by disrupting narrative chronology, presenting events out of sequence, using nonlinear editing techniques, and exploring different forms of temporality such as simultaneity and hypertime. This allows for a more fluid and ambiguous understanding of time, which better reflects the experience of living outside mainstream social norms.
"Blue is the Warmest Color" presents events from its protagonists' past and future simultaneously, while "Tangerine" uses handheld cameras and rapid editing to create an immersive, chaotic, and intense sense of time passing in real-time.
Storytelling
Poststructuralist queer cinema also subverts conventional narratives by focusing on the subjectivity of characters rather than objective reality, rejecting binary oppositions between good and evil or hero and villain, and questioning the role of authorial control over meaning. Characters are often portrayed as complex individuals with conflicting desires, motivations, and identities, resisting simplistic definitions.
Poststructuralist films may include unconventional structural elements like flashbacks, dream sequences, voiceovers, or intertextual references that blur distinctions between fiction and reality. Examples include "Carol," where the protagonists' internal thoughts and emotions drive the plot, and "Pride," which juxtaposes historical footage with contemporary storylines.
Spectatorship
Poststructuralist queer cinema challenges traditional patterns of spectatorship by inviting viewers to engage actively with the film text and reconsider their assumptions about gender, sexuality, and identity. These films encourage a more fluid and flexible approach to interpretation, allowing for multiple readings based on individual perspectives and experiences. They may feature non-traditional camera angles, editing techniques, or other formal elements that challenge viewer expectations.
"The Watermelon Woman" uses humor and irony to critique representations of black women in Hollywood while "Paris Is Burning" critiques social norms through its exploration of drag culture.
Poststructuralist queer cinema disrupts conventional frameworks of temporality, narrative, and spectatorship by embracing complexity, ambiguity, and subjectivity. Its unique approach encourages audiences to question societal norms and embrace new ways of thinking about sex, sexuality, and relationships.
How does poststructuralist queer cinema disrupt conventional frameworks of temporality, narrative, and spectatorship?
The term "poststructuralist queer cinema" refers to films that challenge traditional ways of thinking about time, narrative, and viewer engagement. These movies often involve nonlinear storytelling structures, unconventional camera angles, and nontraditional performances. They also often focus on themes related to sexuality and gender identity, such as transgenderism, bisexuality, and intersexuality.