Theorizing Desire : From Freud to Feminism to Film

What is the nature of desire? How do we theorise desire within cinema and television? The author provides an accessible introduction to the concept of desire, and a coherent critique of the competing theorisations of desire within contemporary theory. Through analysis of representations of desire in television programmes and films this book considers ways in which the concept of desire is theorised and presented on screen. How Is Desire Presented On Screen And Through Popular Culture? How Can We Theorise Desire Without Falling Into Pre-subscribed Notions Of Lack And Loss? Theorising Desire Offers An Innovative Approach To Understanding The Concept Of Desire Through Its Presentation In Film, Television And Popular Culture. It Examines The Concept As It Is Theorised In Psychoanalytic, Feminist And Film Studies And Presented In A Diverse Range Of Films And Television Programmes Such As Code 46, In The Mood For Love, Safe And Sex And The City. Anchoring Its Theorisation Around Concepts Such As Risk, Hysteria, The Gaze, Shame And Melancholia, This Book Considers What Desire Does Rather Than What It Is, And Argues That Movement Is Central To The Concept Of Desire And To Its Radical Potential To Transform Those Affected By It. Introduction -- Theorising Desire -- Hysterical Desire -- Gaze And Melodrama -- Shame And Desire -- Melancholia And Desire -- Conclusion : Desire And Embodiment. Kristyn Gorton. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 149-173) And Index. Includes Filmography. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Figures......Page 9 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 1 Theorising Desire......Page 18 2 Hysterical Desire......Page 49 3 Gaze and Melodrama......Page 75 4 Shame and Desire......Page 104 5 Melancholia and Desire......Page 128 Conclusion: Desire and Embodiment......Page 151 Notes......Page 160 Bibliography......Page 169 Filmography......Page 185 B......Page 186 E......Page 187 H......Page 188 L......Page 189 O......Page 190 S......Page 191 T......Page 192 Z......Page 193 What is the nature of desire? This book gives an accessible introduction to the concept, and a coherent critique of the competing theories of desire within contemporary theory. Through analysis of representations of desire in television and film, it considers ways in which the concept is theorized and presented on screen. What is the nature of desire? This title gives an accessible introduction to the concept, and a coherent critique of the competing theories of desire within contemporary theory