Jack Cortvriend Thesis Final Feb 18.Pdf
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Making Sense of Everyday Spaces: A Tendency in Contemporary British Cinema By Jack Cortvriend A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Sheffield Faculty of Arts and Humanities School of English Literature September 2017 i Abstract It has been argued that British cinema is undergoing something of a renaissance in the 2010s. Directors such as Andrea Arnold, Clio Barnard, Andrew Haigh and Steve McQueen have frequently been singled out as practitioners of a ‘new’ British cinema. However, the precise originality of these films has been troubling to critics who do not quite know how to position them: for some, they are a revitalization of Britain’s longstanding tradition of social realism; others view them as a new form of realism; whilst others believe they could be positioned with traditions in other world cinemas. This thesis then analyses the precise textual idiosyncrasies of these films by utilizing textual analysis, theoretical material on British cinema history and theories of contemporary global cinemas, as well as interviews with practitioners of contemporary British cinema. Through this methodology, this thesis finds that this tendency in contemporary British film has a sensory mode of address which evokes the everyday world of their protagonists. They quite literally make sense of a vast range of contemporary British everydays, exploring how different genders, sexual orientations, classes, ages and ethnicities experience their everydays. In doing so, they also utilize a range of different forms: this is not merely social realism, but also documentary, drama and the spaces in-between. This thesis ultimately argues that this tendency in contemporary British cinema can be aligned with other contemporary forms of global art cinema in privileging an attention to the sensory and subjectivity. Thus, these films mark a departure for British cinema which has now been superseded by global art forms, thus this tendency can now be deemed products of a post- national cinema. However, the national still persists in the evocation of a particularly British world and, particularly, British spaces and places – the literal geographical dimensions of nationhood. ii Acknowledgments Writing this thesis has been both a privilege and a pleasure and, thanks to many people, these three years have been amongst the best in my life. For that, I’d like to thank The University of Sheffield for their funding, as well as providing the infrastructure and staff which has made this possible. Many people, in different ways, supported me throughout this process, a few of whom I’d like to mention here. Firstly, it has been a joy to work with Dr. David Forrest and Dr. Jonathan Rayner on this project. Their expert guidance, careful consideration and, most importantly, their friendly encouragement, has meant that the past few years have been relatively stress free. They have been the perfect team and I can’t express my gratitude enough. Thanks goes to my family whose move to France provided me with enough sunshine and peace when I needed to escape my own everyday spaces. Thanks especially to Penny, who showed me that a PhD isn’t stressful unless you’re also working and bringing up some pre-teen twins, as well as for encouraging my interest in cinema from a young age by our frequent cinema trips. Katie, too, for your constant stimulating conversation: our chats about Indian cinema have been more instructive than you might think. Dad, who’s always been on-hand for any practical problems I have had. And Amy, whose PhD experience, I hope, will be just as enjoyable as mine. There’s been a lot of people who’ve either put me up or put up with me over the past few years. Big thanks to the boys in Streatham – Daniel Hall, Ben Harper, Jim Whiteside – who provided me with a second home. Also to Rebecca Boyle, Rachel Coope, Helen Cortvriend, Ashleigh Dolan, Richard Jones, Dan Monaghan, Laura Morris, Rosie Morrison, Katy Olly and Tom Wardak. Finally, these past few years would’ve been unmanageable without my best friends. Sarah Craddock, whose company in Sheffield and the roof over my head as I type this, I couldn’t have done without – thanks so much. James McIlwaine, whose frequent trips up, nights out, holidays, loans, all-round generosity and patience have been essential. Richar d Bryant, my pocket friend and best judy, who has been there every second of every day since I moved. And thanks to ol’ twinny Harry Cortvriend for all the pints and gigs – I may not have a trophy but this’ll have to do. iii Contents List of Illustrations .................................................................................................................... viiii Introduction. Andrea Arnold: A Product of Social Realism? ............................................................ 1 The Everyday & Nationhood ........................................................................................................... 6 Sensory Realism & Subjectivity ....................................................................................................... 9 Antecedents and Beginnings ......................................................................................................... 11 Chapter Outlines ........................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter One. The Urban ............................................................................................................. 18 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Homosexuality and the City: Weekend ............................................................................................. 23 Weekend, Popular Gay Cinema & Homonormativity ................................................................... 23 Style, Repetition & Temporality in Weekend ................................................................................ 28 Outsiders & Femininity in Glasgow: Red Road & Under the Skin ..................................................... 31 Space in the New Scottish Cinema ................................................................................................ 32 Red Road as ‘European’ Art Film ................................................................................................... 35 Outsiders, Danger and Attractions: The Specificity of Red Road .................................................. 43 Under the Skin, Sound & Selving ................................................................................................... 49 Under the Skin and Femininity ...................................................................................................... 57 Conclusion: Kelly + Victor .................................................................................................................. 60 Chapter Two. Representing the Rural ......................................................................................... 63 Introduction: Better Things & Rural Representation ........................................................................ 63 New Romantics & Rural Realists: Bright Star and Wuthering Heights ............................................. 68 The Heritage Film .......................................................................................................................... 72 Femininity & Costume in Bright Star ............................................................................................ 77 Heathcliff’s Blackness .................................................................................................................... 81 Subjectivity & Tactility .................................................................................................................. 84 Space, Nature & Landscape .......................................................................................................... 87 Evocative Ethnography: Sleep Furiously and Two Years at Sea ........................................................ 93 Ethnographic Film & Cinema-Vérité ............................................................................................. 93 Performative & Reflexive Documentary ....................................................................................... 98 Sensory Ethnography and The Personal Impulse ....................................................................... 103 The Rural Symphony ................................................................................................................... 109 Conclusion: For Those in Peril ......................................................................................................... 111 Genre........................................................................................................................................... 111 Time & Subjectivity ..................................................................................................................... 112 iv Sensory & The Textural ............................................................................................................... 114 Chapter 3. Living on the Edge: Liminal Landscapes and Marginality ........................................... 117 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 117 Defining Liminal Space ...............................................................................................................