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Mediterranean Seascapes in Contemporary French Cinema: Between Myth and Reality

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2018, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, French and Italian.
Can the presence the sea in French cinema have a function other than that of a backdrop and if it is the case, what does its presence imply? My dissertation examines this question by focusing on the representation of the Mediterranean Sea through a psychoanalytical lens, mainly dialoguing with Bachelard and Jung. Seen as a symbol for the unconscious, motherhood, and femininity, the study of the function of the sea in films allows for questioning about identity, gender stereotypes, and sexuality. Because of its mythological tendencies through painting and arts, the Mediterranean Sea has often been perceived as an object of fascination. Additionally, unlike films set by the Atlantic which are generally characterized by a more hostile and uninviting climate, the south of France has been a suitable place for the expression of sexual freedom and female emancipation. My dissertation starts tackling the invention and mythicization of the Mediterranean seascape in French film, notably thanks to the presence of the French icon Brigitte Bardot. Indeed, what the first films which use the allegorical function of the sea have in common is the presence of the famous actress. In Rozier’s Manina la fille sans voile (1952), Vadim’s Et Dieu crea la femme (1956) and Godard’s Le mepris (1963), the obvious parallel between Bardot and mythical creatures contributed to the idealization and promotion of the Mediterranean Sea as a sensual place at a time when France was in search of a national symbol. At the same time as women’s rights were increasing, masculinity crisis grew stronger and contributed to shaping the Mediterranean Sea as an allegory of inner struggles and fear of castration. Both Jacques and Brice, the respective protagonists of Besson’s Le grand bleu (1988) and Huth’s Brice de Nice (2005) are anything but the embodiment of the traditional male hero. Both male protagonists have recurrent dreams about mermaids and prefer the sea as a way to reject any form of sexuality and reconnect with their nuclear family. Additionally, it is the woman who is in charge of their sexual education and participates in reversing the traditional gender roles. Eventually, I contend that the representation of the Mediterranean Sea in French cinema has been affected since the end of the Algerian war of independence. No longer seen as a place suitable for love-making or for the expression of repressed male sexual desires, the sea has been demythicized because of the social changes occurring in the Mediterranean basin. Both Godard’s Pierrot le fou (1965) and Merzak Allouache’s Harragas (2009) use the sea as a rejection of society and portray the journey of men and women towards the acquisition of a new identity in a context that oppresses them. I conclude this dissertation by making an analogy between the sea and the topography of the mind insofar as the Mediterranean Sea is used as a map of the mind so as to enable a crystallization of French myths and realities.
Margaret Flinn (Advisor)
Patrick Bray (Committee Member)
Benjamin Hoffmann (Committee Member)
178 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Noble, C. (2018). Mediterranean Seascapes in Contemporary French Cinema: Between Myth and Reality [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1522075970995536

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Noble, Caroline. Mediterranean Seascapes in Contemporary French Cinema: Between Myth and Reality. 2018. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1522075970995536.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Noble, Caroline. "Mediterranean Seascapes in Contemporary French Cinema: Between Myth and Reality." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1522075970995536

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)