Crosstalk: absurd relationships, communication and entrapment in the films of Wes Anderson.

Gurung, Ruchika (2019) Crosstalk: absurd relationships, communication and entrapment in the films of Wes Anderson. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This thesis aims to advance a more nuanced understanding of the Absurd in contemporary independent cinema. My research adopts a close textual analysis to deliberate the ways in which contemporary American cinema utilises themes of the Absurd particularly within its independent film cinema. Applying themes from the literature of the Theatre of the Absurd to the filmography of Wes Anderson, my thesis argues that his films demonstrate absurdist themes. I hypothesize that there are thematic parallels can be seen between Wes Anderson’s films and the Theatre of the Absurd. Through the portrayal of dysfunctional human relationships and fragmented language particularly, Wes Anderson’s films reimagine the Absurd human condition in a contemporary context.

Through the demonstration of absurdist characteristics in Anderson’s film, this thesis provides a thematic framework of analysis that can subsequently be applied to other contemporary independent films. As a result, this research makes a unique contribution to the field of independent cinema by demonstrating the contemporary social relevance of the Absurd; themes conventionally associated with a specific literary era. In doing so, this research reconceptualises the ways in which the Absurd can be discussed, demonstrating that the themes can be applied outside of its literary tradition.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Art, Media and American Studies
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	07 Dec 2022 12:29
Last Modified:	07 Dec 2022 12:29
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/89989
DOI:

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