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    Elaine Scarry, Michael Haneke’s ‘Funny Games’ and the structure of cruelty

    Bourke, Joanna (2019) Elaine Scarry, Michael Haneke’s ‘Funny Games’ and the structure of cruelty. Body and Society 25 (3), pp. 136-152. ISSN 1357-034X.

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    Abstract

    Haneke’s film ‘Funny Games’ is a reflection on the nature of pain and representation. I argue that the film closely follows Elaine Scarry’s arguments about the structure of torture. Further, by refusing to appeal to categories of generalization such as ‘sadism’ and ‘psychopathy’, Haneke undermines the process of finding meaning in violence. Haneke positions his audiences as more than just witnesses to torture, but active participants in cruelty.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Historical Studies
    Depositing User: Administrator
    Date Deposited: 20 Oct 2017 08:32
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 17:36
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/20151

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