On ‘Not Being Nothing’: Post-ironic Melodrama in James Gray’s “The Immigrant”
This essay analyzes James Gray’s The Immigrant (2013) discussing it as an instance of post-ironic melodrama (Włodek 2017) aimed at recovering the purity shown by this genre in the early phases of cinematic history. The essay argues that, although the movie pays evident homage to pre-classic silent-e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Verona
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Iperstoria |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://iperstoria.it/article/view/1014 |
| _version_ | 1818602784956612608 |
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| author | Simone Francescato |
| author_facet | Simone Francescato |
| author_sort | Simone Francescato |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This essay analyzes James Gray’s The Immigrant (2013) discussing it as an instance of post-ironic melodrama (Włodek 2017) aimed at recovering the purity shown by this genre in the early phases of cinematic history. The essay argues that, although the movie pays evident homage to pre-classic silent-era melodramas, it also destabilizes the genre’s conventions by resorting to a particular use of the mise-en-scène and characterization. This directorial choice allows the film to retain pathos without eschewing ambivalence and indeterminacy, finally contributing to produce a complex representation of immigrants’ experience as well as a rather bleak portrait of the American Dream. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T13:12:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eb2bbfb34b4a4f64aa4c5bce07c93898 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2281-4582 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T13:12:47Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Verona |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Iperstoria |
| spelling | doaj.art-eb2bbfb34b4a4f64aa4c5bce07c938982022-12-21T22:30:34ZengDepartment of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of VeronaIperstoria2281-45822021-06-0101710.13136/2281-4582/2021.i17.1014895On ‘Not Being Nothing’: Post-ironic Melodrama in James Gray’s “The Immigrant”Simone FrancescatoThis essay analyzes James Gray’s The Immigrant (2013) discussing it as an instance of post-ironic melodrama (Włodek 2017) aimed at recovering the purity shown by this genre in the early phases of cinematic history. The essay argues that, although the movie pays evident homage to pre-classic silent-era melodramas, it also destabilizes the genre’s conventions by resorting to a particular use of the mise-en-scène and characterization. This directorial choice allows the film to retain pathos without eschewing ambivalence and indeterminacy, finally contributing to produce a complex representation of immigrants’ experience as well as a rather bleak portrait of the American Dream.https://iperstoria.it/article/view/1014james graythe immigrantmigration cinemapost-ironymelodrama |
| spellingShingle | Simone Francescato On ‘Not Being Nothing’: Post-ironic Melodrama in James Gray’s “The Immigrant” Iperstoria james gray the immigrant migration cinema post-irony melodrama |
| title | On ‘Not Being Nothing’: Post-ironic Melodrama in James Gray’s “The Immigrant” |
| title_full | On ‘Not Being Nothing’: Post-ironic Melodrama in James Gray’s “The Immigrant” |
| title_fullStr | On ‘Not Being Nothing’: Post-ironic Melodrama in James Gray’s “The Immigrant” |
| title_full_unstemmed | On ‘Not Being Nothing’: Post-ironic Melodrama in James Gray’s “The Immigrant” |
| title_short | On ‘Not Being Nothing’: Post-ironic Melodrama in James Gray’s “The Immigrant” |
| title_sort | on not being nothing post ironic melodrama in james gray s the immigrant |
| topic | james gray the immigrant migration cinema post-irony melodrama |
| url | https://iperstoria.it/article/view/1014 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT simonefrancescato onnotbeingnothingpostironicmelodramainjamesgraystheimmigrant |