Reframing Trauma in Contemporary Fiction Film

This book explores how cinema shapes itself by emotionally involving its spectator with the pathology of memory that lies at the heart of trauma. It demonstrates that traumatic cinema can be an important source of ethical knowledge and communicates the inability to process a traumatic event through its aesthetic specificity as a time-based medium. The films discussed do not necessarily narrate trauma but embody the aspect of trauma that resists narrativization, being transactive rather than communicative. Scholars of film studies, media studies, and philosophy will find this book of particular interest.

Format: Hardback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

This captivating book delves into the profound emotional impact of cinema on its viewers,exploring how it shapes itself by tapping into the intricate realm of memory and trauma. Through her insightful analysis, Tarja Laine demonstrates that traumatic cinema holds immense ethical significance, offering valuable insights not only within the realm of film but also extending beyond it. Laine argues that this form of cinema communicates the inherent difficulty in processing and grappling with traumatic events through its unique aesthetic qualities as a time-based medium. While the films examined in this book may not explicitly narrate trauma, Laine suggests that they embody the transactive aspect of trauma that resists traditional storytelling. By emphasizing the embodied nature of spectatorship and their reflective consciousness, the book showcases multiple modes of engagement through which viewers can empathically connect with trauma, both as embodied subjects and through their thoughtful contemplation. This thought-provoking work will appeal to scholars and enthusiasts of film studies, media studies, and philosophy, as it sheds light on the intricate interplay between cinema, memory, and the human experience.

Weight: 503g
Dimension: 237 x 158 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793651945