Narrative self-deconstruction in contemporary cinema: the emergence of ontological issues in McQueen and Esmir Filho

Abstract

Relying on the analyses of two examples (Hunger and Os famosos e os duendes da morte), this essay examines the process of emancipation of iconic (visual and audio) elements in relation to their narrative function in contemporary cinema. This process is characterized as a deconstruction of the conceptual unity of these works, which enables the emergence of ontological issues that are fundamental to aesthetic experience beyond its psychological and social dimensions. The essay begins with a discussion of theoretical grounds going back to authors such as Heidegger and Blanchot. In what follows this discussion, during the concrete analysis of the examined films, references are made to more recent researches specifically connected to the field of film studies, such as Michel Chion’s L’audio-vision.