Deconstructing Oedipus : Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite and the classical tradition

• The chapter examines the philosophical dichotomy between Hellenism and Hebraism in order to show how Mighty Aphrodite may be seen as a contemporary example of merging cultural identities, previously thought in contradiction to one another. Allen's reiteration of Oedipal references may be read as a dismantling of Classical Hellenic culture and a rearrangement intended for a 21st century New York setting. Allen constructs a fictional tragic space that is embedded in the main plot and that manifests itself in the form of tragic dramaturgy and scenic conventions.Against this backdrop, Allen's overall use of classical tradition may be considered self-referential: it points out to the director's own understanding of classical culture as a twenty first century Jewish New York film director. Ancient cultural forms mingle with contemporary film and mirror 'the two way relationship between the source text or culture and the new work and receiving elements'. Abort of their original context of antiquity, ritual, drama and myth, tragedy and the very figure of Oedipus are (paradoxically) cinematically deconstructed as humorous, and are granted a place within contemporaneity, finding a specific leeway of expression in classical Hollywood film narratives. The film is a commentary on the potentials of reinstating dominant structures of classical reception per se: Oedipus may become Anti-Oedipus, tragedy may turn into comedy and binary structures such as Hellenism and Hebraism may mingle together in perfect harmony.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion -- Idé- och lärdomshistoria (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion -- History of Ideas (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion -- Filosofi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion -- Philosophy (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Konst -- Teatervetenskap (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Arts -- Performing Art Studies (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Konst -- Filmvetenskap (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Arts -- Studies on Film (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Tragedy

Allen

New York City

Deleuze

Guattari

Hellenism

Hebraism

Reason

Aesthetics

estetik

History Of Sciences and Ideas

idé- och lärdomshistoria

History Of Sciences and Ideas

idé- och lärdomshistoria

Philosophy of Religion

religionsfilosofi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kap (ämneskategori)