Author Archives: Kris Schindler
Modern Interest in the Female as a Subject of Study
Modern interest in the female as a subject for study developed in part to response to Freud’s work and how he traced the cause of many male issues to the female. Coupled with the fact that until the middle of … Continue reading
Posted in Feminism and Girl Culture
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Stella: Spectator and Spectacle
In “Stella Dallas” (1937), Stella is transitioned from Spectator to Spectacle back again to Spectator. While Stella plays a role in each of these transitions, she cannot be held ultimately responsible, as society also has a hand in the casting … Continue reading
Posted in Hollywood Melodrama
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Comparison of Imitation of Life and Home From the Hill
While “Imitation of Life” and “Home From the Hill” differ, these two family melodramas have many common features worthy of close examination. A valuable perspective from which to base such an examination is that of the offspring in each of … Continue reading
Posted in Hollywood Melodrama
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The Evolution of the Hollywood Melodrama
Laura Mulvey states that the concept of ‘Hollywood Melodrama’ wasn’t an invention of Hollywood studios but instead emerged organically from an accumulated body of work. When analyzing film of any genre or era, including the present, the concept of hindsight … Continue reading
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Choice, Competition, Sacrifice and Affliction
Haskell identifies 4 categories related to the melodrama: Choice, Competition, Sacrifice and Affliction. Clearly, in Way Down East it is the sacrifice that Anna makes for her mother (by going to the cousins’ to ask for financial assistance) that initiates … Continue reading
Posted in Hollywood Melodrama
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