The Dialectic of Desire in the Films of Nicholas Ray Essay -- Films Mo

The dialectic of Desire in the Films of Nicholas rayNicholas Rays films frequently address a competitor between a father and son (whether literal or figurative filial relationship). much importantly, Ray has an ideological approach to these struggles. In his films, homosocial struggles are al completeices supplanted by Rays appetited outcome of an estimationlized straight coupling. That is, the threat of prolonged homosocial desire between his characters is usually eradicated by the goal of one of the dueling work force. The deus ex machina nature of the deaths implies that the resulting heterosexual person coupling is somehow the way things ought to be. In mordacious Victory and The Lusty Men, the women are cl proterozoic the people over whom the men fight in their struggle to rig a home or surety (with that wo manhood). In Rebel Without a Cause, however, the male-male-female revere triangle is confused by the on-screen presence of a nuclear family that efficacious ly literalizes Freuds Oedipal conflict.Before examining homosocial desire in specific films, I must beginning(a) outline the Freudian principles that gave ingest to the term homosocial. According to Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Freuds Oedipal triangle is established at an early stage of life when a churl attempts to situate itself with respect to a powerful father and a beloved, slavish mother (Sedgwick 22). As such, homo- and heterosexual outcomes in adults are the result of a complicated play of desire for and designation with the parent of each gender the small fry routes its desire/identification done the mother to arrive at a role like the fathers, or vice versa (Sedgwick 22). Richard Klein summarizes this argument as followsIn the normal development of the miniscule boys p... ...ti-war film it was a private mental duel. I liked the idea that the outcome of the mission was really energy to do with how they performed it, but with what they matt-up about each other ( qtd. in Eisenschitz 293). 3. The title itself is indicative of the ensue battle over the mens homosocial desires. 4. Tellingly, Horace McCoy, the bite screenwriter of the film, was found by producers Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna in the RKO Studios screenwriters file on a lower floor masculine relationships (Eisenschitz 176). 5. It is safe to encounter that Plato has already fallen off the proverbial cliff. He, too, is alienated from his father-a wealthy man who has spent much of Platos life off gallivanting with his wife, leaving Plato to be reared by a nurse and guardian. http//www.film.queensu.ca/Critical/PhelanCox.html The Dialectic of Desire in the Films of Nicholas Ray Essay -- Films MoThe Dialectic of Desire in the Films of Nicholas RayNicholas Rays films frequently address a competition between a father and son (whether literal or figurative filial relationship). More importantly, Ray has an ideological approach to these struggles. In his f ilms, homosocial struggles are always supplanted by Rays desired outcome of an idealized heterosexual coupling. That is, the threat of prolonged homosocial desire between his characters is usually eradicated by the death of one of the dueling men. The deus ex machina nature of the deaths implies that the resulting heterosexual coupling is somehow the way things ought to be. In Bitter Victory and The Lusty Men, the women are intelligibly the people over whom the men fight in their struggle to establish a home or security (with that woman). In Rebel Without a Cause, however, the male-male-female love triangle is complicated by the on-screen presence of a nuclear family that effectively literalizes Freuds Oedipal conflict.Before examining homosocial desire in specific films, I must first outline the Freudian principles that gave birth to the term homosocial. According to Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Freuds Oedipal triangle is established at an early stage of life when a child attempts to si tuate itself with respect to a powerful father and a beloved, subservient mother (Sedgwick 22). As such, homo- and heterosexual outcomes in adults are the result of a complicated play of desire for and identification with the parent of each gender the child routes its desire/identification through the mother to arrive at a role like the fathers, or vice versa (Sedgwick 22). Richard Klein summarizes this argument as followsIn the normal development of the little boys p... ...ti-war film it was a private psychological duel. I liked the idea that the outcome of the mission was really nothing to do with how they performed it, but with what they felt about each other (qtd. in Eisenschitz 293). 3. The title itself is indicative of the ensuing battle over the mens homosocial desires. 4. Tellingly, Horace McCoy, the second screenwriter of the film, was found by producers Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna in the RKO Studios screenwriters file under masculine relationships (Eise nschitz 176). 5. It is safe to assume that Plato has already fallen off the proverbial cliff. He, too, is alienated from his father-a wealthy man who has spent much of Platos life off gallivanting with his wife, leaving Plato to be reared by a nurse and guardian. http//www.film.queensu.ca/Critical/PhelanCox.html