The Hollywood political thriller is a film genre of unique relevance in the United States, often acting as a reflection of the fears and anxieties of its historical times. At the same time, however, the definition of its identity and boundaries still leaves room for further specification, perhaps due to the frequent consideration of the political thriller as part of the broader categories of either thriller narratives or political films. By revising the available literature and filmography and analyzing the narrative features of the classical political thriller, this article proposes a deeper definition of the genre that takes into account the nature of the broader 'thriller' category of films springing from a specific mode of crime fiction that focuses on a victim or threatened individual as its protagonist, depicts and conveys intense emotional states, portrays an unbalanced and highly existentialist worldview, and travels into the extraordinary while at the same time holding on to very concrete expectations of verisimilitude. The political thriller specifies this broader form of narration and links it to dramatic conflicts of political nature, investigative plots, reactive characters, historically grounded antagonists, a proximity to the sociopolitical history of the United States, and a certain iconography relating to institutional power. By establishing the main narrative traits of the political thriller, this definition hopes to lay the foundations for a better understanding of the genre, its history, and its seeming renaissance at the onset of the 21 st Century.
Los roles dramáticos desempeñados por George Clooney en Crueldad intolerable, Up in the Air y Los descendientes muestran una notable afinidad en tanto que expresan la vacuidad de unas biografías perfiladas bajo el prisma del éxito individual. Los personajes de Miles Massey, Ryan Bingham y Matt King son presentados en estos relatos como triunfadores narcisistas o ensimismados que, sin embargo, caen en la cuenta de la futilidad de su cosmovisión, edificada sobre valores como la eficiencia profesional, el prestigio personal y el lujo. Estos hombres de mediana edad reciben la oportunidad de rehacer sus vidas, encontrando éstas sentido en el establecimiento de genuinos vínculos afectivos de carácter romántico, familiar e, incluso, con el espacio que habitan. Este artículo pretende analizar la subjetividad de estos protagonistas, mostrar las estrategias dramáticas que los mueven al cambio y posibilitan su arco de crecimiento, y constatar en qué valores se cifra la redención de su identidad. Con la exageración que es propia a la comedia, la evolución interna de estos personajes ilustrará, en definitiva, las limitaciones de un mito —el del éxito— profundamente arraigado en la cultura estadounidense.Palabras clave: Éxito; George Clooney; Crueldad intolerable; Up in the Air; Los descendientes; narcisismo Keywords: Success; George Clooney; Intolerable Cruelty; Up in the Air; The Descendants; narcissism
Although Breaking Bad (AMC, 2008(AMC, -2013 is one of the most critically acclaimed TV Series of the last decade, it has been the subject of little academic research. This paper aims to figure out the motivations fueling Walter White's behavior, one of the most compelling characters in contemporary popular culture.The discovery of Walter White's cancer serves as a catalyst (a particularly appropriate chemical term) for him to unveil his true 'inner self'. The serious nature of his disease, the associated medical costs, and his feeling of failure as both a father/husband and in the professional sphere, are established as the driving force behind his infamous behavior from the very start of the series. However, beyond the strategies that underlie the initial sympathy that every viewer feels for this 'ordinary American guy', Breaking Bad divulges other keys that allow us to understand the transformation from 'Mr Chips into Scarface', following the premise described by Breaking Bad's creator, Vince Gilligan.As we will explore, the progressive moral and criminal decline of Walter White is spurred on by the contradictory tension between two radical emotions that become 'rationalized' in order to justify his actions, which become increasingly less defensible: an increasing pride, and the guilt that fades as the narrative unfolds. In summary, we will analyze the moral and narrative mechanisms that hasten Walter White's self-destruction once he became aware that he was facing the end of his own life.
Los conflictos paterno-filiales han constituido desde los inicios del cine un recurso inagotable para los relatos fílmicos. Tomando como referencia una serie de películas de autor contemporáneas, este texto aborda una serie de motivos comunes –aunque no exclusivos– que refieren la crisis de la paternidad. En concreto, las cuatro categorías que se toman en consideración son: el arquetipo del “ídolo caído”, el padre autoritario, el padre melancólico y la separación o el abandono de los padres como una experiencia traumática para los hijos. Como evidencia este último modelo argumental, la crisis del padre tiene unos efectos sobre sus vástagos, de ahí que un buen número de las películas que se analizan se configuren como relatos de iniciación.
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