The film Gothic starring Gabriel Byrne (in the role of Lord Byron), Julian Sands (Percy Bysshe Shelley), Natasha Richardson (Mary [Wollstonecraft Godwin] Shelley), Myriam Cyr (Claire Clairmont) and Timothy Spall (Dr John Polidori) and directed by Ken Russell was made in 1986.
It is difficult to decide whether the film is a horror film or a period film because it contains elements of both genres. The viewer’s judgement depends on his or her previous knowledge of the life of the characters. If the viewer does not recognize the relation between the elements and statements in the film and texts written by and about the protagonists he or she will feel Gothic to be mainly a horror film. In other words intertextuality plays an important role in Gothic. Therefore, the aim of this term paper is to analyze the intertextual relations between the film and various texts.
Since there are many different concepts concerning intertextuality I will mostly focus on Julia Kristeva’s idea of intertextuality in the first chapter. In the second chapter the literary historical aspects of Gothic will be examined. The film is set in 1816, i.e. in the second phase of the Romantic period. I will analyze how Ken Russell represents some of the characteristics of the Romantic period in his film. Among others, a motif in the film is the artificial being and the creation of an artificial being respectively. This motif is also the topic of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. The third chapter deals on the one hand with the question how the motif „artificial being“ is represented in Ken Russell’s film and on the other hand in how far this parallels the novel Frankenstein and Gothic. Finally, the aim of the fourth chapter is to compare the “real” events around the group of the Villa Diodati with the fictional image the director gives in Gothic.
Concerning the secondary literature to compare to the film I could have used texts about almost all of the characters included. I decided to concentrate on Lord Byron and Mary Shelley. Byron is the most extravagant figure of the five persons. Besides, the atmosphere is very much dominated by him.
Table of Contents
0. Introduction
1. Concepts of Intertextuality
2. The Representation of the Romantic Period in Gothic
2.1 Byron and the “Byronic Hero”
2.2 Exclusion of Reality
2.3 Rejection of Conventions and Morality
2.4 The Motifs “Death” and “Night”
2.5 The Relation to the “Gothic Novel”
3. The Motif of the “Artificial Being”
3.1 The Artificial Women
3.2 The Being created in the Mind
4. Gothic – Fact or Fiction?
4.1 Ghost-Story Contest and Scientific Discussions
4.2 The Role of Claire
4.3 Mary Shelley and her “Child” Frankenstein
4.4 Real and Fictional Visions
4.5 “Visual” Intertextuality
5. Summary
6. Works Cited
Objectives and Themes
This paper aims to analyze the intertextual relationships between Ken Russell’s 1986 film Gothic and various literary and historical texts. It explores how the director translates real events surrounding the 1816 gathering at Villa Diodati into a cinematic narrative, specifically examining the representation of the Romantic period, the construction of the "artificial being," and the blurring of fact and fiction.
- Application of Julia Kristeva’s concepts of intertextuality to film analysis.
- Examination of Romantic motifs such as the "Byronic Hero," death, and isolation.
- Investigation of the "artificial being" motif and its parallels to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
- Comparison of historical accounts of the Villa Diodati gathering with their fictionalized film adaptation.
- Analysis of visual intertextuality through the incorporation of art, specifically Füssli’s The Nightmare.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The Artificial Women
In Gothic three artificial women appear in a number of scenes. There is first a belly-dancer dressed in oriental clothes, presumably a souvenir Byron brought with from his travels to Turkey. Shelley finds her in one of Byron’s rooms. He removes her veil and she starts to dance and takes off her clothes. When he tries to touch her again she immediately reacts in a surprisingly human way by warding off his hand. She recurs when Polidori, who has injuries on his neck, is questioned by Byron, Shelley and Mary concerning his visions. Although the viewer can see only her head she almost gives the impression of an additional person present in the room by following the motions of the persons with her eyes.
Whereas her motions are automatic the second artificial woman is only able to move and to function properly with the help of a human being. The first time she appears Polidori sits next to her in front of a cembalo. Polidori turns a crank on her back and she plays the cembalo. Her clothes and hair correspond to the fashion of that time. In the later part of the film she is obviously defect. She still sits in front of the musical instrument but now she has lost her head and plays the cembalo in an uncontrolled way. In contrast to the belly-dancer who represents an exotic culture, this artificial woman incorporates in her outward appearance and behaviour the typical woman of the early nineteenth century.
Summary of Chapters
0. Introduction: Outlines the film's context, the role of intertextuality, and the central focus on characters like Lord Byron and Mary Shelley.
1. Concepts of Intertextuality: Defines intertextual theory primarily through Julia Kristeva, explaining how the film functions as a "mosaic of quotations."
2. The Representation of the Romantic Period in Gothic: Analyzes how the film portrays Romantic characteristics, including the Byronic Hero, rejection of conventions, and motifs like death and the Gothic novel.
3. The Motif of the “Artificial Being”: Examines the symbolism of artificial women and the conceptualization of creating life through the mind, drawing parallels to Frankenstein.
4. Gothic – Fact or Fiction?: Compares historical events at the Villa Diodati with Ken Russell's cinematic interpretation, focusing on specific deviations and the use of visions.
5. Summary: Recaps the core thesis that the film serves as a biographical and thematic exploration of Mary Shelley's inspirations.
6. Works Cited: Lists the secondary literature and filmography utilized for the analysis.
Keywords
Intertextuality, Gothic, Ken Russell, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, Romantic Period, Frankenstein, Byronic Hero, Artificial Being, Villa Diodati, Julia Kristeva, Film Analysis, Necromancy, Literary Adaptation, Cultural History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this paper?
The paper examines the 1986 film Gothic by Ken Russell through the lens of intertextuality, exploring how it incorporates literary themes and biographical elements regarding the famous 1816 meeting at Villa Diodati.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
Key themes include the representation of the Romantic era, the construction of the "artificial being" in relation to Frankenstein, and the distinction between historical fact and fictionalized cinematic narratives.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The goal is to analyze the intertextual relations between the film and various source texts, determining how the director "redesigns" historical events to emphasize the creators' personal fears and anxieties.
Which scientific methodology is used?
The study primarily utilizes literary theory, specifically Julia Kristeva’s concepts of intertextuality (genotext/phenotext) and Gérard Genette’s paratextuality, combined with qualitative film analysis.
What is treated in the main body?
The main body covers the identification of Romantic motifs, the analysis of specific character portrayals (Byron, Shelley, Claire), and a detailed comparison between documented historical events and their representation in the film.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Essential keywords include Intertextuality, Romantic Period, Frankenstein, Byronic Hero, Artificial Being, and Villa Diodati.
How does the author interpret the role of the "artificial women" in the film?
The author argues that these figures, particularly the woman playing the cembalo, represent the "perfect woman" construct of the 19th century and serve as a parallel to the imperfect creature in Frankenstein.
Why does the author consider the film to be "visual" intertextuality?
The author identifies the use of Henry Fuseli’s painting The Nightmare as a direct visual quotation that reinforces Mary Shelley’s psychological state and her feelings of oppression toward Claire.
- Quote paper
- M.A. Anke Grundmann (Author), 1998, Intertextuality in Ken Russel's "Gothic": The representation of the romantic period and the motif of the artificial being, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/38792
