The search for Europe: A mythical reading of Reise der Hoffnung and La Haine
Keywords:
europæiske myter, ikoniske symboler, otherness, europæiske film, European myths, iconic images, European filmsAbstract
Denne artikel undersøger, hvordan dominerende europæiske myter dekonstrueres i henholdsvis den schweiziske film Reise der Hoffnung (1990, Xavier Koller) og den franske film La Haine (1995, Mathieu Kassovitz). I filmene sker dekonstruktionerne gennem brugen af ikoniske symboler – postkortet i Reise der Hoffnung og Eiffeltårnet i La Haine – der blotlægger banaliteten i de mytiske løfter om Europa. Fra ’den fremmedes’ blik, som begge film indtager, træder Europa ultimativt frem som en absurd konstruktion, der ikke indfrier sit eget løfte.
ABSTRACT
This article investigates how dominant European myths are deconstructed in respectively the Swiss film Reise der Hoffnung (1990, Xavier Koller) and the French film La Haine (1995, Mathieu Kassovitz). In the films, the deconstructions happen through the use of iconic images – the postcard in Reiser der Hoffnung and the Eiffel Tower in La Haine – that reveal the fundamental banality inherent in the mythical promises of Europe. From the position of the ’other’, which both films take, Europe ultimately steps forward as an absurd construct not worthy of its own promise.
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