Framing Perceptions of Violence against Women in Film: 'Les Silences du Palais' and 'Incendies'.

摘要

Framing Perceptions of Violence against Women in Film: Les Silences du Palais and Incendies (Under the direction of Dominique D. Fisher) This thesis focuses on how contemporary Francophone films visually represent violence against women, and explores how sexual violence functions to continue the subjugation and systematic victimization of women. I examine how Moufida Tlatli's Les Silences du Palais and Denis Villeneuve's Incendies approach the subject and portrayal of rape within the greater narrative of the film. The two films, quite different in their premise and setting, find commonality as they both treat and depict rape and family dynamics. As such, my goal is to evaluate how the historical contexts of the films affect the portrayal of the violent act and how it is committed, and I consider questions about the viewer's perceptions of the perpetrators intentions might nuance their reactions to the rape scene, as well as to the film as a whole.