<ARTICLES>The Representation of Love and Intimacy in Socialist Poland : An Analysis of Polish Films in the 1950s

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  • <論文>社会主義ポーランドの「雪どけ」と性愛の表象 : 映画『地下水道』を中心に
  • 社会主義ポーランドの「雪どけ」と性愛の表象--映画『地下水道』を中心に
  • シャカイ シュギ ポーランド ノ ユキドケ ト セイアイ ノ ヒョウショウ エイガ チカ スイドウ オ チュウシン ニ

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What was the relationship between the utopian project of the former Socialist Bloc and the private desires of people who lived there? Considering this question, this paper focuses on the representation of private love and intimacy in Post-War Polish films. In the official propaganda of socialist Poland, intimacy and erotic love were generally treated as troublesome, because it was thought that they were in opposition to the Stalinist ideal of "collectivity", and therefore were "anti-revolutionary". Such view about private love dramatically changed in 1956, when Poland went through the "Thaw". Since then, love was rediscovered as a precious thing which had great importance in the life of an individual person. From then on, many filmmakers eagerly took up this theme in their films. In analyzing representations of love in these films, however, it becomes clear that even such "private" and "precious" love still couldn't exist by itself, having a complicated relationship with the greater "cause" that was above it. In conclusion, this paper emphasizes the importance of the socialist utopian project itself in understanding the context about people's private desires and erotic imagination.

Journal

  • Kyoto Journal of Sociology

    Kyoto Journal of Sociology 17 43-65, 2009-12-25

    京都大学大学院文学研究科社会学研究室

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