Control and Resistance in the Heterotopic Spatiality of Pleasantville

Authors

  • Evrim ERSÖZ KOÇ Dokuz Eylül University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2015.125

Keywords:

Foucault, heterotopia, Pleasantville, control, resistance

Abstract

Pleasantville presents the experience of the teenage twins David and Jennifer who are transported to the 1950s TV soap opera named Pleasantville via the TV remote control. The twins introduce free sex, arts, literature, rock and roll, and jazz to this perfected town in which residents live in order. This clash of cultures results in social unrest as the residents become aware that the order is an outcome of submission and challenge the roles attributed to them. The transformation from control to resistance is the dominant motif of the film. Using Foucault’s theory of heterotopia, this study scrutinizes how the heterotopian principles in the spatial presentations provide a good lens to negotiate forms of control and resistance. 

Author Biography

Evrim ERSÖZ KOÇ, Dokuz Eylül University

Dr. Evrim ERSÖZ KOÇ works as a research asisstant at the Department of American Culture and Literature.

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Published

2016-02-17

How to Cite

ERSÖZ KOÇ, E. (2016). Control and Resistance in the Heterotopic Spatiality of Pleasantville. CINEJ Cinema Journal, 5(1), 57–83. https://doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2015.125

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2015): Fall 2015

Section

Articles

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