Challenging political mythology : representations of the rural in post-communist Hungarian cinema
Abstract
This thesis examines the ways in which the rural functions as a site of counter-narrative in
post-communist Hungarian cinema. I argue that within the post-communist generation there
exists a number of filmmakers producing cinema, varied in style, that utilise the rural as a
space through which to challenge the multifarious political myths that have risen in the
ideological wake of communism. By scrutinising nine diverse examples of post-millennial
Hungarian cinema set in rural locations, Hungarian or otherwise, this thesis poses the
following questions: What can one learn about Hungary’s post-communist experience
through cinematic representations of the rural? How do these films complicate the prevalent
narratives of Hungary’s past and present? Who is telling these stories, and why are these
alternative narratives valuable to an understanding of contemporary Hungarian society?
Employing a cultural studies perspective, this thesis maintains that the films under analysis
respond to the specific socio-historiographical conditions of their making, contesting the
dominant political myths pertaining to post-communist life, the understanding and
application of national history and Hungary’s national self-perception within a now global,
post-communist setting. Confronting both internal and external political myths, these films
provide an alternative mode of discourse through which to better understand post-millennial
Hungary and the ongoing process of transition.
I divide my analysis into three areas of interest. First, I examine the political myths
surrounding Hungary’s return to the West, questioning how cinematic representations of the
rural challenge the mythopoeic narratives of Hungary’s capitalist assimilation. I then explore
the myths of Hungarian national history, examining the ways in which filmmakers utilise the rural to query and contest contemporary Hungarian memory politics. Finally, I examine the
consequences of post-communist political myths and the role that rural representation plays
in bringing these consequences to the fore.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
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