Characterization in American independent cinema (John Sayles, Todd Solondz, Paul Thomas Anderson, Todd Haynes)

This dissertation explores how characters are constructed in general and how they function in contemporary American independent cinema, a body of films widely regarded as character-driven. Characterization is a process of social cognition: spectators seek to make sense of characters' behavior by applying real-world skills and knowledge. Characters are sorted into types, with traits corresponding to the spectator's categorization. Their mental states are inferred by the process of folk psychology and their personalities are constructed on the basis of the spectator's attribution of their observed behavior to dispositions. Characters' emotions are understood not only by the manipulation of facial and vocal expressions, but also according to narrative context. Narrative form and cinematic technique streamline characterization to make it more engaging.; In analyses of films including John Sayles's Passion Fish, Todd Solondz's Welcome to the Dollhouse, Paul Thomas Anderson's Hard Eight, and Todd Haynes's Safe, the dissertation explores the salience of character in American independent cinema. Independent cinema is understood as a mode parallel to Hollywood with its own set of viewing strategies. In contrast to Hollywood's characterization, independent cinema's is found to have complexity and dynamism, yet it is also found to have strategically shallow, unchanging characters in some important instances.