| This dissertation argues that contemporary American independent cinema needs to be theorized in a new way. Film criticism has traditionally defined independent film in one of two ways: financing (which, as we see by George Lucas' independently financed Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith [2005], is not an adequate approach) or anti-Hollywood content (which is problematic because it only explains what this cinema is not, rather than what it is). Instead, I argue that contemporary American independent cinema is best defined in terms of style. I describe this style as dysphoric (a state of anxiety or restlessness specifically constructed for the spectator). Building on David Bordwell's analysis of film form, I use Chapter One to show how the dysphoric style structures the aspect of narrative by constructing loose causality, ambiguity, unresolved gaps, an open ending, and passive characters devoid of clear goals. Specifically, we see how the narrative of Pi (Darren Aronofsky, 1998) is distinct from a film with similar themes, but which arises from a completely different group style, A Beautiful Mind (Ron Howard, 2001). Chapter 2 examines the realm of temporality, arguing that Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2001) constructs time in a way that heightens ambiguity and leaves unresolved narrative gaps, something quite different than Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994) which I show to be a mainstream film, despite its reputation. Chapter 3 argues that dysphoric space is fragmented, unstable, unclear, metaphoric, and subjective. Here SLC Punk (James Merendino, 1998) is revealed as being spatially dysphoric, while Mallrats (Kevin Smith, 1995), a film often considered independent, is really only performing the same old classical maneuvers. Chapter 4 describes the evolution of the dysphoric style, presenting a case about how it morphed from the existential styles of film noir and European Art Cinema of the 1960s. This dissertation provides a new way to conceptualize, theorize, and discuss contemporary American independent cinema. It provides an opportunity to notice how it intersects, informs, is distinguished from, and is influenced by other cinemas. Most importantly, it allows us to understand U.S. culture in a more complex manner by seeing how this cinema not only reflects nihilism, but produces it. |
