Deleuze As A Method:a Study Of Morbid Characters In John Cassavetes’s Films

Gilles Deleuze,a French philosopher,believes that philosophy is to transcend prejudice by creating concepts.He has always introduced heterogeneous themes in his thoughts and established new connections with other fields,thus creating multiple meanings.The film has become the research object of Deleuze’s special concern because of its potential to change thinking.American independent film director John Cassavetes is the kind of "minor" writer that Deleuze appreciates.Whether his film style or production mode represents the deterritorialization of the traditional Hollywood paradigm.In Cassavetes’ s works,there are often some extremely neurotic morbid characters.Their wandering,drunkenness,delirium and abnormal behavior and emotion constitute the unique label of Cassavetes’ s films.This paper attempts to use Deleuze ’ s body and desire theory as the analysis strategy to explore the morbid characters in Cassavetes’ s films.This interdisciplinary perspective can help us dig out the artistic charm and ideological value of morbid characters that have not been fully known.In addition to the introduction and conclusion,this paper consists of three chapters.The first chapter first introduces the life and characteristics of Cassavetes and Deleuze,and through the analysis of Deleuze’s thinking mode of "in-between" and the "rhizome" characteristics in Cassavetes’ s works expounds on the common factors that make the two meet,and realizes the interaction between philosophy and film.Then the thesis studies morbid characters from the two dimensions of "external" body and "internal" desire respectively.To some extent,this is also the discussion of the characteristics and causes of morbid characters.We will see in the second chapter how characters break through the shackles of the outside world and form themselves into the body without organs.The issue of desire is the focus of the third chapter.From the perspective of schizoanalysis,the desire of morbid characters is no longer depreciated,but full of positive meaning,becoming-women is the way they escape from the Oedipus complex.In short,with the help of Deleuze ’ s theory,morbid characters in Cassavetes ’ s films emerge from the repression of body and mind.What we find in them is a positive,unparalleled postmodern vitality.