This thesis desires to undertake an analysis of Russian cinematic portrayals of Grigory Rasputin. It attempts to build upon David Gillespie's conviction that the Russian historical film is just as...Show moreThis thesis desires to undertake an analysis of Russian cinematic portrayals of Grigory Rasputin. It attempts to build upon David Gillespie's conviction that the Russian historical film is just as apt at detailing the present as the past, and so the analysis of each film hopes to highlight how the relevant portrayal of Rasputin can also reflect the political intricacies around the time of the film's production. The thesis first looks at Elem Klimov's film 'Agonia' from 1975. It then details Irakli Kvirikadze's 2012 film 'Rasputin.' Lastly, the thesis sees an analysis of Andrey Malyukov's 8 part TV series entitled 'Grigory R' from 2014.Show less
The research question of this master’s thesis is: 'to what extent does Žižek’s rethinking of ideology and ideology critique, as formulated in his The Sublime Object of Ideology, facilitate an...Show moreThe research question of this master’s thesis is: 'to what extent does Žižek’s rethinking of ideology and ideology critique, as formulated in his The Sublime Object of Ideology, facilitate an ideology critique of the liberal-capitalist society as it was envisaged by the Frankfurt School?' My thesis is that Žižek’s rethinking of ideology makes a new kind of ideology critique possible, one which is fundamentally different from the ideology critique of the Frankfurt School. It will be shown that Žižek differs from the Frankfurt school in that he excludes the possibility of freeing oneself fully from ideological delusions. However, Žižek’s ideology critique still provides a moment of resistance against ideology and hence a moment of freedom. This makes Žižek’s rethinking of ideology and ideology critique a critical theory of society, despite the differences with the Frankfurt School. An implication of this thesis seems to be that it establishes the urgency of thinking about a reaction to today’s ideology in order to establish a more just society.Show less
