Abstract
Through comparing the Hollywood films Arrival and The Shape of Water, this article explicates the films’ similar portrayals of gender, social collaboration, and monstrosity. Although the mainstream media in the United States has linked the idea of the monstrous to larger global forces, the two films suggest that “the monster” exists much closer to home. Hence, this article makes the case that monstrosity occurs in a variety of formulations such as the actions of national authorities like governmental officials that oppress and endanger a myriad of American citizens as well as newcomers. Further, this article makes the case that the films of Guillermo del Toro and Denis Villeneuve encourage viewers to reimagine the idea of monstrosity and its relationality to several spaces for the sake of the greater public good.
Recommended Citation
Chamberlain, Edward.
"Rethinking the Monstrous: Gender, Otherness, and Space in the Cinematic Storytelling of Arrival and The Shape of Water."
CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture
21.7
(2019):
<https://doi.org/10.7771/1481-4374.3666>
This text has been double-blind peer reviewed by 2+1 experts in the field.
The above text, published by Purdue University Press ©Purdue University, has been downloaded 2613 times as of 03/26/24.
Included in
American Studies Commons, Caribbean Languages and Societies Commons, Comparative Literature Commons, Digital Humanities Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, Food Studies Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other Film and Media Studies Commons, Reading and Language Commons, Rhetoric and Composition Commons, Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, Women's Studies Commons