| abstract | The oeuvre of French-Canadian director Xavier Dolan undermines prevailing gender identities in contemporary Québec and replaces
standardized ideas about masculinity with alternative identities. Xavier Dolan destabilizes these traditional representations through a myriad of techniques such as
cinematography, intertextuality, and diegesis.
The thesis presents a comprehensive analysis of the following four films of Dolan in chronological order: J'ai tué ma mere (2009), Les Amours imaginaires (2010),
Laurence Anyways (2012), and Tom à la ferme (2013). In order to create a richer understanding of these films, the thesis discusses the social, cultural, and political
history of the "homme québecois." For example, in our analysis of J'ai tué ma mère, special attention is given to the representation of the decolonized man in
contemporary Quebec and how this representation came about. It also treats the representation of masculinity in mainstream, Canadian cinema. In his films, Dolan
challenges the gendered gaze of the spectator, forcing him/her to contemplate society's homogenous representation of masculinity.
|
