How can necropolitics explain an aesthetic of shadows that can be traced across different film genres? How do cinematic investigation of a problem or crime lead to a critique of political economic structures? This paper attempts to answer these questions across the related, yet different genres: film noir, science fiction, and horror. The films are chosen not on their representativeness of their genres, and more so based on their ability to help illuminate concepts. The following films offer investigation as part, albeit not all of their theme and plotline: 1) Metropolis (Fritz Lang) offers a revelation of a stratified class society, 2) The Maltise Falcon offers an investigation into an occluded murder, albeit reinforcing sexual hierarchy, 3) Touch of Evil offers an investigation into border violence and racism against LatinX people, albeit the racial hierarchy is reaffirmed by casting, 4) The Exorcist, while focusing on the existence of Satan and subsequent excorcisms, proceeds through the failures of variety of modern investigation techniques, 5) Blade Runner proceeds through an investigation into the reality, or not, of androids albeit destabilizing the human-robot distinction, and 6) Total Recall investigates the reality of memory to uncover a capitalist, exploitative structure. Taken as a whole, these films resonate in an illumination of political violence. In particular, the investigations in the films, rather than solving crimes, reveal aspects of political death, inherent in governments obscuring capitalist power relations, individual consciousness, and even more mainstream undefined evil.

Authors:
David Toohey, Nagoya University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
David Toohey is currently a Designated Associate Professor at the Nagoya University Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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