David Lean and Melodrama

master's thesis

• Author: Klara Volarić
• Mentor: Tatjana Jukić Gregurić (mentor)
• Committee member: Borislav Knežević (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Jelena Šesnić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Tatjana Jukić Gregurić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2019-04-25, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology

Abstract

This paper shall analyse three films by David Lean, one of the most esteemed British film directors of the 20th century. The three titles under examination are Brief Encounter, Doctor Zhivago and Ryan’s Daughter. In the analysis, these films are observed for the manifestation of the elements of melodrama, a particular mode for representing the world in cinema. The focus shall be on the main female characters of the films and their narrative metamorphosis, as individuals and alongside the men. For the elaboration of the melodramatic condition in the three films, the paper shall employ psychoanalytical notions and thus attempt to draw a parallel between the treatment of women on screen and in psychoanalysis.

Abstract (croatian)

Ovaj rad analizira tri filma Davida Leana, jednog od najcjenjenijih britanskih filmskih redatelja 20. stoljeća. Analizirana su tri naslova: Brief Encounter, Doctor Zhivago i Ryan’s Daughter. Odabrani nalovi promatraju se kroz manifestaciju elemenata melodrame, posebnog načina prikazivanja svijeta u kinu. Fokus je na glavnim ženskim likovima filmova i njihovoj narativnoj metamorfozi: kao pojedinaca i uz muškarce. Za razradu melodramskog stanja u ta tri filma, u radu se upotrebljavaju pojmove iz područja psihoanalize te se na taj način pokušava povući paralelu između postupanja prema žena na ekranu i u psihoanalizi.

• Keywords: David Lean; cinema; melodrama; psychoanalysis; love story; couple
• Keywords (croatian): David Lean; kino; melodrama; psihoanaliza; ljubavna priča; par
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:591147
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL; Course: Linguistics; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Repository: ODRAZ
• Created on: 2025-03-13 07:38:38