O homem estrangeiro: nova representação masculina imaginária do filme “Bom trabalho” (Claire Denis, 1999) e seu impacto na cultura cinematográfica

Abstract

This text aims to analyze the representation of the male figure in the film Beau Travail (1999) directed by Claire Denis, based on a comparative study of male representations from the 1940s to the end of the 20th century, considering the cultural significance of the influence of cinema in society. Using key concepts such as virility and its impact on today's society (Jablonka, 2019), the relevance of symbols in visual culture (Jung, 1964; Bazin, 1976; Tarkovsky, 1989; Barthes, 2004) and the relevant representations of the man in fiction (Camus, 1942), the project aims to weave a historical panorama of Claire Denis's cinema together with male representation in modern and contemporary cinema. We hypothesize that the figure of an foreign man, being one who does not fit into the standards of dominating masculinity, is practically excluded from cinematographic art, as a reflection of the way men are represented in society. In the film Beau Travail, it is possible to find a transformative power of imagery and, from this production, show the impact and importance of Claire Denis's work in problematizing the idea of being a “real” man, military, strong and virile, and give body to this imaginary man.