ABSTRACT
This book explores a new character archetype that permeated Soviet film during what became known as the era of Stagnation, a stark period of loneliness, disappointment, and individual despair. This new type of character was neither negative nor positive, but nevertheless systematically undermined Soviet norms of behaviour, hairstyle, dress, lifestyle, and perspective, in stark contrast to Socialist Realism’s traditional, positive hero who fought for Soviet values and who vanquished the enemies of socialism. The book discusses a wide range of films from the period, showing how the new antiheroic archetype of Stagnation resonated through a multitude of characters, mostly male, and vividly reflected the realities of Soviet life. The book thereby provides great insight into the lives, outlook, and psychology of citizens in the late Soviet period.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|42 pages
Violating norms in Soviet serio-comic genres of the Stagnation era
chapter 2|21 pages
Antiheroes from an Imagined West
part II|40 pages
Unsettling intergenerational harmony, professional integrity, and moral superiority
chapter 4|20 pages
Aging kings on the Soviet screen
part III|42 pages
Dualism, conformism, and impotence
chapter 5|20 pages
The Soviet flâneur-turned-marathoner
chapter 6|20 pages
Unneeded men in a time of compliance
part IV|36 pages
Auteur films: Through the lens of time, space, and allegory