ABSTRACT

Eytan Fox's The Bubble appears, at least on one level, to celebrate Bakhtinian polymorphous perversity, inasmuch as it explores an open and fluid sexuality in the inviting space of Tel Aviv. This gay relationship is the driving force behind Fox's exploration of identity politics, not so much gay and straight, but rather Israeli and Palestinian, a dynamic that decidedly constitutes the film's primary narrative tension. Nir Cohen has stressed the importance of identity politics in The Bubble, noting that the Israeli characters are very Israeli indeed. Palestinian identity is diametrically opposed to Israeli, and this is evidenced in the film's initial sequence, which emphasises the harsh dynamics of an Israeli checkpoint. The relationship between social liberalism and neoliberalism is seemingly contradictory. Studies on the Beat Generation have explored this paradox at length. Tel Aviv as a haven where international culture is celebrated is most evident in the diegetic and extra-diegetic music that comprises the soundtrack of The Bubble.