ABSTRACT
Gesture belongs to the non-verbal form of communication such as accent, posture, dress and modes of conduct whereby biological differences are interwoven in cultural layers of meaning. Through corporeal performance, the subject speaks to both nature and culture, always appearing in a dialogical situation and operating in a multi-directional and multi-modal manner. In the Soviet context gesture was used to communicate ideological underpinnings of gender as, for example, in the famous emblem of the Mosfilm studios-the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman statue by Vera Mukhina [ Rabochii i kolkhoznitsa , 1937]. In contemporary Russia, gendered gesture has been frequently employed to challenge the state ideology of conservatism as is evident in the Pussy Riot performances (see chapter ten of this volume). Beyond the ideological framework, communication theory distinguishes between spontaneous and deliberate gestures, or those with an intended pragmatic value and those appearing inadvertently. 1 I am interested in polyvalent modes of gesturing whereby, rather than merely a way to communicate meaning, the gesture emerges as a site of meaning production insofar as it does not relate to existing conventions such as pantomime or sign language, but appears as a transference of meaning and as a mode of transgression. Equally I am interested in how gesture constructs gender as an internal category whereby it refers to the internalized cultural dimension and the inward movement of thought. 2
For this purpose I turn to Renata Litvinova (b. 1967), a figure who has re-defined Russian culture at the start of the twenty-first century. Born into a family of Moscow-based doctors, Litvinova was educated at VGIK (the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, Moscow, Russia’s most prestigious film school), gaining qualifications as a script-writer. She became well-known
after her scripts were adopted for the screen in Valerii Rubenchik’s Not Love [ Neliubov’ , 1991] and Kira Muratova’s Passions [ Uvlecheniia , 1994]. Two particular films, Valerii Todorovskii’s The Land of the Deaf [ Strana glukhikh , 1997] and Iurii Grymov’s Men’s Revelations [ Muzhskie otkroveniia , 1997], based on Litvinova’s short stories, catapulted her into stardom. Litvinova’s contribution-as a scriptwriter and actress-to Vera Storozheva’s The Sky, The Plane and The Girl [ Nebo, samolet, devushka , 2002] demonstrated her ability to identify and work with emerging talent such as Elena Iatsura who would become one of the most influential producers in the Russian Federation, and Mikhail Krichman, who would work as the cinematographer on all Andrei Zviagintsev’s award-winning films, including The Return [ Vozvrashchenie , 2003]. 3 Litvinova’s creative partnership with Muratova has won her the reputation of a talented film writer as well as an extraordinary performer: Muratova filmed Litvinova in leading roles in her Three Stories [ Tri istorii , 1997], The Tuner [ Nastroishchik , 2004], Two in One [ Dva v odnom , 2006] and Eternal Homecoming [ Vechnoe vozvrashchenie , 2012]. 4 Through her collaboration with Muratova, Litvinova has developed a unique performing style characterized by Elise Thorsen as follows:
Bold and precise red lipstick, the classic scent of Red Moscow perfume, sculpted waves of blond hair, and careful attention to wardrobe-such minutiae generate a sense of glamour indebted to the sirens of the silver screen. Simultaneously, Litvinova’s cult status is intimately connected with her style of performance, particularly in Muratova’s films. Hers is a hyper-stylized performance, in which the understanding of character is inevitably restricted to surfaces, leaving no access to interiority or in fact exposing that beneath her exterior lies only a consuming emptiness .
