Author: MATTHEWS, EMILY SCHUCKMAN

Source: Studies in Russian & Soviet Cinema, Volume 5, Number 2, December 2011 , pp. 205-225(21)

Publisher: Intellect

Abstract:

This article examines the portrayal of the prostitute as a part of everyday Russian life, a natural feature of the new market economy, in Iurii Moroz's film Tochka/The Spot (2006). Through the portrayal of the daily lives of three female sex workers, The Spot forces viewers to confront a reality often obscured by more titillating tales of glamour and sex. The film draws on techniques from documentary, neorealism and the chernukha movement of the 1980s and 1990s, using fictionalized images to visually foreground darker aspects of post-Soviet life and put forth its thesis about the 'new' Russia. The film provides insight into women's place in the world of contemporary Russian capitalism, the gendered nature of this economic system and the legitimacy of prostitution as an entrepreneurial enterprise. The article analyses the film for both its cinematic and thematic content, including the film's portrayal of the female body, its use of naturalistic language and the ways in which the film captures the complicated daily lives of marginalized individuals.

Keywords: prostitution; sex work; entrepreneurship; chernukha; female sexuality; contemporary Russian cinema

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/srsc.5.2.205_1

Affiliations: 1: San Diego State University

Publication date: 2011-12-20

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• Studies in Russian & Soviet Cinema focuses on pre-revolutionary, Soviet and post- Soviet film, its aesthetic development, and its position between ideology and industry. SRSC invites contributions that constitute original research. The journal seeks to promote research from established scholars as well as to encourage researchers new to the field.
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