To what extent does the work of Brian DePalma discuss either: identity, homage, or parody?

Authors Avatar

To what extent does the work of Brian DePalma discuss either: identity, homage, or parody?

As DePalma’s career in film spans from the 60s to the present day, it would be impossible to refer to his entire body of work in detail, therefore this essay will focus particularly upon two of his notable works from the 1970s, Phantom of the Paradise (DePalma, 1974) and Carrie (DePalma, 1976), with reference to other films where appropriate, and will focus upon themes of identity, particularly regarding gender identity and a comparison regarding the levels De Palma presents identity on – from the personal to the mass identity of the music industry.

The common themes that feature in the majority of his films centre upon the exploitation of a protagonist who is presented as vulnerable in one way or another (Mateuse, 1977). In Phantom of the Paradise, Winslow is grossly mistreated by music mogul Swan, who takes his music for his own uses and then casts Winslow aside. Like Winslow in Phantom of the Paradise, Carrie is seen as victimized, by both her popular and pretty classmates and her religious fanatic mother.  At the end of both films, the protagonists find retribution, and destroy the worlds that have corrupted them – although along with this, they destroy themselves.

DePalma often depicts the horror genre as a ‘carnal affair’ (Lewis, 2008), as his films often carry ideas of sexuality, and particularly sexual identity. The way women are presented is often in a highly sexualised manner. This is very true in Phantom of the Paradise, the girls auditioning are overlooked for their talent and ability, and instead we see them parading their sexuality. The ‘audition room’ is actually a large round bed area, with scantily-clad women writhing around touching each other. Rather than seeming manipulated and exploited, the women seem to be happy with their position. Later on, they are dressed in bikinis sitting on a car for the show rehearsal, when the car explodes. As discussed by Lewis (2008), DePalma often shows brutal violence being dealt towards women – such as the dream scene of brutal rape and murder that opens his 1980 film Dressed to Kill. The mixture of the sexuality of the women and the horrific nature of their deaths result in what seems to be an underlying message that those who become aware of their sexual identity are likely to meet with a disturbing end. The same happens with Swan, another sexualised being, who takes advantage of these women’s sexuality – he is killed in a scene where he marries Phoenix.

The name ‘Phoenix’ is also an interesting point with regards to identity – Strauss (1997, pp. 17-21) discusses how a person’s name often relates to the way they are identified or identify themselves. A phoenix will die, and then rise out of the ashes – Phoenix herself fails to audition the first time round, representative of a death in her journey toward becoming a singer. However, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she returns and reignites her dream – and in the end, is successful. Name and identity is also relevant in Carrie; when the principal repeatedly calls her by the wrong name – ‘Cassie’ – she becomes angered and breaks the ashtray on his desk. If he were to address her correctly, he would therefore be acknowledging her as the person she is. Instead, he is rejecting the knowledge of her name, and according to Strauss’ theory of name and identity, therefore rejecting the person that she is.

Join now!

Returning to the discussion of Phantom of the Paradise, Phoenix plays an important role in the film, and her own identity is challenged and changed throughout the film narrative.  When Winslow first meets her at the auditions, she is repulsed by what she is asked to do, and insists all she wants to do is sing. However, when she first sings in front of an audience, we see a change in her, particularly through the line ‘I’ll do anything you want, just give me that crowd again’ (DePalma, Phantom of the Paradise, 1974), and then follows to behave seductively towards Swan. ...

This is a preview of the whole essay