Lacan, Zizek and Foucault Watch 'Prison Break'. (Psycho)analysis of a Series

• Authors: Kozlowski J.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

Why is 'Prison Break' so popular? This essay attempts to answer the question by referring to the ideas of Michael Foucault and Slavoj Zizek's philosophy of film. 'Prison Break' is analyzed accordingly to the Zizek's motto, that fiction is more real than reality. The acceptance of this premise allows the author to see the structure of the storyline of the series as an illustration of Lacanian mechanisms of the subconscious. The author also juxtaposes the psychoanalytic recognitions with the history of prison as described by Foucault in 'Discipline and Punish'. In this context 'Prison Break' is seen as a fantasy on the possibility of escape of an individual from a panoptic power structure to the impossible freedom. The author finds Lacanian and Foucauldian approaches to be complimentary. Thanks to them the cause of the popularity of the series are recognized both at a micro (mechanism ruling the subconscious) and macro level (mechanisms that govern culture).

Keywords

EN

'PRISON BREAK'; FOUCAULT MICHEL; PSYCHOANALYSIS; LACAN JACQUES; ZIZEK SLAVOJ

Discipline

• ARTS_&_ARCHITECTURE: ARTS & ARCHITECTURE

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Sztuki PAN
• Journal: Kwartalnik Filmowy
• Year: 2008
• Issue: 64
• Pages: 131-146
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Kozlowski J.

• J. Kozlowski, c/o Uniwersytet Warszawski, Instytut Kultury Polskiej, ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

09PLAAAA059520