Helplessness is the Most Terrifying Thing of all

• Authors: Zwierzchowski P.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

Krzysztof Krauze's 'Debt' (Dlug, 1991) and Michael Haneke 'Funny Games' (1997) describe, using various poetic devices, the fears of a modern man. He is helpless against threat and danger, and in extreme situations, he may face either death or criminal violence. The helplessness of both characters and viewers is terrifying due to two reasons. The feeling of one's own helplessness is never something pleasant. People of the twentieth century were long convinced about their own subjectivity and autonomy. 'Debt' and 'Funny Games' make it clear, that the power we have over our own destiny is much more limited. They do no talk about existential fears of the soul, of war or catastrophes, or of the apocalypse. They show however, that we came to fear everyday world, because we are not ready to face it, when we become trapped and oppressed by it.

Keywords

EN

FEAR; HANEKE MICHAEL; KRAUZE KRZYSZTOF

Discipline

• ARTS_&_ARCHITECTURE: ARTS & ARCHITECTURE

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Sztuki PAN
• Journal: Kwartalnik Filmowy
• Year: 2008
• Issue: 61
• Pages: 184-199
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Zwierzchowski P.

• P. Zwierzchowski, Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy, Instytut Filologii Polskiej, Katedra Kultury Wspólczesnej, ul. Jagiellonska 11, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

08PLAAAA04769087