Alphaville: A Journal of Film and Screen Media

Abstract

The fourth issue of Alphaville: A Journal of Film and Screen Media explores gender identities and sexual borders through diverse academic perspectives. Melissa DeAnn Seifert examines female characters in blaxploitation cinema, arguing that these figures were deliberately constructed to challenge notions of sisterhood and solidarity among women prevalent during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Seifert contends that such portrayals reflect a patriarchal fear of female empowerment, reinforcing male dominance through cinematic narratives. Conversely, Emerson Fillman Richards analyzes the portrayal of sexuality in Kubrick's and Lyne's adaptations of Lolita, contrasting them with Nabokov’s original novel. Richards highlights how each film constructs distinct sexual identities for Humbert Humbert and Clare Quilty, reflecting broader societal shifts in understanding gender and sexuality. Together, these articles contribute to a nuanced discussion on the intersectionality of gender, race, and sexuality within cinematic representations, offering critical insights into the historical and cultural contexts that shape these portrayals.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)