Fan Culture @ Swarthmore

I thought I’d extend our discussion of the aesthetic/sexual desire dichotomy in Love and Death On Long Island a little bit. I brought up Death in Venice, a story that revolves around a writer’s lusting after a young boy because of his “Greek” beauty, but perhaps his desire is more sexual (if we can even claim a difference).

Love and Death on Long Island actually extends these questions in a more subtle way than the classic novel because of the support characters it adds to the “original” story. We haven’t addressed the question of Ronnie’s girlfriend. One could claim that she was infatuated with Giles (and is it sexual or the aesthetic “he is really British”?). Later she seems angry with him or jealous. What is her relationship with Giles like, and how aware of it is he? He is perhaps taking advantage of it.

Additionally, what about the diner owner? Is there a homoerotic element in his relationship with Giles? Most of the relationships in this film are ambiguous (Greg and I discussed the film after viewing and decided that, indeed, it’s all pretty ambiguous. I like our interpretation). Feel free to comment on this post to continue the discussion related to any of the desire questions.

But is this just “meaning building” about the film? Why are we asking these interpretive/intentional questions? This film is very much one of Barthes’ “writerly” texts. It intentionally solicits multiple interpretations. More importantly, however, I see a reflexive quality in the film about its very ambiguity. Giles in his relationship with Ronnie is consciously shaping the experience (presenting it as “chance”). The “text” of the relationship is open to manipulation by people who are traditionally “passive.” Giles wanted this type of relationship and was able to make it happen. We can perhaps all relate in the way we approach our lives as an aesthetic text to be “read” (mere passive reflection) but also shaped into the piece of art we desire it to be.