Summary of the “Polyester: The Perils of Francine” Article Report

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

In her article entitled Polyester: The Perils of Francine, art historian, critic and PhD in film studies Elena Gorfinkel examines the role of women in the work of director John Waters. The author assesses the film’s realization, features and subtext and compares it to other milestones in the director’s career. The film is seen as an excellent example of the mixing of parody and the most tearful genre, the so-called women’s film about the problems and peculiarities of a middle-class woman’s life and is quite highly regarded by the critic.

The author of the article notes the paradoxes of melodramatic femininity that Waters notes in the example of the film’s protagonist. The combination of mock hypocrisy, hystericality, and excitement in the life of an early eighties suburban woman confronts the seriousness of ensuring order in the home and simultaneously disrupting it. The contradictions in women’s self-definition in such situations, reality and fiction in their perceptions, are emphasized and even sometimes grotesquely highlighted by the director, according to Gorfinkel (2019). The beleaguered banality and repulsive impression at the same time as the appeal of the protagonist are appreciated as blurring the line between anticlimax and pathos.

In addition, duality is also observed in the appearance, behavior, and presentation of the heroine. The author notes the idealized and de-idealized image, noting its reckless but quirky femininity (Gorfinkel, 2019). One can observe the meaning of the film’s title in this – after all, polyester is a modern, outwardly attractive and sturdy but cheap and artificial material. In the context of the suburban atmosphere of the film’s characters’ environment, their attempts to follow fashion and the American dream are associated with an illusion, a mask over real life, albeit a beautiful one(Gorfinkel, 2019). According to the author, it is this synthetic nature of such women’s life roles in this time period that demonstrates the grotesque and excessive (Gorfinkel, 2019). Periodic dependence on the opinion of others is also both the cause and the consequence of such outwardly brilliant syntheticism. It is noted as a violation of the mental space of the characters.

The problems in the family of the film’s protagonists, while exaggerated, are also versatile, tragic and, at the same time, parodic. Reaction instead of cardinal action in response to the adversity piled up is noted as realistic and entitled to exist. That said, one cannot help but note the retention of the general classic trashiness of Waters’ film production. He incorporated the metanarrative of trying to add smell to films in theaters into his work. He actively exploited this opportunity, expanding the audience’s perception but mocking such an opportunity by providing a negative library of smells (Gorfinkel, 2019). Provoking audiences and an anarchic attitude with notes of vulgarity were meant to break taboos and surprise audiences, something Waters successfully accomplished with his most famous film titles.

The author appreciates the director’s ability to realize permutations, ambiguities, and inconsistent elements in his works. As a result, we can conclude that Polyester is appreciated quite highly in her genre in this critical article. The author’s ability to analyze situational changes, strokes of emotion and the director’s intention demonstrate her high professionalism and passion for both women’s cinema in particular and the film industry in general. Her experience and knowledge extensively assist her in this matter. Therefore, for this reason, the article can be considered entirely competent.

Reference

Gorfinkel, E. (2019). . The Criterion Collection. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2024, January 16). Summary of the "Polyester: The Perils of Francine" Article. https://ivypanda.com/essays/summary-of-the-polyester-the-perils-of-francine-article/

Work Cited

"Summary of the "Polyester: The Perils of Francine" Article." IvyPanda, 16 Jan. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/summary-of-the-polyester-the-perils-of-francine-article/.

References

IvyPanda. (2024) 'Summary of the "Polyester: The Perils of Francine" Article'. 16 January.

References

IvyPanda. 2024. "Summary of the "Polyester: The Perils of Francine" Article." January 16, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/summary-of-the-polyester-the-perils-of-francine-article/.

1. IvyPanda. "Summary of the "Polyester: The Perils of Francine" Article." January 16, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/summary-of-the-polyester-the-perils-of-francine-article/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Summary of the "Polyester: The Perils of Francine" Article." January 16, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/summary-of-the-polyester-the-perils-of-francine-article/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1