Troubadour Poetry, Slavoj Žižek, and Buñuel’s “That Obscure Object of Desire”

For the poetry by Bernard de Ventadorn and the Žižek essay:

What are the ways in which the poetry and essay bring up themes we spoke about last week (problems of desire, imagery, alienation, etc.). What new ideas do you see here that further complicate or elucidate issues involving love and/or desire? Use specific quotes from the poetry and the essay to support your comments.

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Here are some things to contemplate as you watch the film (you do not need to answer any of these questions directly, but part of your blog posting for next week should involve a discussion of some aspect of the film).

1. Why do you think the film is titled “That Obscure Object of Desire”? What is this “obscure object”? How does the film present it as such (imagery, characters, dialog, etc.)? How might this “obscure object” relate back to our discussion of Narcissus and Lacan?

2. Why is terrorism an ever-pervasive background to the events of the film?

3. Why do you think there are two actresses to play the part of Conchita? Refer to specific scenes in the film if you discuss this.

4. What do you make of the animal imagery in the film (the mouse and fly)?

5. Why do you think Mattheiu is the narrator of the film? Why is most of the film a flashback? (Think about who is sitting next to Mattieu on the train).

6. Do you have an interpretation of the final moments of the film? (The sewing, the music – which “Liebestod” or “Love-Death” is from Wagner’s opera “Tristan and Isolde,” the explosion)