Fantastic Corporeality of the Political Process (on the Example of Cinematic Material)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of mythological foundations of mass culture and their role in the formation of political discourse through the images of fantastic characters reflecting archetypal motifs and emotionally affecting the collective unconscious. Three universal approaches to the creation of fantastic characters in mass culture are described: chimerization, gorgonization and cyborgization. The interaction between political discourse and the fantasy segment of mass culture is examined through the prism of the digimodern aesthetics described by Alan Kirby. The author explores how figures of monsters, zombies, mutants and other fantastic creatures become allegories of social, cultural and political processes. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of the fantasy story to discuss such pressing social issues as minority rights, the crises of capitalism, multiculturalism, and the nature of future revolutions. It also analyzes the conceptual component of the phenomenon of “soft power” of cinema in the context of shaping public opinion both inside and outside Western countries. It is emphasized that the “ideological elasticity” of fiction formats creates a space for safe and politically correct discussion of complex topics. The article may be of interest to researchers studying the interaction between mass culture and political processes, as well as the processes of myth-making in cinematography.