The Uncanny Other: The Gendered Cyborg in The Skin I Live In

• Main Authors: Wu, Yu-Hsuan, 吳郁萱
• Other Authors: Lee, Chia-Yi
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/24swhw

碩士 === 國立交通大學 === 外國語文學系外國文學與語言學碩士班 === 103 === Best known for his representation of femininity in cinema, Pedro Almodóvar’s portrayal of women has won him the title of a “women’s director.” Yet, what makes his eighteenth feature, The Skin I Live In (2011), distinct from the previous ones is the uncanny atmosphere it provokes throughout the film as the director attempts at creating the Woman out of a gendered cyborg. This paper therefore explores the concept of femininity by looking at how it is represented through the construction of the gendered cyborg body in the light of Judith Butler and Teresa de Lauretis’ theories. With an uncanny figure portrayed as the Woman, the film can be seen as the director’s fiery expression toward the dichotomy of gender/sex, body/identity, and women’s position within the hegemonic discourse. On the other hand, given that the intervention of technology has played a vital role in the film, The Skin I Live In is also a tragedy that allows an introspection of the overly optimistic attitudes towards future technology and its limitations.