The Representation of Sexual Orientation: How to deconstruct sexual politics with queer films in contemporary mainstream media

Abstract

Essentialism has been at the core of the discourse about sexuality for over two centuries. Because of this, sexual politics in society have evolved into a binary system justifying actions as moral or immoral. A system where some forms of sexual acts are blessed with certified mental health, respectability, legality, social and physical mobility, while others are victimized, illegalized or deemed unnatural. To change our knowledge about sexuality, the representations that construct the discourse about sexuality take on an important position. In this research, I examine the representation of sexual orientation. By using Christopher Pullen his concept of new storytelling, in which he defines a way to positively narrate queer stories through reflexivity and the notion of becoming, Call Me By Your Name will be thoroughly examined. In contrast to most independent queer films, Call Me Be Your Name has been widely popular within the heteronormative society and carries, therefore, a significant responsibility in how they represent the queer subject. Through a close analysis of narrative and discourse connotations and the construction of sexual desire within the film will be questioned. This research follows a queer phenomenological approach, as I try to further the discussion within queer theory on what a good representation is and try to visualize how sexuality can be understood as a social construction in media. Sara Ahmed's ideas on sexuality as a constructed orientated space, which consists of objects of desire, will be central to look at how the main character adjusts to his sudden queer love. Conclusively, through new storytelling, Call Me By Your Name represents sexual orientation as a personal identity of sexual desire constructed by spatial orientation, instead of a gendered homogenous essentialist thought.