“Even Artichokes Have Heart”

Abstract

This thesis sets out to investigate how female escapism is represented in cinema. Through the careful examination of the visual representation of the female protagonists we are able to witness how their problems, desires and escapist tendencies are treated on screen. The observations are created based on the close inspection of the four following films: Horse Girl (2020), Blind (2014), Amélie (Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, 2001) and The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985). A conclusion is reached which illustrates that the resolution of these narratives often comes with a great ambiguity.