The Birth of Two Nations : En analys av ras och sexualitet i två filmatiseringar från 1915 och 2016

Sammanfattning: The following study aims, through a narratological and discourse analysis, to discuss and make visable, how two films, both named The Birth of a Nation, directed by G.W. Griffith and Nate Parker respectively depict violence and sexuality in relation to race. The theoretical framework, consists of postcolonialism, race, violence, masculinity and sexuality. However, the different parts of the theoretical framework are intertwined as race, sexuality and violence are interlinked and dependent on each other. These theories were chosen in accordance to the feature films’ narratives as well as their relation to each other. The results of this study were mainly in line with previously conducted research regarding the films. However the analysis of Nate Parker’s production provided a more neuanced perspective regarding the depiction of the interlinked expressions of sexuality and racial hegemony mainly from whites. Both films use similar style figures regarding the depiciton of violence, hegemony and sexuality even though the style figures serve to portray, in Parker’s film – the whites, and in Griffith’s film – the blacks, as perpertrators. Finally, the study raises new questions for research. I claim that a larger study, containing the collected canon of feature films from 1915 until today would make for an enriched and more complete picture of how black slaves are depicted in feature films as well as how these films reflect their contemporary times.