That Obscure Object of Desire

The themes of the movie correlate greatly with the essay. In the Žižek essay, it's said that there is a "shift from raw sensual coveting to elevated spiritual longing." This was made evident in That Obscure Object of Desire. An overarching theme of the movie was that the woman was something unattainable. She was essentially placed on a pedestal as an ideal, mainly due to the fact that she was a virgin and, in a sense, inaccessible.

From Ventadorn, "Ah, God! if only true lovers stood out from the false." only proves the main point of That Obscure Object of Desire that someone does not simply fall in love with someone, but only with the idea of them. Love clouds judgement and obscures vision so that the desired seems perfect, and as though they're flawless, thus fitting in with the lover's ideal. This is why Mathieu and so many others feel a deep sense of betrayal when their lovers turn out not as they expected. Not because they somehow changed, but because they are now disillusioned to the person they really are, which does not fit in with the ideal held in their minds.

1st blog post

1. The Song of Songs presents an erotic relationship between a man and a woman. This was made apparent with the use of certain words and phrases like “My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts.” “Let the king bring me into his chambers.” “And our bed is verdant.” The images created are all very lush and live, with use of words like “verdant” and talk of sweet smelling flowers. This is a take on love from a very passionate point of view.

4. Narcissus is not in love with himself, but with his seemingly perfect reflection. He is not focused on personality features like intelligence, sense of humor, kindness or empathy. Instead, Narcissus is caught up in how he himself looks. The myth backs this up by saying, “As he lay on the bank, he gazed at the twin stars that were his eyes, at his flowing locks, worthy of Bacchus or Apollo, his smooth cheeks, his ivory neck, his lovely face where a rosy flush stained the snowy whiteness of his complexion, admiring all the features for which he was himself admired.” What Narcissus is feeling is essentially lust and desire, which is typically present in the beginnings of a relationship, with “passionate love.” This myth tells us that, yes, desire and lust for the physical parts of a person is normal and to be expected. Yet, if one is too caught up in the physical appearance of their love, then it could have disastrous consequences.

5. “I” only exists as it relates to the rest of the world in a gestalt sense of the word. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that could only happen if “I” completes a perception of reality. As someone ages, this “I” becomes more apparent, and yet also more unique as it relates to reality. I do see parallels between this and the myth of Narcissus. He has a sense of “I” but also sees himself as a completely different person separate from his mental state.