"Holy Smoke"

Paper Summary:

This paper is a film review of Holy Smoke, primarily discussing the idea of East and West as distinguished by gender in the characters of Ruth and PJ Waters. The author I discusses how the film, through it's deconstruction of masculine and feminine, seems to be a progressive film but in the end becomes reactionary as Ruth?s character is domesticated.

From the Paper:

"Vast improvements in technology, from intercontinental flights to the Internet, and an increase in the education level have caused the dissolution of many religious and cultural norms. For an animal species that believes itself special, much importance is applied to these norms ? they help separate us from our neighbors in the animal kingdom. The destruction of these norms has caused a confusion that we in the West desperately seek to eradicate. Holy Smoke, a film by Jane Campion, explores the contrast between East and West through the idea of masculinity and femininity and, to a lesser extent, religion. The two main characters in this film are Ruth, played by Kate Winslet, and PJ Waters, played by Harvey Keitel."

More papers on "Holy Smoke":

• Essay # 74388 : "Second-Hand Smoke"
• Essay # 7031 : "Second-Hand Smoke"
• Cause and Effect Essay # 1697 : "Second-Hand Smoke"

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