Myth, Resistance, and Power: An Intersectional Reading of Mani Ratnam’s Raavanan through Historical Materialism and Film Analysis

Abstract

Film studies is an academic discipline that delves into a variety of theoretical, historical, and critical viewpoints on cinema, viewing it as both an art form and a means of communication. It provides multiple approaches for analysing films, examining how meaning is constructed and how audiences interpret and engage with them. The film analysis technique deconstructs cinematic texts and explores how they reflect and refract social realities. The cinematic techniques are used to construct meaning, evoke emotions, and convey socio-political messages to audiences. A film can be analysed intersectionally. Intersectionality examines how various social categories intersect and shape representations of identity, power, and inequality within films. This paper explores the intersection of race, gender, class, power structure, ethnicity, religion, marginalised identities and ability to influence character development, plot dynamics, and thematic concerns in the film Raavanan. By integrating Karl Marx’s theory of historical materialism, film analysis, and intersectionality, this paper offers a nuanced understanding of Mani Ratnam’s Raavanan as a cinematic text that reflects and critiques the complexities of contemporary Indian society while offering narratives of resistance and liberation. The interdisciplinary approach allows for a deeper understanding of how cinema both reflects and shapes the socio-economic, cultural, and political landscapes of the societies in which it is produced and consumed.