Structures of Desire

Focusing on British cinema from 1940 to 1955, the book explores how desire is portrayed amidst societal upheaval. It analyzes male-female relationships in both realist films and anti-realist movements, including Gainsborough Melodrama and the works of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Additionally, it delves into the factors influencing postwar utopian aspirations and how conservative ideology ultimately constrained these desires, providing a critical lens on the interplay between film and cultural shifts during this transformative era.