# The De Palma Conversation

**URL:** <https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/t/the-de-palma-conversation/3066>\
**Category:** General Movie Discussion\
**Created:** [May 20, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/t/the-de-palma-conversation/3066 "2025-05-20T20:43:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

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**Author:** ![MrKiddWint](https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/user_avatar/quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/mrkiddwint/32/1772_2.png) [@MrKiddWint](https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/u/MrKiddWint)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 8:50pm UTC](https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/t/the-de-palma-conversation/3066/3 "2025-05-16T20:50:50Z")

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**Discussion De Palma**

A piece I think is helpful:

> **[Queer and Now and Then: 2002](https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/queer-and-now-and-then-2002/)**
>
> Mise en abyme: the exhilaration of Femme Fatale comes from its constant, absolute awareness of sex and identity as performances

From the above:

_I would argue that the intense appeal his films hold for us goes beyond visual voluptuousness or camp—though such matters are not incidental—and into a deeper, subconscious realm that rejects fixed identities, embraces marginalization, and acknowledges the integrity, even the necessity of social performance._

De Palma’s films are about surface/performance, and not about creating nuanced/in-depth psychological portraits (leave that to Bergman and Cassavetes). But De Palma’s staying on the surface is not an objectification of his characters. He is showing the fluidity of their surfaces as they interact with different people and situations, and how narrative-making and role-playing occur in (and often govern) life.

More later–have to get back to work. But look forward to your and everyone else’s thoughts.

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