『영화배우는 흑백영화의 주인공이 되어야 한다』의 상호텍스트성

Intertextuality in A Movie Star has to Star in Black and White

A Movie Star Has to Star in Black and White employs three Hollywood classic movies, and one of Kennedy's plays, The Owl Answers. Intertextuality, which has been theorized and developed by Bakhtin, Kristeva, Barthes, and so on, assumes that all texts are not original but are weaved with a fabric, drawn from other texts. From a postmodern point of view, a text can include not only a written text but also any entity which communicates meaning. White actresses who resemble heroines such as Bette Davis in Now Voyager, Jean Peters in Viva Zapata, and Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun speak for Clara the main character of A Movie Star. From the intertextual relationship between A Movie Star Winters three movies, some important issues including racism and gender become apparent. As for gender issues, Clara and three actresses are dominated by authoritative figures including husbands or boyfriends. On the other hand, by making movie stars speak for Clara, she accomplishes her dream to be a white woman. At the same time the fact that she internalizes the white male centered ideology which forces her deny her blackness is revealed. The Owl Answers and Clara's diary also have intertextual relationship with A Movie Star. A diary is a private record; on the other hand, The Owl Answers is one of Kennedy's plays which presupposes the audience/reader. Clara, however, does not want to show her play to anyone, and therefore it also becomes a private record reflecting her fragmented consciousness. In the end three white actresses in the three movies and the characters including an owl in The Owl Answers represent Clara's psyche disintegrated by her womanhood and race under white male dominated culture.