From Down Terrace to High-Rise: The ‘Unreal Estate’ Cinema of Ben Wheatley

William Brown

From Down Terrace to High-Rise: The ‘Unreal Estate’ Cinema of Ben Wheatley

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

In this chapter, I should like to pick up and to expand upon Lowenstein’s analysis by suggesting that Wheatley’s films constitute a sub- versive ‘unreal estate’ cinema. That is, through the hallucinatory qualities of his work, Wheatley challenges the ‘reality’ of ‘real estate’, thereby undermining the way in which the term is used to legitimise certain ways of organising and owning space in the contemporary world. Furthermore, I shall argue that the violence that commonly erupts in Wheatley’s films functions as an expression of the violence inherent in the organisation of space that he identifies—including the organisation of space that is the nation. While Wheatley might be accused of glorifying violence, and thus implicitly of endorsing an organisation of space and real estate that is divi- sive and thus also violent, the disturbing nature of his films instead high- lights and thus opens space for critique of the violent organisation of (space in) the UK.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Nationalism in Contemporary Western European Cinema
Editors	James Harvey
Place of Publication	Basingstoke
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Pages	43-61
Number of pages	18
ISBN (Print)	978-3319736662
Publication status	Published - 2018

Keywords

real estate
ben Wheatley
occult
folk cinema

Cite this

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title = "From Down Terrace to High-Rise: The {\textquoteleft}Unreal Estate{\textquoteright} Cinema of Ben Wheatley",

abstract = "In this chapter, I should like to pick up and to expand upon Lowenstein{\textquoteright}s analysis by suggesting that Wheatley{\textquoteright}s films constitute a sub- versive {\textquoteleft}unreal estate{\textquoteright} cinema. That is, through the hallucinatory qualities of his work, Wheatley challenges the {\textquoteleft}reality{\textquoteright} of {\textquoteleft}real estate{\textquoteright}, thereby undermining the way in which the term is used to legitimise certain ways of organising and owning space in the contemporary world. Furthermore, I shall argue that the violence that commonly erupts in Wheatley{\textquoteright}s films functions as an expression of the violence inherent in the organisation of space that he identifies—including the organisation of space that is the nation. While Wheatley might be accused of glorifying violence, and thus implicitly of endorsing an organisation of space and real estate that is divi- sive and thus also violent, the disturbing nature of his films instead high- lights and thus opens space for critique of the violent organisation of (space in) the UK.",

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