A Mode of Agitation between Verfremdungseffekt and Empathy: Breaking the Fourth Wall in Craig Gillespie's I, Tonya

Abstract

This article analyses the film I, Tonya (Craig Gillespie, 2018) by focusing particularly on the theatrical technique of direct address to the camera. This method creates a mode of agitation which fluctuates between Brechtian Verfremdungseffekt (distanciation) and empathy. The use of facial close-ups, zooms, and tracking shots into intimate spaces develop audience emotion through an alternative narrative of Tonya Harding. However, scenes perpetually undermine the developed trust through contradictory testimony and the figure of Tonya calling the viewer her “attacker.” The film I, Tonya aggressively deals with larger social and political implications regarding domestic violence in lower socioeconomic households in the US, uncritical media consumption, and capitalist structures. Show more