Saki Kobayashi Ph. D. defense.
Discussant: Claire Thomson (University College London)
This dissertation explores the stardom of Viveca Lindfors by paying attention to its connection to film star cultures in Sweden and beyond. In so doing, it seeks to uncover neglected aspects of Swedish film history concerning representational and industrial practices. By contriving the concept of “performed self,” the dissertation offers a multi-faceted account of Lindfors’s stardom and thereby explains the connotations of her epithet “hot-blooded” (“blodfull”). The analysis focuses on representations of the star in films and other media, their historical and cultural contexts, her acting techniques, her business tactics, and the production and promotional strategies of her studios. As a result, this dissertation elucidates the gender and ethnic norms and the national identity embodied by Swedish stars, the star-making machinery in Sweden, and the career strategies of a film star active in both Europe and the U.S. More generally, it illuminates the cultural and societal significance of a female star as a professional actor and a public figure, as well as her agency in navigating the patriarchal structure of film as an industry and an institution. As a contribution to two research fields, i.e. Swedish film history and star studies, this study challenges the Hollywood-centric perspective that still dominates star studies. Furthermore, it connects the research on the histories of Swedish cinema and theatre by highlighting their interplay in the realm of star creation. Theoretically, it engages in a critical reassessment of the established framework for understanding stars as media construction to link different strands of research within star studies.
