Abstract
From Antiquity to modern times, the concept of melancholy has challenged and inspired thinkers within different disciplines. This is also the case in modern TV drama, not least the kind that has been inspired by Nordic noir. In the article, the authors demonstrate how different aspects of melancholy can be applied as a distinct analytical approach to contemporary crime series. The serial Southcliffe (2013) is the primary case, but references are drawn to other examples. The authors investigate the relationship between melancholy and place, and show how melancholy traits are an important part of characters as well of atmosphere and mood. Last, they point out how distance and metatextual layers form a part of melancholy.
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Notes
- 1.
See Hippocrates (400 bce). Another translation, quoted by Bell, uses the terms fear and depression (Bell 2014, 38).
- 2.
According to Bell (2014) the theory of the four humours cannot be ascribed to Hippocrates, as he realised that there are more than four fluids in the human body.
- 3.
‘Melancholy’, Oxford Dictionary (n.d.).
- 4.
Putto (noun, pl. putti /-ti/, origin Italian, literally ‘boy‘, from Latin putus) is a representation of a naked child, especially a cherub or a cupid in Renaissance art.
- 5.
‘English Melancholy’, Oxford Dictionary (n.d.).
- 6.
For instance Melancholy – Northern Romantic Painting at Aarhus Art Museum 1991, Malmö Nordic in 2013, and Fluid Flesh at the Nordic Contemporary exhibition in Paris 2014 (Bordorff 2014).
- 7.
‘Die Melancholie ist seelisch ausgezeichnet durch eine tief schmerzliche Verstimmung, eine Aufhebung des Interesses für die Außenwelt, durch den Verlust der Liebesfähigkeit, durch die Hemmung jeder Leistung und die Herabsetzung des Selbstgefühls, die sich in Selbstvorwürfen und Selbstbeschimpfungen äußert und bis zur wahnhaften Erwartung von Strafe steigert’ (Freud 1917).
- 8.
‘Bei der Trauer ist die Welt arm und leer geworden, bei der Melancholie ist es das Ich selbst’ (Freud 1917, ibid.).
- 9.
Thanks to Andrea Esser for drawing our attention to this.
- 10.
stemning (Danish)—‘atmosphere’.
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Agger, G., Waade, A.M. (2018). Melancholy and Murder. In: Toft Hansen, K., Peacock, S., Turnbull, S. (eds) European Television Crime Drama and Beyond. Palgrave European Film and Media Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96887-2_4
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