Cinematic Gaze and the Politics of Nostalgia

Reconstructing Identity in Contemporary Retro-Aesthetics

Abstract

This article investigates the resurgence of nostalgia within contemporary global cinema, focusing on how the "retro-gaze" functions as a tool for negotiating modern anxieties. By examining the aesthetic transition from analog to digital representation, the study explores how filmmakers utilize historical motifs to reconstruct national and personal identities. Drawing on the theories of Fredric Jameson and Svetlana Boym, the research analyzes the tension between "restorative" and "reflective" nostalgia. The findings suggest that cinematic nostalgia is not merely a retreat into the past but a discursive strategy for critiques of the present. This study reinforces the mission of the Journal of Literary & Cultural Studies (JLCS) to interrogate the intersection of visual media and cultural memory.