Title: The Art of Arthouse Television: Defining Aesthetic Serials through Twin Peaks: The Return and The Kingdom
Category: Form
Abstract:
This paper analyses the defining aspects of arthouse television aesthetic serials, using Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch, Mark Frost, 2017) and The Kingdom (Lars Von Trier, 2022) as case studies. Following David Bordwell’s Art Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice (Bordwell, 1979) framework, it examines their unique narrative and stylistic techniques, such as non-linear storytelling, subjective camera work, and ambiguous endings. The paper argues that arthouse television represents a distinct form of televisual art cinema, deviating from traditional television conventions. It also contextualizes this genre within broader cultural and industrial shifts in television production, challenging traditional television narratives and aesthetics.
Update: Focus on Twin Peaks: The Return, using David Bordwell’s Art Cinema Narration and Linda Hutcheon’s Theory of Adaptation.
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