(Post)traumatic Oscillations: A Preliminary Exploration of an Affective Dynamic

Recent decades have witnessed a renewed interest in trauma, both as a subject of scholarly inquiry and as a theme in film and popular culture. A significant portion of contemporary cinema, particularly mainstream productions, focus on how trauma shapes the character’s backstory – a ubiquitous and reductive approach that treats trauma as a mere plot device, replacing nuanced character development with a simplified ‘trauma plot.’ In contrast, Lynne Ramsay’s films offer a different approach, portraying characters in the aftermath of trauma and exploring their experiences not only through narrative but also through a unique cinematic style. The author of the article employs Jill Bennett’s framework for analysing images of trauma to examine how the formal elements of the film We Need to Talk about Kevin (2011) reflect the (post)traumatic experience through the affective dynamic of oscillation. Furthermore, she explores how this oscillatory dynamic facilitates particular modes of empathic engagement, recreating in the audience an affective experience structurally akin to that of trauma.