Emotions, Body-Language, and Power Dynamics A Queer Reading of Todd Haynes Carol

This article studies how Todd Haynes famous queer film Carol (2015) explores the delicate queer relationship through their complex emotions, subtle body language, and power dynamics. Carol is a film depicting how two women with distinct age and class gaps fall in love under the pressure of moral standards and social constraints in 1950s America. This article is divided into three sections. The first section is cantered on the emotions between Therese and Carol. The second section discusses the power dynamics between them. The third part focuses on body language in Carols cinematography. After the analysis, this article concludes that the complicated but profound emotions between Carol and Therese make their touches contained but ardent. Therefore, authoritarianism of power does not exist in their relationship, but fluidity of power does. In doing so, this article found out the equality, respects, irrationality and selfishness are all exist in Carol and Thereses relationship, their love is profound, contained and relatively equal but also not perfect.