Theatricality and Antitheatricality in Robert Bresson’s Mouchette

Abstract

Bresson’s concept of the “model” emerges as a reaction against the actor in classical theatre. In Bresson’s work, this operates as both an aesthetic and an anthropological question. In his view, theatricality is defined by a person’s imitative and projective nature in relation to an observing third party. However, in Mouchette, the protagonist engages in a constant game of imitation and projection, whereby her theatricality complements rather than contradicts the complex construction of her identity. This theatricality reflects the imitation characteristic of childhood, marked by the absence of a fully formed personality, while at the same time acting as a form of resistance against a hostile environment that constantly threatens her. Through this film, Bresson explores the tension between Mouchette’s imitation and her frustration in a world that denies her the possibility of affirming her identity.