Abstract

The aesthetics of masochism can be found in the 20th century across different media: pictorial and literary models influenced the history of comics, photographic art, and ultimately film. In his book ›Aus Leiden Freuden‹ (1940), Theodor Reik mentions three essential elements: 1. imagination, 2. suspense and 3. the demonstrative character of the masochistic scenario. This gives rise to the idea of masochistic performance: masochistic aesthetics need a stage on which they can unfold their imagination and the staging of suspense. Masochistic performance plays with the desire for fear in the face of the threatening and sublime. Masochistic aesthetics therefore do not require the clear drasticness of pornography, but rather play with suspense, the tension of expectation in the face of the strange and dangerous – and with the pleasure of this fear. The article illustrates this approach by analyzing the film ›Titane‹ (2021) by Julia Ducournau.