After reading Roland Barthes’ The Rustle of Language, I am curious about the concept of the difference between watching a movie in the cinema and at home that Barthes mentioned in the text. I also feel there is a difference between these two places when I watch a movie at home but do not know why there is a difference. Barthes’ concept can answer my question. First, the darkness in the cinema is different from the darkness at home. The darkness in cinema can allow people to relax because of its absence of worldliness. For example, the audience would slide down into their seats and put their belongings aside. However, it is the contrary experience at home. Second, the space in the cinema is strange to the audience. Audience’s freedom is generated inside the cinema and lets the audience focus more on the movie. However, the space is familiar at home, the movie is displayed by television. The feeling is different as it is like we are watching TV at home that we watch everyday, the focus is no more on the movie itself. Therefore, I think the atmosphere of the space is very important when watching a movie.
Besides, after reading Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, and Other Writings on Media, I think that technology will definitely increase reproducibility but the uniqueness of art will decrease as we could only use hands to draw in ancient times, a lot of messages would be lost. Now we have photographs and videos to record all things. However, the meaning of reproduction and art is differentiated when drawing is not the only way to reproduce things as every drawing is a piece of artwork but not every photograph or video is. Art is that there is some message that an artist wants to bring out from his/her artwork while reproduction is only recording something down but not focusing on the message. Besides, technology makes everything become more systematic. It is good for recording but not for art, as it reduces the uniqueness of artwork. Therefore, technology is good for reproducibility but art does not taking advantage from it.
– Chan Tsun Hei 3036078376
I appreciate your personal reflections on going to the cinema vs watching a movie at home- the setting of the experience definitely impacts the viewing experience as Barthes has illustrated in the reading. Your response to Benjamin prompts some philosophical thought on the nature of art and whether technology takes away or can add to an artwork. Some examples will help strengthen your argument.