Barthes shares his experience of the cinema as a journey. A journey which he is “lured” into and has to “take off” from. The darkness of the hall, the path that leads the audience to their comfortable seats, the bright beam of the screen that captures one fully… It is as if the act of going to the cinema is a fully drafted scene itself. Barthes compares it to the process of being hypnotized, where one indulges in the ambience and the “urban dark”. This leads me to ponder whether the journey of the cinema produces the same experience for everyone, or could it be a unique journey as it mirrors our personal experiences and sensations, as in a hypnosis? This question is also my response to Benjamin‘s analysis of the problem with technological reproduction. He mentions that the reproducibility of modern art causes it to lose its aura and authenticity. Especially for film, which allows performances and shots to be manipulated and edited, and exhibited to a mass. Perhaps film is able to conserve its aura through what Barthes calls, the “amorous distance”, that is created by the hypnotic journey of the cinema.
Hei Man Hayley Victoria, Chan 2010522587
You have demonstrated a good understanding of the readings and I especially enjoy your questions on perception and whether it is universal. The suggestion of how the “amorous distance” of cinema can conserve the aura is interesting and I appreciate how you have connected both readings to elicit such a reading.