Category: Lecture 1 Architecture, Film & the Modern City

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[Reading Response: Roland Barthes and Walter Benjamin]

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Barthes’s and Benjamin’s articles help me to examine and understand the distance between films and me, and providing me with the insight of the fittest position to appreciate films. Benjamin states that films have a relatively closer relationship with the audiences, and he compares films to surgeries that they have direct interactions with the audiences, while traditional arts are distant to the audiences. However, with my personal feelings on watching films, films are still keeping some distances from us and preserving the beauty and depth within the camera. This important distance should be credited to cinema, the venue for audiences

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[READING RESPONSE] Roland Barthes

Posted on Amy

This article has brought me more insight into watching movies in cinema. Having got used to the everyday hustle and bustle, as well as the rise of video streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix, people would rather watch movies on handy small screens than spare a few minutes to have a quality enjoyment in the cinema. I used to find it quite unnecessary to go to the cinema, in particular with the surge of varied alternatives in recent years. This article, however, pinpoints the immersive environment of the cinema, which contributes to the full experience of watching a movie. It

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Cat Links Lecture 1 Architecture, Film & the Modern City

Reading Response: Walter Benjamin

Posted on Seyoung Ho

The essay of Walter Benjamin, criticizes that mechanical reproduction devalues the aura and its authenticity of an artwork.  In the text, it frequently mentions the word “aura,” which represents ‘the atmosphere’ that an artwork gives off from its uniqueness and authenticity. Meanwhile, Benjamin proposes that the aura is an essence of the art, and the reproduction of the artwork is an action of harming the aura of itself, therefore there are limitations of reproduced works as an ‘art.’ Benjamin lived in the era when photographs and movies first began to be introduced, and the new technologies (which can reproduce the

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Cat Links Architecture, Film + The Modern City, Lecture 1 Architecture, Film & the Modern City

Reading Response: Roland Barthes

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After reading the text “Leaving the Movie Theater”, it inspired me two things to be thought about. Why would I go to the cinema and watching movie instead of watching it at home. What’s the purpose of it? From the perspectice of Barthes, “he goes to movies as a response to idleness, leisurem, free time” which is the most common statement I heard before. However, I would say it’s because I want to appreciate a movie which is directed by a famous director or acted by my favourite actor. Because there are vavious methods of relaxing yourselves due to the

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Cat Links 2021 Blog, Lecture 1 Architecture, Film & the Modern City

[READING RESPONSE] Walter Benjamin

Posted on Jennifer Kwong

Walter Benjamin’s (1935) essay criticises reproduction technology for devaluing the aura of art, arguing that it diminishes their individuality, as defined by a sense of “here” and “now” during which a piece is produced. To him, the loss of authenticity seems to have crippled art’s philosophical appeal and their cult value. However, is that all there is in the value of art? I believe (and as Benjamin rightly suggests), the modern artforms of photography and film prove reproducibility to be not mutually exclusive with aura. For one, no other artform captures the here and now like the cameraman’s skilful manipulation

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Reading Response: Roland Barthes

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The reading inspired me to think about the speciality of movie theatres. Can going to the theatre be totally replaced by watching DVD or Netflix? The answer is no. Even though the relaxation of postures is able to be achieved by lying on beds, the unfamiliar and indistinct atmosphere, which can make people dive into the fascination and illusion created by the huge screen and surround sound to experience the representation of the movie, cannot be created by other environments. Besides, going to movie theatre is a special entertainment culture in society. Think about the places couples would like to

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Cat Links Lecture 1 Architecture, Film & the Modern City

Reading Response: Roland Barthes

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The article addresses the lure of theatres, comparing the opaque cube with homey environment, investigating not just the screen, but the sound, atmosphere and distance the theatre creates, giving a unique experience to audience. The section that impresses me a lot is the distance the writer described as a connection between two bodies, theatres create this hypnosis by gluing the inspector into the movie. The writer named the two bodies as a narcissistic body and a perverse body. Truly, in movies, the first “me” is with the protagonist, no matter he is doing good or bad. That “me” is greatly

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Cat Links Lecture 1 Architecture, Film & the Modern City

Reading Response – Roland Barthes

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I think the key ideas from both readings include aspects of films that can be easily overlooked. Both author’s insight in films is intriguing and fresh, thus there is a lot to pick up from these readings. Barthes’s reading personally gave me an interesting perspective on cinema experiences. The word “hypnosis” felt bizarre at first but when comparing my cinema experience to the text, his metaphors were undeniably accurate. Personally, I agree what makes cinemas stand out from the current short video formats (ex. Youtube, TikTok, Instagram stories etc.) is the overwhelming darkness and light. Mainly it serves to block

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Cat Links 2021 Blog, Lecture 1 Architecture, Film & the Modern City

[Reading Response]: Roland Barthes

Posted on May0523

Hyunjoo Kim – 3035821427 Barthes talks about the fascination of films, the hypnosis, and the fascination to be glued. So, in order to be unglued from the film, Barthes gives two suggestions, and honestly, his two solutions are already being adopted in the present, as Netflix videos, youtube videos, Instagram stories, or Tik Tok videos are still films but very detached, distanced from the audience. This totally makes sense, we don’t feel the same way of watching a movie in a theatre than when we watch in our house, using Netflix, even though we are more comfortable in our beds

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Reading Response: Roland Barthes

Posted on Gordon

The main features of a cinema include the darkness, the experience and the fascination. The darkness in the theatre provides you with the best atmosphere to focus solely on the movie. In the first reading, Barthes (1984) mentioned that ‘Not only is the dark the very substance of reverie, but it is also the “colour” of a diffused eroticism’. When you are in a cinema, the setting, lighting, music, soundtrack, and special effects amplify the emotions of the film. It also describes the experience mentioned above. The audience will feel like they are accompanying the characters as they make their

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