Two readings Barthes, R. (1986). Leaving the Movie Theatre 1975. In The Rustle of Language ( and Benjamin, W., Jennings, M., Doherty, B., Levin, T., & Jephcott, E. (2008). The work of art in the age of its technological reproducibility gave me an in-depth insight into their view of film. Both of them reflects on how our experience of watching the film and what changed the quality of experience. For example, in the Barthes’ text he explains the importance of lighting and sound as a tool of conveying tension to audiences. This brought me to a point that in the times of pandemic, how would directors overcome the difficulty of having such environment without the use of theater? In addition, I found it quite interesting that Benjamin explains the loss of value in the process of reproducing artworks. This had me thinking of the change of value of artwork in these days since it is very easy to reproduce an artwork.
DaEun Lee, 3035829522
As you have challenged yourself to do a comparative piece for the response, it would benefit more if you can reference both texts a little bit more to convey your ideas.
For Barthes, lighting and sound are mentioned but he wrote at length about darkness. How does the contrast between darkness and light contribute to the audience’s experience of watching a movie? What is the role of sound in movies?
In Benjamin text, his argument is more complex than stating that the reproduction of artworks leads to loss of value. Taking film and photography as examples, “to photograph a painting is one kind of reproduction, but to photograph an action performed in a film studio is another” (2008, 29) Film can only be considered “the work of art is produced only by means of montage” in which “each individual component of this montage is a reproduction of a process” (2008, 29). There are various kinds of technological reproduction in the text and it would be great if you can specify which one you are referring to. As for loss of value, what kind of value are you talking about?
To compare both text, what is the common thread of your discussion? how does your point relates to Barthes’ experience of watching a movie at the movie theatre?
One possible way is to look at how Barthes and Benjamin explained the appeal of cinema – what did Barthes mean by “dark” as “the very substance of reverie (in the pre-hypnoid meaning of the term) […] also the “color” of a diffused eroticism; by its human condensation, by its absence of worldliness.” (1986, 346)? Why did Benjamin think that the masses enjoys “to witness the film actor taking revenge on their behalf not only by asserting his humanity (or what appears to them as such) against the apparatus, but by placing that apparatus in the service of his triumph.” (2008, 31)?