Roland Barthes describes the cinematic experience in his book The Rustle of Language. Powerful imagery is used as he equates the cinematic experience to hypnosis. I agree with Barthes that there is something magical about movie theaters. Movie Theaters have been designed to maximize the cinematic experience for the audience. Some tangible elements are loud speakers, the absence of light, silence, and the large screens all add to the experience.
I was quite taken by this essay. Barthes ponders the reason why the cinema provides a sense of privacy and anonymity. While consuming the medium of theatre and films, the television that is accessible in the home is arguably more private than cinemas. The cinema in reality is filled with rows and rows of strangers that share the communal space. Yet we feel comfortable enough to slouch on the chair and put our feet up on the front row as Barthes puts it. Barthes explains that the privacy one feel in the cinema could be because we equate television to family.
KIM Daeun
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