I find the commentary of early viewers of film continually comparing it to "ghosts" as quite interesting. "It is not life but its shadow. It is not motion but its soundless spectre". I feel similarly when watching soundless, colorless footage and yet I'm surprised this is the first I'm hearing of these spectators pointing out its strangeness. I feel frustrated that there is so much emphasis on the technological capabilities not supporting synchronized sound when it is really impressive that so much work was put into the scores and accompanying orchestras of early film. The spectacle of early film and how it follows the magic lantern shows, sideshows, and vaudeville is all interesting. Reality television and especially Snapchat's "discover" section seem to house just as much content that features disabled people for shock value as the sideshow or early film depicting people with physical disabilities. I'm still curious about answers to the question that this intro sets up: how did film become so often narrative focused? While I also believe that it is not an inevitable feature, it seems that early film such as the briefly mentioned one about a boy splashing water at a gardener or something, was introduced and discussed as a development towards a more developed film. It wouldn't be surprising if narrative were inevitable, considering all of the other mediums that are used for narrative and the nature of film is that it felt more alive to viewers than other media.
You make an interesting point about film and it having a narrative. With so many films having being made from books, it has just naturally evolved into something that absolutely needs to have a protagonist, an antagonist, a plot, climax, etc. otherwise people wouldn't be inclined to watch. Often the story line provides that little preview to the viewer to decide if they will or will watch watch a film.
ReplyDeleteYou make a really interesting observation about ghosts and the spectral nature of film. The focus in early film and photography on stopping time as a liminal space between life and death persists I think beyond the early moment. If you want to see something really weird but also disturbing to our contemporary eyes google victorian post-mortem photography.
ReplyDeleteYour points on narrative are also very well considered but it should be noted that their are many forms of current film where narrative is not exactly the point . For example, experimental film that plays with cinematic form rather than constructing narrative or "shock" films on social media platforms that such as youtube or instagram that operate very much like early cinema.
I definitely am reminded of how some of the Serpentine films felt eerie to me. And as Gorky explains what he thinks about film I feel that I agree with him sometimes, perhaps color makes things feel less ghostly.
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