Watchmakers, Automata and the Cinema
Abstract
The history of the cinema and watchmaking are strongly related. Without the Maltese cross, the mechanism used in watches since the 18th century, there would be no film projectors. Perhaps that is why in the cinema almost from its inception, various automata (plural of “automaton”), that is anthropomorphic machines or artificial people appear. The peak of popularity of these devices was in the 18th and 19th centuries, when their construction lay largely in the hands of watchmakers. Giżycki discusses the role played by the 18th and 19th century automata in a few selected films, such as Hugo (2011) by Martin Scorsese, Fellini’s Casanova (Il Casanova di Federico Fellini, 1976) by Federico Fellini and The Best Offer (La migliore offerta, 2013) by Giuseppe Tornatore. Stories by Stanislaw Lem, Walerian Borowczyk and Bruno Schulz are also mentioned. In conclusion, the author states that the perfect automaton is always just a being that is unattainable, an illusion, a vanishing point, an unfulfilled desire of its creator-demiurge.
Keywords:
automaton, Martin Scorsese, Federico Fellini, Giuseppe TornatoreReferences
Borowczyk, Walerian. 1993. Anatomia diabła. Tłum. L. Brokowska i J. Lisowski. Warszawa
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Lederman, Marie Jean. 1977. Art, Artifacts, and “Fellini’s Casanova''. „Film Criticism” 1
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Lem, Stanisław. 1983. Maska. W: tenże. Kongres futrologiczny, Maska. Kraków
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Schulz, Bruno. 1957. Sklepy cynamonowe, Sanatorium pod klepsydrą, Kometa. Kraków.
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Authors
Marcin Giżyckikwartalnik.filmowy@ispan.pl
Rhode Island School of Design United States
Krytyk i historyk sztuki; autor książek z dziedziny historii filmu i zjawisk kultury artystycznej. Wykładowca w Rhode Island School of Design w USA, profesor w Wyższej Szkole Technicznej w Katowicach. Opublikował m.in. Nie tylko Disney – rzecz o kinie animowanym (2000), Koniec i co dalej? (2001), Słownik kierunków, ruchów i kluczowych pojęć sztuki drugiej połowy XX wieku (2002), Wenders do domu! Europejskie filmy o Ameryce i ich recepcja w Stanach Zjednoczonych (2006).
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