Cinemaniacs, Pedants and the Secrets of Memory
Marcin Giżycki
kwartalnik.filmowy@ispan.plPolish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology (Poland)
Abstract
There is a special group of moviegoers, or perhaps cinemaniacs, who analyse films frame by frame to find the smallest of errors. These are usually details that are invisible to the naked eye. Their hunters forget that cinema is in general based on deception. It creates in the minds of the audiences an illusion of movement and continuity of action thanks to the projection of static shots with appropriate speed. It is based on the uncertainties of human perception. And that in turn is connected to the problem of memory. As demonstrated by Stanley Cavell, a summary of film that does not contain any errors is almost impossible. The author of the article argues that sometimes our memory “improves” films, it filters what is important, makes things more simple and improves the original. Because films do not end once the projector is switched off, but continue in the minds of the viewers.
Keywords:
memory, Stanley Cavell, cinemaniacsReferences
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Authors
Marcin Giżyckikwartalnik.filmowy@ispan.pl
Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology Poland
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 Polsko-Japońskiej Akademii Technik Komputerowych w Warszawie. 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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