Autobiography: Essays Theoretical and Critical

'The camera, in Benjamin's well-known formulation, introduces us to unconscious optics as does psychoanalysis to unconscious impulse' -- found this citing of information extremely pertinent to the text, and to our class discussions. Can film relay a message straight from the creators inner-being----is this always intentional---can it be done without them being overtly aware of this? In Benning's film 'Girl Power' at the age of sixteen one of her first pieces was she conscious of how deafeningly autobiographical this could be to the viewer. Is the viewer's interpretation of the work itself the deciding factor as to whether or not it is a personal narrative?
In much of this writing there is the comparison between literary works and film. There is a dispute that film does not have the same magnitude for introspection and self-observation that literature does. I would have to disagree with this. I am able to relate just as candidly with character portrayls in films as in literary works. It is a different written work, allows a reader to be more of the visual creator of characters within the text----while divergent from this, films where visually the characters are thrusted upon you.
The author then describes how film is problematic within the contexts of autobiography. There is the circumsance of 'authorship' which states that within cinema there is almost always a crew responsible for the creation. While with a memoir, novel etc., there is typically only one person in production. This argument does make sense and holds validity. Although a majority of the time the crew of a film production are there solely for the purpose of one person vision/idea.
key words 'act value' 'spectatorship' 'authorship'
Fellini "I am my own still life, I am a film Everything and nothing in my work is autobiographical." From my own experience whether it be author or cinematographer if they are most passionate about their work it is unavoidable that in some way even if it be an abstract idea or done sub-consciously, undeniably they are in that work. They are the work.



posted by Leslie Hinton @ 11:48 AM