Cinematic Critique essays

Cinematic Critique essays Cinematic Critique Laura Mulvey and Walter Benjamin are film critics who base their thoughts on established theory. Ms. Mulvey uses a psychoanalytic approach while Benjamin utilizes a political and economic view based on Marxist theory. In his statement, "If the natural utilization of productive forces is impeded by the property system, the increase in technical devices, in speed, and in the sources of energy will press for an unnatural utilization proof that society has not been mature enough to incorporate technology as its organ, that technology has not been sufficiently developed to cope with the elemental forces of society" he allows that society utilizes technology, including cinema, to incorporate political agenda. Ms. Mulvey would argue that it was based on gender politics while Mr. Benjamin would Ms. Mulvey disagrees, viewing psychoanalytic theory as a political weapon that demonstrates the unconscious reflection of patriarchal society within the structure of film. For her, technology is the tool while Mr. Benjamin would argue that technology provides the structure. They would, however, agree that film represents historical reality based on current interpretation. Both would agree that there exists a reflection of oppressed and oppressor within the cinematic representation. The two would agree that art is separate from society in how it is "received and valued" (Benjamin). Visual representation is seen as a bipolar phenomenon by both. Mr. Benjamin views the dichotomy as "cult value and the exhibition value of the work" while Ms. Mulvey would argue the dichotomy as observer and observed. She states, "Although the film is really being shown, is there to be seen, conditions of screening and narrative conventions give the spectator an illusion of looking in on a private world. Among other things, the position ...