War and Cinema: The Logistics of PerceptionVerso, 1989 - 95 páginas From the synchronised camera/machine-guns on the biplanes of World War One to the laser satellites of Star Wars, the technologies of cinema and warfare have developed a fatal interdependence. Hiroshima marked one conclusion of this process in the nuclear ‘flash’ which penetrated the city’s darkest recesses, etching the images of its victims on the walls. Since the disappearance of direct vision in battle and the replacement of one-to-one combat by the remote and murderous son et lumiere of trench warfare, military strategy has been dominated by the struggle between visibility and invisibility, surveillance and camouflage. Perception and destruction have now become coterminous. Paul Virilio, one of the most radical French critics of contemporary culture, explores these conjunctions from a range of perspectives. He gives a detailed technical jistory of weaponry, photography and cinematography, illuminating it with accounts of films and military campaigns. He examines in parallel the ideas of strategists and directors, along with views on war and cinema of writers from Apollinaire to William Burrroughs. And he finds further fruitful sources of reflection in the history of cinema architecture or the wartime popularity of striptease and pin-up. The result is a rich and suggestive analysis for military ‘ways of seeing’, and a disturbing account of how these have now permeated our culture: ‘Warsaw, Beirut, Belfast ... the streets themselves have become a permanent film-set for army cameras or the tourist reporters of global civil war.’ |
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Palavras e frases frequentes
Abel Gance actors aerial reconnaissance aeroplane aircraft Albert Speer Allied already American appears architecture army audience aviation battle battlefield became become Berlin bomb bombers British Cabiria Cahiers du cinéma camera obscura century chronophotography cinema combat command D.W. Griffith developed direct director Dr Strangelove electronic enemy equipment Ernst Jünger eyes Fern Andra field film-makers fire flying forces French Gance German Goebbels Griffith guns Hiroshima Hitler Hollywood illusion industrial infra-red invented kilometres kind laser later Leni Riefenstahl light logistics London longer Lumière Lumière brothers machine mass military military-industrial million missiles move movement Nazi nuclear once operation optical Paris Paul Virilio perception photographic pilot prefigured produced projectiles projection propaganda films radar radio reality Rothapfel screen Second World shot sight simulate soldiers space speed Speer star Steichen strategic studios target television theatre total war Veit Harlan Vietnam Virilio vision visual warfare weapons
Passagens conhecidas
Página 4 - A war of pictures and sounds is replacing the war of objects (projectiles and missiles). In a technicians' version of an all-seeing Divinity, ever ruling out accident and surprise, the drive is on for a general system of illumination that will allow everything to be seen and known, at every moment and in every place.