Cinema Militans Lecture

Toward a re-invention of cinema

by Peter Greenaway
28/09/200
Cinema died on t!e "st #e$tember "98 w!en t!e %a$$er& or t!e remote control& was introduced
into t!e livin'-rooms of t!e world(
Cinema is a $assive medium( )t mi'!t well !ave fulfilled many of t!e e*$ectations of an audience of
our fat!ers and forefat!ers $re$ared to sit bac+& watc! illusions and sus$end disbelief& but ) believe
we can no lon'er claim t!is to be sufficient( ,ew tec!nolo'ies !ave $re$ared and em$owered t!e
!uman ima'ination in new ways( T!ere is& as we all well +now& brand new audiences out t!ere w!o
ma+e u$ not -ust a television 'eneration& but a $ost-television 'eneration w!ere t!e c!aracteristics
of t!e la$to$ are $ersuasive and 'enerate new demands and create new benc!mar+ standards( T!e
ideas of e*cessive c!oice& $ersonal investi'ation& $ersonal communication and !u'e interactivity
!ave come a lon' way since #e$tember "98& and t!e act of cinema !as !ad to e*ist alon'side and
be a $artner to a w!ole new world of multi$le-media activities& w!ic! !ave all intrinsically
metamor$!osed cinema itself( )nteractivity and multimedia may well be words t!at are too familiar
anymore to be truly attended to& but t!ey are certainly t!e ma-or contem$orary cultural stimulants(
.ow will cinema co$e wit! t!em& because it surely must( )f t!e cinema intends to survive& ) believe&
it !as to ma+e a $act and a relations!i$ wit! conce$ts of interactivity& and it !as to see itself as only
$art of a multimedia cultural adventure(
/nce u$on a time& cinema -- after avoidin' t!e issue& refusin' to encom$ass it& $retendin' t!at t!e
$atient was not sic+ and t!e ob-ect not bro+en& so w!y try to cure one& and mend t!e ot!er0 -- faced
and tac+led and ada$ted itself to a new tec!nolo'y of sound( T!e lon' e*istin'& world-dominant
entertainment tec!nolo'y of t!e so-called silent cinema c!an'ed almost overni'!t& and in essence it
died( 1nd it is virtually entirely buried( 2!o now watc!es silent cinema0 3uster 4eaton and
C!arlie C!a$lin on television& and a small minority of film ent!usiasts(
2!et!er we are 'oin' to li+e it or not& t!e same may well soon !a$$en to so-called sound cinema(
T!is is a Militans Cinema lecture( ) can afford to be militant( ) !ave been 'iven some license to be
$rovocative& disres$ectful& irritated and an'ry( 1nd militant( T!e terms of t!is $latform e*$ect it of
me( 1nd ) !ave been 'iven t!is license for a second time( Last time ) tried to ma+e a little
entertainment( 2it! $ictures and $ro-ected al$!abets( 1nd a few t!orns( T!is time ) want to ma+e a
!eavier $olemic( 2it! t!orns( 3ecause my com$laint is t!at now& after "08 years of activity& we
!ave a cinema t!at is dull& familiar& $redictable& !o$elessly wei'!ed down by old conventions and
outworn verities& an arc!aic and !eavily restricted system of distribution& and an out-of-date and
cumbersome tec!nolo'y(
2e need to re-invent cinema(
5very medium needs to constantly re-invent itself( 2e need now not to $ut new wine in old bottles&
and certainly not to $ut old wine in new bottles& we need to $ut new wine into new bottles( 6ou are
allowed to reco'ni%e t!e wine& w!ic! is !uman in'enuity and ima'ination& and you are $ermitted to
reco'ni%e t!e bottles& w!ic! is cinema& t!ou'! ) am convinced we s!all be needin' to c!an'e t!at
name(
Current state of t!e cinema7s demise(
8irst& a brief run t!rou'! of some of t!e current factors we all +now about cinema7s demise(
Cinema in cinemas is undoubtedly not t!e $o$ular art it used to be( )n t!e "90s& "990s& "9:0s& it is
said t!at 5uro$ean families saw two films at t!e cinema every wee+( 2e can easily a'ree t!at you
would be !ard $ressed to find a 5uro$ean family t!at would see cinema now in cinemas twice a
year(
#tatistics from t!e !eart of t!e ma-or 2estern film industry in .ollywood state t!at ;:< of $eo$le
see t!eir cinema on television& 20< buy t!eir cinema as video or =>=s& and only :< view t!eir
cinema in $laces called cinemas(
)n t!is country& ) am told& t!e avera'e =utc! citi%en watc!es only two feature films in a cinema
every t!ree years(
T!e !ead of 4oda+ !as stated t!at !is com$any will not be manufacturin' celluloid in "0 year7s
time(
T!e $overty of official cinema distribution means t!at ) cannot& and you cannot& see any film of
your c!oice in any cinema of your c!oosin' t!is afternoon& or even ne*t wee+& and $robably not
ne*t mont!& and $ossibly never( )t is easier for me to see a minor $aintin' by Carava''io in a small
?mbrian town t!an it is for me to see 4ubric+7s @200"@ in any cinema t!at would re$resent t!at film
in t!e way it was manufactured to be $resented(
8our t!ousand feature-$otential films !ave been made in t!e ?(#( every year for t!e last four yearsA
:0 'et some cinema distribution& :0 !it sensible distribution fi'ures in 80 ?(#( cities& lastin' for
about -- on avera'e -- "0 days in a cinema( T!at is one reasonably distributed film for every wee+ of
t!e year( Twenty feature films a year !it t!e bi' time& "0 !it t!e very bi' time and four ma+e it
su$er bi' time( 8our out of 9&000( 2!ere do all t!e undistributed films end u$0 T!e usual $laces are
@strai'!t to video@ or television& a t!ird of t!em are dum$ed& t!ou'! most filmma+ers would not be
so blunt as to admit it(
5uro$ean news$a$ers were noisy in t!eir com$laints t!is year t!at t!e Cannes 8ilm 8estival was of
$oor Buality& and followed it u$ soon after by sayin' t!at t!e >enice 8ilm 8estival was not muc!
better( T!ese two festivals are traditionally su$$osed to be a litmus $a$er to t!e life and !ealt! of
t!e inventive cinema world( T!e reaction is no sur$rise( T!ere is $recious little invention in t!e
cinema world& because traditional cut-and-$aste& narrative& illusionistic cinema !as !ad its day( 2e
must move on( 2e must re-invent cinema(
)t is a fact t!at t!ere are more and more film festivals instituted every year& $ro'rammin' 'reater
and 'reater numbers of festival films w!ic! are never seen a'ain& films w!ic! !ave no !o$e of any
cinema distributionC t!ere is less and less informed film criticism in our news$a$ers& fewer and
fewer serious $ro'rams about cinema on television& a fall in readers!i$ of film ma'a%ines& and
'reater and 'reater creation of media courses in t!e universities of t!e 2estern world( Confusin'
and a$$arently contradictory statistics0 2ell not necessarily( )t would seem t!at somet!in' very
similar !a$$ened at t!e decline of o$era and classical dance as ma-or cultural forces -- alt!ou'!
!a$$enin' over a lon'er s$ace of time -- an e*cess of attention as t!e Buality and $roliferation
declined& a $ro$$in' u$ of t!e institutions by t!e dismayed& t!at t!e ener'y !ad eva$orated& and a
deterioration of Buality and insi'!t as t!e means of $roduction a$$arently seemed easier(
Mallarme su''ested t!at all t!e world is created to be $ut into a boo+( .e mi'!t now say t!at all t!e
world is created to be $ut into a film( 5veryone wants to ma+e movies( )t is a si'n of over+ill and a
state of e*!austion& resultin' in banality and re$etition( 1nd we !ave arrived at a monoculture&
sin'le model of cinema all over t!e world( .ollywood $roduct is made in #ydney& To+yo&
#!an'!ai& Dotterdam and London& and es$ecially in London(
Per!a$s we can say t!at t!e cut-and-$aste& narrative& c!ronolo'ically $lotted& illustrated-te*t&
illusionistic cinema !as $layed itself out( )f you believe it is still alive( Consider t!at t!ey say a
slow-movin'& !erbivorous and not very bri'!t dinosaur& s!ot in t!e !ead on a Monday& is brain dead
for a wee+& and can mana'e to wa' its tail until t!e 8riday& before t!e last breat! leaves its body(
8riday will soon be u$on us(
.owever& !owever& !owever& all of w!ic! is no 'reat cause for alarm or des$ondency& tears& sadness
or nostal'ia& but $robably for -ubilation& because it is a situation fittin' to a reco'ni%able $attern&
and t!e e*!austion invariably coincides wit! re-uvenation( 2e s!ould re-oice t!at t!e dinosaur is
soon to be a fossil( 2e await t!ose small creatures in t!e forest floor w!o will soon ta+e over t!e
world(
2e !ave every ri'!t to be o$timistic about t!e future as lon' as we are $re$ared to ac+nowled'e
@cinema is dead& lon' live cinema(@ 2e can believe in t!e $!oeni*(
1 medium is 'overned and s!a$ed and $erceived by t!e c!aracteristics of its tec!nolo'y( T!e
aest!etic-tec!nolo'y of cinema !as lasted "08 years -- but if cinema essentially e*$ired on t!e
a$ocry$!al "st #e$tember "98 -- t!en& from "89: to "98& is 88 years& t!e len't! of t!ree
'enerations( )t would seem t!at t!e life of many aest!etic-tec!nolo'ies mi'!t fit into an e*a''erated
t!ree 'eneration lifes$an& coverin' t!e activities of invention& consolidation and t!en a t!rowin'
away in antici$ation of a new cycle( T!e $rime time of fresco-$aintin' tec!nolo'y in t!e
Denaissance s$ans Giotto& t!e inventor of t!e $rimary tec!nolo'ies& t!rou'! Mic!elan'elo& t!e
consolidator& to t!e restless Carracci brot!ers w!o e*$erimented wit! oil-based tec!niBues in
association wit! t!e wet $laster& and essentially corru$ted its $rimacy to ma+e way for a si'nificant
c!an'e( T!e basic fresco c!aracteristics e*isted before t!is cycle& and $ersisted after it& but t!e
ma-or si'nificant wor+ in t!e medium is created wit!in t!is s$an of time(
#imilar ar'uments can be $ut forward for t!e subseBuent $aintin' tec!nolo'ies of e'' tem$era
$ainters on wood $anels -- van 5yc+ to =urer -- and t!e first and second waves of $ost-baroBue
canvas $ainters -- 3ernini& >elasBue%& 5l Greco -- and t!en t!e $ainters of artificial li'!t --
Carava''io and de la Tour& =avid& Goya and =elacroi*( Cinema !as res$onded to t!e t!eory very
well( )f you are a 5uro$ean& 5isenstein invents t!e lan'ua'e& 8ellini consolidates t!e lan'ua'e and
Godard t!rows it away( )f you are 1merican& t!en t!e cycle mi'!t read Griffit!& /rson 2elles and
Cassavetes(
)n all cases& t!e medium mi'!t continue wa''in' its tail& but in !oma'e to& or in admiration of& a
tradition& or to furt!er mine fields already stron'ly $ros$ected& or sim$ly to en-oy t!e well-oiled
mac!ineries of $roduction structures and studio facilities& t!ere will be revisionist filmma+ers& as in
t!e "9; to "98E $eriod -- Co$$ola& 4ubric+& #corsese wor+in' t!e 8ellini-2elles vein -- and
2oody 1llen& t!e Coen brot!ers and 2enders wor+in' t!e Godard vein& and t!en t!e $ost-
revisionists of t!e late 780s& furt!er tradin'& $astic!in' and !oma'in' li+e Tarantino& #tone and
#cott(
Dunnin' $arallel to t!e last t!rows of t!e old medium& t!e tec!nolo'y c!an'es -- out of a desire for
c!an'e itself& or because t!e bendin' of t!e medium creates various brea+in' $oints& or out of a
wis! to re$udiate t!e $ast& or because t!e stretc!in' of t!e $revious tec!nolo'y 'enerates !u'e
im$rovements alon' t!e avenues of c!ea$ness& swiftness& 'reater accessibility and 'reater ease of
!andlin'& and sometimes even because of t!e introduction of a brand-new base-ener'y source&
w!ic! in t!e case of t!e movin' $icture industry& as in music& !as been first ma'netic ta$e& and t!en&
as in so many ot!er fields& t!e full e*$losion of t!e di'ital revolution(
)f t!is t!eory of t!e t!ree 'enerations of invention& consolidation and re-ection will not suit your
$erce$tion of t!e $ro'ress of "08 years of cinema& cinema as an entire medium !as always been
slow and slu''is! and resistant to vi'ourous c!an'e( 5ven a well-res$ected cinema director li+e
#corsese basically ma+es t!e same films& structurally and narratively& as Griffit!& t!e founder of
narrative in cinema( T!ere are better emulsions& smarter eBui$ment and su$erior $ublicity& but t!e
same structures wit! be'innin's& middles and ends& movin' from a $osition of ne'ative be!aviour
to $ositive be!aviour on a lar'ely C!ristian morality $ro'ram& !ave not c!an'edC reven'e ordained
and com$leted& wron's ri'!ted& retribution obtained& success rewarded& innocents e*onerated&
finis!in' wit! !a$$y closures -- t!ese are structures t!at are re$eated over and over and over a'ain
-- and t!ey are structures t!at !ave $reviously been invented& em$loyed and elaborated by t!e "9t!
century literary 'iants& =ic+ens& 3al%ac& Fola& Tolstoy(
2!en we are brou'!t to reali%e t!at most cinema is illustrated te*t& we t!en !ave a furt!er
demorali%ation& to discover t!at of all t!ese te*ts illustrated by cinema& few& if any& !ave advanced
to even t!e early years of literary e*citements of t!e 20t! century( ,one& for e*am$le a$$ear to !ave
a$$roac!ed Games Goyce(
T!e distances of lan'ua'e c!an'e and develo$ment travelled in cinema are sli'!t com$ared to w!at
!as !a$$ened in t!e ot!er media in t!e same "89: to "99: $eriod( Consider t!e c!an'es t!at !ave
occurred from "89: to "99: in music -- #trauss to #toc+!ausen via #c!oenber'& or =ebussy to
Deic! via Go!n Ca'eC in literature -- from .ardy and Mann to 3or'es and Perec( 1nd 'ettin' closer
and closer to cinema& consider t!at& in t!e t!eater& C!e+ov is alive in "89:& and by "99:& we !ave
e*$erienced /sborne and Pinter& 3rec!t and 3ec+ett( 1nd closer still to t!e ideals of a $ictorial
cinema& in $aintin'& van Go'!& Gau'in& Ce%anne& Malevic! and 4lee are all alive and well and
+ic+in' in "89:& and we !ave now !ave traveled to 2ar!ol and 4eifer via Matisse and =uc!am$&
Picasso& Dot!+o and Gas$er Go!ns( )t is difficult to ima'ine suc! c!an'es in c!aracteristics&
lan'ua'e& attitude& $ers$ective and immense $lurality& in t!e marc! of cinema from "89: to "99:(
)s t!is suc! an unfair com$arison0
Consider t!e !u'e ener'ies& t!e vast sums of money& t!e one-time lar'e $ublic audiences& t!e !u'e
crowds of manufacturers and t!e s!eer number of movies made t!rou'!out t!is century of years --
wit! t!ese factors doesn7t it seem we could !ave e*$ected 'reater develo$mental t!rust and $ull and
ran'e of $ractice0
.owever& it is now too late( T!e 'ame is over( 2e !ave lost our o$$ortunity( 2e must roll over and
start a'ain( 1nd we can(
) believe t!e last time we saw radical cinema-lan'ua'e c!an'e and novel cinematic invention was
wit! t!e German cinema in t!e mid and late seventies -- .er%o'& #traub& 8assbinder and t!e early
2enders( 1fter t!at& t!ere !as been little radical e*$eriment and radical invention( Maybe t!ere
could not !ave been anymore& because by "980& television !ad finally won t!e battle for t!e movin'
ima'e e*$erience(
1fter "980 t!ere is little evidence of investi'ative finances bein' $ut into t!e cinema media( T!e
money& and t!e ener'y t!at always follows money& was bein' $laced elsew!ere& and t!e really
interestin' inventive minds of t!e movin' ima'e went to $laces w!ere life was more stimulatin' --
video e*$eriments& 2eb-masterin'& multimedia investi'ations& video cli$s& animation -- t!e feature
film was no lon'er t!e ve!icle for ma-or synt!esis and c!an'e& t!e all-embracin' sym$!onic form
t!at enca$sulated t!e total vocabulary( 2e can easily believe t!at 3ill >iola is wort! "0 #corseses(
.owever im$ortant t!e factors are of social& $olitical& economic and cultural $ressure -- t!e absolute
stren't! of t!e medium is in its aest!etic& its relations!i$ of lan'ua'e to content& its relevance to
now& t!e ability to stimulate and entrance& $rovide stimulus to dream& le'itimi%e ima'ination& set
fire to $ossibilities& indicate w!at !a$$ens ne*t& encoura'e w!ole!earted $artici$ation -- and )
would say -- encoura'e w!ole!earted $artici$ation to t!e $oint of t!e $anic of overe*citement( )
believe cinema as we +now it now& sim$ly fails to do t!is( 1nd ) believe t!is& in some 'ood
measure& is due to four tyrannies(
T!e four tyrannies
)n association wit! t!e cinema celebrations of "99:& wit! some considerable an*iety and some dee$
disenc!antment about contem$orary cinema& ) $lanned an investi'ation into film lan'ua'e to see
w!at about it was investi'ative& useful& autonomous and wort!y of $reservation& and& $rimarily&
uniBue( 2!at could cinema do& after a century& t!at no ot!er media could do0
) constantly saw cinema as bein' easily deconstructed bac+ into ot!er media forms w!ere w!at it
!ad to say& could be said as easily and $robably more forcefully and more efficiently in ot!er ways(
2e considered ten c!aracteristics t!at seemed es$ecial to cinema -- li'!t& t!e te*t& t!e frame&
$ro-ection& $ro$s& music& scale& time& actors and t!e camera& and embar+ed on a series of citywide
e*!ibitions& under t!e 'eneric title t!e #tairs( 2e succeeded in $lacin' a lar'e e*!ibition in t!e
streets and sBuares& $ar+s and buildin's of Geneva focused on t!e frame -- erectin' "00 wooden
staircases across t!e city w!ere a viewer was invited to climb a s!ort fli'!t of stairs to an eye$iece
to e*amine a framin' of t!e city& a wide-s!ot or a medium-s!ot or a close-u$( T!e staircases
remained in t!e city for "00 days& and t!e framin's were available to all for 29 !ours a day in
suns!ine and rain& moonli'!t and fo'(
T!e scenarios of t!is livin' cinema-film of "00 view$oints for "00 days were anyt!in' t!at mi'!t
!a$$en( 6ou could watc! a man ta+e a do' for a wal+( 6ou could& if you were luc+y& watc! a do'
bite a man( )f you were e*ce$tionally fortunate& you could watc! a man bite a do' -- t!e ordinary&
t!e unusual and t!e e*traordinary(
T!e first motive was to consider w!y cinema& alon' wit! all t!e ot!er $lastic arts& views t!e world
wit!in t!e confines of a rectan'le& a $arallelo'ram& wit!in t!e boundaries of four ri'!t-an'les0 1nd
w!en we do so indeed& w!at mi'!t t!at mean0 1nd do we need to continue to do t!is& and !ow was
t!e act of framin' relevant to t!e act of filmma+in' itself0 1nd w!ic! sin'le frame is t!e most
relevant and is it $ossible to 'et t!e timin' of t!e framin' ri'!t0 2as t!e sin'le frame necessary&
could we brea+ it& e*$lode it& could we re-invent it0 2!at were t!e advanta'es and w!at were t!e
disadvanta'es0 1nd t!e most im$ortant Buestion -- was action& event and activity wit!in t!e sin'le
frame se$arable from t!e sin'le frame itself0
)n "99: we were $rivile'ed to $lace a second e*!ibition in t!e series in t!e city of Munic!& and t!e
sub-ect was t!e act of $ro-ection( /n t!e cat!edral& t!e town !all& t!e o$era-!ouse& s!o$s and
s!o$$in' malls& offices& t!e $olice station& 'asometers& c!urc!es and t!eaters& we made screen
$ro-ections to simulate t!e essence of t!e cinema e*$erience -- "00 illuminated screens -- $ursuin'
a c!ronolo'y of cinema !istory from sim$le blac+ and w!ite "89: Lumiere $ro-ection t!rou'! to
color and t!e e*$erimental ratios of t!e "9:0s and 7E0s& to t!e advent of t!e television ratios -- "00
cinema screens alive wit! $ro-ected li'!t all t!e !ours of dar+ness(
T!is time t!e motive was to demonstrate t!e central cinema e*$erience& t!e $ro-ection of li'!t
across a distance onto a framed s$ace to be viewable simultaneously to a mass audience(
T!e e*!ibition in t!e series of t!e #tairs dedicated to $ro$s& t!e si'nificance of t!e inanimate ob-ect
in cinema -- can you ima'ine a 'an'ster movie wit!out a 'un& a tele$!one and a car& a
#!a+es$earian feature wit!out a s+ull& a da''er and a crown& /t!ello wit!out =esdemona7s
!and+erc!ief -- was eventually turned into an e*!ibition in >ienna called /ne .undred /b-ects to
De$resent t!e 2orld& and t!en into an o$era of t!e same name t!at travelled t!e world(
,o sin'le c!aracteristic of cinema is entirely se$arable from all t!e ot!ers& and ) was be'innin' to
see t!e c!aracteristics as tyrannies& w!ic! were confinin'& strai'!t--ac+etin'& even abusin' t!e
cinema& tyrannies t!at were $er!a$s destroyin' any furt!er emanci$ation of t!e idea of t!e movin'
ima'e in cinema( ) finally saw t!ose ma-or tyrannies as t!e tyrannies of t!e frame& t!e te*t& t!e actor
and t!e camera(
T!e tyranny of t!e te*t
5very film director& wit! $recious few e*ce$tions& !as to !ave a te*t before !e or s!e can !ave an
ima'e( 8rom #$ielber' to Godard& Lync! to Tarantino& 4ubric+ to 8assbinder( 2it! t!e cinema t!at
we !ave develo$ed -- t!ou'! of course& it need not !ave !a$$ened t!at way -- it is im$ossible to
a$$roac! a studio or a $roducer wit! t!ree $aintin's& four $rints and a s+etc!-boo+ of drawin's& and
e*$ect to be rewarded wit! su$$ort to ma+e a movie( T!e cinema is su$$osed to be an art and an
industry of t!e ima'e& yet we !ave a te*t-based cinema( 5very film you !ave watc!ed you can see
t!e director followin' t!e te*t& and if you are luc+y& ma+in' $ictures as an after-t!ou'!t( ,o
sur$rise of course( 2e are all very so$!isticated& even across all t!e lan'ua'e barriers& at ma+in'
and usin' and receivin' te*ts& written and s$o+en( /ur educational systems are based on forcefully
feedin' t!e letters of t!e al$!abet to reluctant c!ildren& and t!en to $ress !ome a necessity to
amassin' an understandin' of words( 1s adolescents t!e readin' $rocedures become more
so$!isticated& and as adults& continually $ersuaded $ractice& !ones and refines and focuses our
abilities -- a systematic universal act of education in t!e word( 6ou !ave a ton'ue( )t will not s$ea+
com$re!ensively on its own& it needs trainin'( 8ew& in $ro$ortion to t!e mass attendance at t!e
te*tual altar& attend art sc!ool& desi'n sc!ool& receive arc!itectural trainin'( 6ou !ave an eye -- can
it truly see wit!out bein' trained0 Gust because you !ave eyes& does t!at mean you can see0 1nd if
you can see& can you $ro-ect and communicate your meanin' indeed to t!ose w!o also !ave !ad no
e*tensive trainin' of t!e eye0
2ould you& could you& $resume to write a sensible com$re!ensible letter& leave alone a novel&
wit!out under'oin' intensive trainin' in te*t0
)t could be said t!at most of us suffer from considerable visual illiteracy& $ersuaded u$on us by a
te*t-obsessive educational insistence( .ence t!e reliance on t!e word& not t!e ima'e( =errida
famously and wittily su''ested t!at @t!e ima'e always !as t!e last word@ -- it is of course a false
statement& t!e word always !as t!e last word& and anyway isn7t a word an ima'e0
)n 5n'land and 1merica& t!ere is 'reat and vi'ourous su$$ort for a writer7s cinema( 2e do not need
or want or desire a writer7s cinema( 2e need a cinema-ma+er7s cinema( T!e cinema s!ould not be
an ad-unct to t!e boo+s!o$& servicin'& illustratin' literature(
T!e last t!ree dominant si'nificant cinema events !ave been @T!e Lord of t!e Din's&@ a boo+ --
t!ree boo+s -- @.arry Potter&@ a boo+& $robably eventually& four boo+s& and @#$ider-Man&@ at least
t!at is su$$osed to s$rin' from a semi-visual source& a comic& but essentially an illustrated boo+(
)n $essimistic moments& ) would ar'ue t!at you !ave never seen any cinema& all you !ave witnessed
is "08 years of illustrated te*t(
T!e tyranny of t!e frame
2e view all t!e $lastic arts t!rou'! a ri'id frame( #ince $aintin' se$arated itself from arc!itecture
at t!e end of t!e Medieval $eriod& it re'ulated its $arameters& wit! very little e*ce$tion& to fit four
ri'!t-an'les( 1nd t!eater& wit! a $roscenium arc!& co$ied $aintin'C o$era and ballet arran'ed its
scenarios and c!oreo'ra$!y to be seen in association wit! t!eatre7s $roscenium arc! sta'e-s$ace&
and cinema co$ied t!e t!eatre& and television co$ied t!e cinema& and t!en t!ere are $!oto'ra$!s
sBuared u$ for $aintin'-$icture-frames and to fit t!e ri'!t an'les of a boo+( T!is w!olesale $ractice
!as become so traditional and ort!odo*& it is not Buestioned(
Detros$ectively& it is t!e view t!rou'! a window& t!ou'! we are t!in+in' now from a contem$orary
window $oint-of-view& since t!e ma-or !ori%ontal as$ect window ratio of a cinema screen could not
!ave been matc!ed arc!itecturally by a window muc! before t!e middle of t!e nineteent! century(
3ut t!e analo'y is im$ortant because traditional cinema insists on creatin' an illusionistic s$ace to
'ive audiences a window e*$erience -- a surveillance t!rou'! a window frame out into a $arallel
universe connected to t!at w!ic! t!e audience $!ysically e*$eriences as it sits in t!e cinema(
T!ere is no suc! t!in' as a frame in t!e natural world -- it is a man-made& man-created device& a
dia'rammatically s!ar$ened and re'ulated reaction to !is own irre'ular !ori%ontal view of t!e
world bordered by t!e brow and t!e c!ee+-bones w!en t!e face is !eld ri'id and t!e eyes +e$t
steady( )t is an ironic curiosity t!at t!e Ga$anese !ave tried to reverse t!e 'ame by forcin' man-
devised frames into landsca$e desi'n usin' t!e sea !ori%on as t!e absolute !ori%ontal& and $lantin'
tall strai'!t-trun+ed trees to ma+e t!e vertical frame-lines -- ironic and curious& since /riental
$icture-ma+in' !as steadfastly& until it came in contact wit! 2estern $ractices of seein'& esc!ewed
t!e frame& not findin' it at all necessary to use a frame to contain and s!a$e t!e world(
1nd t!e frame in t!e cinema !as ever restrictin'ly ti'!tened( T!ere used to be several as$ect ratios
o$en to a cinemato'ra$!er& es$ecially in t!e years of $re-standardi%ation& and a'ain w!en cinema
tried to fi'!t t!e effects of television wit! a ras! of e*$erimental ratios in t!e 7E0s and 7;0s& but now
we !ave been steadily reduced to t!at most convenient of as$ect ratio frames& t!e television frame
of t!e ratio " to "(( 1nd all $rofessional film $ractitioners +now t!e contortions and !umiliations
t!at cinema !as !ad to e*$erience to 'et its non-television ratio demands onto t!e television screen
wit! letter-bo*in'& cro$$in'& reducin'& $annin' and scannin'( #uc! !as been t!is so dominant
industrial $ractice t!at few television viewers are even remotely aware t!at t!ey are not watc!in'
t!e real t!in'& but some $articular television-convenienced version(
)f t!e frame is a man-made device& t!en -ust as it !as been created& so it can be un-created( T!e
$arallelo'ram can 'o(
T!e tyranny of t!e actor
To ac+nowled'e and overcome t!e t!ird tyranny& t!e tyranny of t!e actor& is $er!a$s not 'oin' to be
so $o$ular( )t could be said t!at we deli'!t in bein' tyrannised by actors( 1nd ) am 'oin' to !ave
some difficulty in followin' t!rou'! t!e $remise t!at t!e cinema is not& and s!ould not be a
$lay'round for #!aron #tone or a #ylvester #tallone or even a ,icole 4idman or a Dobert de ,iro&
t!ou'! in "08 years we !ave allowed and $ermitted it to be so( #o many films are set u$ to create a
s$ace for an actor to $erform& t!at it would seem sometimes t!at t!e cinema is a ve!icle for t!eir
a$$earance alone(
T!ere are many 'enres of $aintin' in w!ic! t!e actor is absent& or reduced to t!e conce$t of a fi'ure
in a landsca$e( ) am not advocatin' a cinema w!ere t!ere are no actors& w!ere t!e !uman fi'ure is
not by inference t!e centre of our interest& but ) will ar'ue t!at t!e actor !as to seriously s!are t!e
cinematic s$ace wit! ot!er evidences of t!e world& !as to be& in essence a fi'ure in a landsca$e
w!ic! is li+ely to 'ive attention to s$ace& ideas& inanimacy& arc!itecture& li'!t and colour and te*ture
itself(
T!e le'itimate su$remacy of t!e actor in t!e viewin' s$ace is a c!aracteristic of t!eatre& w!ere t!e
demands on !is dominant visibility are essential to 'ive credence to t!e sus$ension of disbelief in a
$atently symbolic world& but li+e it or not& t!e cinema s!ould not be a s$ecies of recorded t!eatre&
and t!e actor !as to relinBuis! any su$remacy !e ri'!tly mi'!t believe is !is for t!e ta+in' in t!e
t!eatre(
)t is of course not so familiar a condition to t!e actor w!o is led to believe by !is $rofession t!at t!e
camera s!ould $ersistently centre !is contribution& es$ecially since we !ave created off-screens
systems to e*cessively $romote t!e actor and surround !im wit! a'ents and mana'ers& a
sym$at!etic $roduction system and a Press and $ublicity or'anisation w!o a$$ear to need !is $ublic
relations $ower( ) !ave !ad actors com$lain t!at t!ey are too muc! sub-ect to t!e insistence of t!e
frame& t!at t!eir movements are too bounded by t!e demands of t!e com$osition& t!at t!ey !ave to
arran'e t!eir contribution to be subservient to a tree& a still life& a li'!tin' s$ace& s!adows& dar+ness&
various devices of invisibility& t!at ) am more interested in t!eir le's& feet& body& t!eir 'iven
$!ysical anatomy& t!e way t!ey wear and s!a$e t!eir clot!es& t!e $!ysical s$ace t!ey occu$y& t!e
'estures t!ey ma+e& t!e $ose t!ey ta+e& t!eir wei'!t on t!e floor& t!eir relations!i$ to a wall or a
ceilin'& rat!er t!an t!eir face or t!eir inter$retation of a $syc!olo'ical role& or t!eir s+ill at
inter$retin' a narrative im$erative( )t is true ) ta+e many of my cues and $recedences from $aintin'
w!ere t!ere are ot!er considerations t!an !uman $erformance& but ) believe t!e actor s!ould ta+e
!is contribution in association wit! a sense of ensemble wit! t!e world and certainly ensemble wit!
t!e cinematic lan'ua'e( 2e !ave develo$ed a cinema w!ere t!e identification of an actor7s
emotional and $syc!olo'ical $erformance is considered to be t!e +ey to an audience7s res$onse(
T!is is limitin'& reductive and undersells t!e visual $otential of cinematic lan'ua'e(
T!e tyranny of t!e camera
)f t!e tyranny of t!e actor is difficult to acce$t& t!en t!e fourt! and last tyranny is $er!a$s even
more of a blas$!emy -- for it is t!e tyranny of t!e camera( 2e !ave to 'et rid of t!e camera(
T!e camera is a recordin' device( )t 'ives us an ima'e of t!e world t!at is mimetic& it re$roduces
w!at we $ut in front of it( T!e camera is not a $ainter( )t !as entered t!e cinema eBuation too !i'!
u$ t!e Dic!ter scale -- say at Dic!ter si*& w!ere it would !ave been better to !ave entered at Dic!ter
%ero -- w!ic! of course is contradictory because t!ere would !ave been not!in' t!ere& w!ic! of
course is w!at my $ro$osition is all about(
Two Buotations( /ne from PicassoA @) do not $aint w!at ) see& but w!at ) t!in+(@ T!e second from
5isenstein& certainly t!e 'reatest ma+er of cinema& a fi'ure you can com$are wit! 3eet!oven or
Mic!elan'elo& and not be embarrassed by t!e com$arison& and t!ere are few cinema-ma+ers you
can elevate to suc! !ei'!ts( /n !is way to Me*ico& 5isenstein& travelin' t!rou'! California& met
2alt =isney& and su''ested t!at 2alt =isney was t!e only filmma+er because !e started at 'round
%ero& a blan+ screen(
T!e connection between t!e two Buotations is su''estive( T!ere is a necessity in a curious way to
by$ass t!e la%y& mimetic& $assive recordin' eye -- !uman or mec!anical -- and -um$ strai'!t to t!e
brain& t!e ima'ination& t!e seat of creation( 1nd it is su''ested t!at we !ave now t!e tools& and we
can easily ima'ine t!e tools we s!all !ave tomorrow& to ma+e t!is !a$$en( 2e s!ould not want a
cinema of a$$ro$riation& of mimesis& or re$roduction of t!e +nown world& not even a cinema of
virtual reality& but a cinema of virtual unreality(
T!e Denaissance contribution to t!e modern world in visual terms is usually couc!ed in terms of
forever and forever successfully re$roducin' reality( 8rom Giotto to Masaccio& from Masaccio to
?ccello& from ?ccello to Da$!ael& from Da$!ael to Gior'ione -- you can c!oose your own c!ain of
ever-risin' realism(
)t !as been an u$ward success story in 'ettin' $ainted ima'es to loo+ more and more li+e t!e
natural world -- t!e 'radual controllin' of t!e tec!nolo'ies of c!iaroscuro and scale& scul$tural
modellin'& linear $ers$ective& aerial $ers$ective& anatomy& in order in t!e end& to re$roduce w!at we
already !ave around us( )s t!at suc! a success story0 #!ould not t!e ener'ies !ave been s$ent in
more wort!w!ile& investi'ative $ursuits& to $ursue t!e $ossibilities of t!e inventive !uman
ima'ination& $robably t!e most com$le* and self-re'ardin' $!enomenon in t!e universe0
T!e real world is always 'oin' to be more real& more e*citin'& more terrifyin'& more dan'erous&
more a$$ealin' t!an t!e world t!at can be re$roduced by t!e camera(
#!ould t!erefore cinema esc!ew ambitions of illusionistic recreation of t!e +nown world -- its
ma-or $ursuit -- and attem$t to manufacture t!e ima'inative world alone0
My militant res$onse t!en to t!e current circumstances of a dyin' aest!etic tec!nolo'y called
cinema& -olted into t!e necessity of acce$tin' t!e novelties of inter-activity and t!e revitalised
$ossibilities of multimedia& is to s!a+e out t!ese tyrannies of t!e frame& te*t& t!e actor and t!e
camera& and try to $lace $roduct in t!e firin' line of t!ese $olemics(
Cinematic benc!mar+s
)t is an arro'ant assum$tion to t!in+ we can ma+e cultural benc!mar+s& si'nificant artefacts wit!
w!ic! to measure t!e state of a total $ractice( 3enc!mar+s& ) sus$ect& are made only after t!e event(
=id =ante +now t!at !e was ma+in' $rofound si'nificance wit! @T!e =ivine Comedy&@ a wor+ t!at
self-confessedly su''ests an attem$t to unite t!e an'els in t!eir !eavens wit! t!e stones on t!e road0
=id t!e van 5yc+ brot!ers in G!ent wit! t!eir tri$tyc! of t!e @1doration of t!e Lamb&@ or
Mic!elan'elo& wit! !is view of +nown beliefs on t!e #istine ceilin'& +now t!at t!ey were bot!
manufacturin' wor+s t!at would attem$t to $ut everyt!in' in one $lace& ordered& systematic and
com$re!ensible0 2ould #!a+es$eare and Cervantes !ave +nown t!at t!eir cultural contributions
would occu$y t!e same sort of si'nificance( 1nd did Goyce in writin' @?lysses&@ t!e most
influential but least read of t!e 20t! century7s novels& +now t!at& by 'at!erin' to'et!er every +nown
tro$e of narrative and storytellin' and e*$osition of e*$erience in words& and t!ereby !avin' to
invent a new sort of word e*$osition to realise it -- did !e !ave consciousness of t!e benc!-mar+ !e
was ma+in'0
)t maybe t!at t!e first total cinema master$iece benc!mar+ was 5isenstein7s @#tri+e&@ made in "929(
8rom t!e start of cinema on t!e 20t! =ecember "89: to 5isenstein7s @#tri+e@ in "929 is very nearly
28 years -- t!e len't! of a 'eneration( )f t!e new $ost-cinema-cinema be'an on "st #e$tember
"98 -- until now -- t!at is 20 years somew!ere between ne*t Tuesday and ne*t 2ednesday -- we
!ave 8 years to 'o to ma+e t!e first master$iece benc!-mar+ of t!e new visual tec!nolo'ies(
T!e Tulse Lu$er #uitcases $ro-ect !o$es to address and answer and find& in a dee$ly investi'ative
way& some answers to some of t!ese concerns and an*ieties( )t certainly revolves around& and
desires to e*$loit& interactivity and multi-media( T!e $ro-ect is manufactured for e*$loitation in t!e
cinema& on television& on one or more websites& as a serious collection of =>=s and in association
wit! a library of boo+s& wit! lin+s to t!e ma+in' of t!eatre and o$era& e*!ibitions and installations
in museums and 'alleries(
To date& after " mont!s of manufacture& t!ere are t!ree !ours of !i'!ly wrou'!t cinema material
s!ot& edited& and !o$efully to be $ro-ected on .= television& t!ou'! as you will see toni'!t& two
!ours e*ist -- because t!e industry is slow to ta+e advanta'e of t!e revolution around us -- on :mm
film( T!ere are two $ublis!ed boo+s& a $lay $erformed in German at t!e 8ran+fort ,ational T!eatre&
and soon to be re!earsed and $erformed in "2 cities in .olland& and two e*!ibitions& one in Milan
and one currently in G!ent( )n t!e ne*t t!irteen mont!s& t!ere will be t!ree new e*!ibitions - in
5n'land& Lei$%i' and 3erlin& two t!eatre $roductions in Lille and 3remen& and t!ree more !ours of
.= material& brin'in' us u$ to seven e$isodes in t!e "E-e$isode Tulse Lu$er sa'a(
T!e ambition is to ma+e an inte'rated $roduct viable and com$re!ensible in different forms for t!e
first decade of t!e 2"st century& t!at centres& as its cement and su$erstructure& around t!e life and
times of its central c!aracter Tulse Lu$er& w!ose activities are multifarious& t!ou'! $er!a$s li+e us
all& !e is a $rofessional $risoner( Matc!in' t!e atomic number of uranium& !is life-!istory covers 92
years( .e is 92 tomorrow& t!e 29t! #e$tember(
T!e w!ole $ro-ect is an attem$t to ma+e a 'at!erin' to'et!er of today7s lan'ua'es& to $lace t!em
alon'side one anot!er and 'et t!em to converse& and as far as cinematic lan'ua'e is concerned& to
find ways out of t!e above stated tyrannies(
Considerin' t!e tyranny of t!e te*t
)n t!e first $lace& t!ou'! it still be's my an*ious Buestionin' of t!e creation of a visual medium
t!rou'! te*t& t!e substance of @T!e Tulse Lu$er #uitcases@ was written out indeed in words& albeit
wit! a te*t of some com$le*ity t!at ma+es it loo+s more $er!a$s li+e a vertical and !ori%ontal
musical score t!an a conventional film-scri$t(
)t is not an ada$tation of a boo+& or a $lay& or any $!enomenon t!at saw li'!t first as literature of
any descri$tion( /n t!e ar'ument of @)f it itc!es& scratc! it@ -- t!e te*t t!erefore is muc! in
evidence( ) 'ive you freBuent doses of t!e te*t on screen(
T!ere is a very necessary content reason for t!is& since it soon becomes evident t!at t!e film is
!a$$enin'& so to s$ea+& as it is written& and is& in essence& t!e deliberate $roduct of a writer& t!ou'!
Buite !ow t!at s!a$es u$& ) do not want to reveal -ust yet& for t!at would 'ive away t!e w!ole
containin' conceit of t!e t!in'(
Te*t usually s!a$es t!e cinema narrative and certainly $rovides t!e cinema dialo'ue( Conventional
cinema see+s to conceal t!at written te*tual ori'in( )n t!e Tulse Lu$er #uitcases t!ere is no !idin'
of t!ese ori'ins& and t!e film is so full of narratives t!at narrative is often ne'ated by e*cess& and
certainly narrative is constantly interru$ted and fra'mented by side-bars and listin's and sub-
narratives& as to ma+e conventional narrative continuity $roblematic(
#ince it would seem te*t and ima'e are a $air& often of uneBual status& and t!ere is muc! evidence
to su''est t!ey !ave co-e*isted in $aintin' for muc! of its !istory - do not try to brea+ u$ t!e
uneBual& uneasy marria'e but see+ to e*$loit it( 1c+nowled'e t!at most of t!e ima'es seen in
cinema be'an as te*tual descri$tions& deliberately use te*t as ima'e& em$loy calli'ra$!y and
ty$o'ra$!y to define te*t as t!at very t!in'( Contem$orary advertisin' !as made of t!e combination
of te*t and ima'e& an art of its own& and cinema mi'!t do well to imitate and develo$ its e*$loits(
Considerin' t!e tyranny of t!e frame
1bel Gance wit! !is film @,a$oleon@ in "92; develo$ed a t!ree-screen $ro-ection& and intimated
$ossible ways to use it( 2ide s!ot& medium s!ot& close-u$C bac+& front and sideC landsca$e& $ortrait&
still-life( To sync!ronise t!ree :mm $ro-ections in "92; was not so easy and t!e tec!nolo'ical
e*$eriment essentially sto$$ed wit! Gance(
T!ere was a wait of some forty years before t!e tec!nolo'y and t!us t!e $ossibilities of t!e
lan'ua'e could be resurrected( T!ere was a s$ate of films in t!e "980s w!ere it became not
uncommon& more t!an once associated wit! movies featurin' #teve McHueen& but noticeably t!e
device was a decoration to t!e narrative not substantial to it& and rarely added more t!an retinal
e*citement( #$ecial feature events li+e t!e To+yo /lym$ic Games wit! lar'e sums of money to
e*!ibitionistically flaunt& en'endered essentially non-narrative multi-screen e*$eriments& by
offerin' only more s!eer retinal stimulus and $attern-ma+in'& and suc! lan'ua'e is now t!e stable
diet in $o$ concerts and video-walls& t!ou'! rarely structured in ot!er t!an illustrative and
decorative ways(
T!e conventional cinema cinema still cannot $erform multi-screen $ro-ection& and until suc! time it
can and will& t!e sin'le screen can suffice to be s$liced& s$lit and fra'mented( Multi$le screens
im$ly a sense of c!oice( )t is not easy to loo+ at all screens wit! eBual attention simultaneously&
c!oice for ma-or attention !as to made& t!ou'! t!ose c!oices can be conducted and orc!estrated by
t!e director( ,ew di'ital tec!nolo'y minimises Gance7s difficulties& t!ou'! as su''ested wit! a
sin'le screen a'enda(
@T!e Tulse Lu$er #uitcases@ endeavours to utilise and develo$ a multi-screen lan'ua'e in t!e
various ways 1bel Gance antici$ated and certainly to ta+e it beyond( #u$erb steadiness& immaculate
framed ed'es are di'itally edited on .i'! =efinition ta$e at increasin' near real-time editin'
s$eeds( 3efore& durin'& afterC $ast $resent futureC fast& slow& slowest& re$etitions& re$rises& across
screen devices of innumerable continuities& develo$in' a lan'ua'e t!at eBuates more wit! !uman
e*$erience in its interactions between reality& memory and ima'ination(
/ne of t!e 'reatest $otential e*citements is t!e ability and freedom now to fas!ion t!e frame to suit
t!e content( >ery crudely& a sna+e travellin' across t!e 'rass su''ests a lon' !ori%ontal frame& a
'iraffe& a tall vertical one( 1nd mor$!in' suc! a sna+e into suc! a 'iraffe can be accom$lis!ed wit!
!ands-on ease( T!e frame can be cut and cro$$ed wit! various layers of density& overla$ and
metamor$!osis(
Pre-Denaissance $aintin'& !avin' no im$eratives to de$ict t!e real& $layed wit! sub-ective scale& and
wit! condensed and simultaneous time& bot! considerations bein' relevant to t!e dictates of
t!eolo'ical ideals(
C!rist& at t!e Last #u$$er& bein' t!e most im$ortant fi'ure at t!e table& was de$icted $!ysically
lar'er t!an !is disci$les( 1dam and 5ve were tem$ted& ate t!e a$$le& $luc+ed t!e fi' leaves and
were e*$elled from t!e Garden of 5den all in t!e same interconnected sin'le s$ace( T!ese are
e*$ressionistic devices lon' e*$lored by $aintin'& and to a certain e*tent by flouris!in' comic-boo+
arts& and certainly wit! renewed interest in t!e last ":0 years after t!e lon' years s$ent $ursuin' t!e
c!imera of re$roducin' t!e a$$arent reality of t!e eye& real time and true scale(
T!e di'ital revolution tec!nolo'ies can re-e*$lore t!ese issues to ma+e -- to use a convenience
conce$t-word -- an animated cubism( Ma+in' for a God-li+e ubiBuity& you can see bot! sides of t!e
wall& insides and outsides& downstairs and u$stairs& macrocosm and microcosm& all at t!e same time(
T!e !istorical +ey mar+ers to a $!iloso$!y of t!e movin' ima'e can be $rofitably revisited and
revitalised - Muybrid'e seBuential $!oto'ra$!y& =uc!am$7s ,ude =escendin' a #taircase& and
Marey7s multi$le-ima'e fencers& dancers and at!letes can resume si'nificance(
T!e frame !as come alive(
)t is no lon'er a $assive -ail of four ri'!t an'les(
Considerin' t!e tyranny of t!e actor
T!e tyranny or conventional dominant contribution of t!e actor !as been considered for some time
in t!e feature films ) !ave made over t!en $ast twelve years wit!in bounds of w!at could be
described as a cinema of $assionate detac!ment( )t can be c!aracterised by bein' s$arin' of close-
u$s& a desire not to cut t!e body unless absolutely necessary& and to be aware of t!e !uman fi'ure as
a stron' com$ositional element wit!in a self-conscious frame& any 'estures or actions t!at are not
sym$at!etic to t!e visual com$osition wit!in a frame& will $robably be re-ected or sim$ly not seen&
or if considered a valuable contribution& re-s!ot& or reformatted to 'ive t!em visual com$ositional
si'nificance( T!e camera views ) normally em$loy would rarely be $erson orientated( 8or e*am$le )
would never use an over-s!oulder s!ot in a two-way conversation and view$oints are constructed
from t!e ideal $osition of t!e camera not t!e eye-line or view$oint of t!e c!aracter(
)n @T!e Tulse Lu$er #uitcases&@ t!e use of t!e actor !as been ta+en furt!er in suc! directions& w!ic!
) believe& and certainly many of t!e actors believe& 'ives 'reater sco$e to t!eir contribution& w!ilst
still !oldin' t!em firmly wit!in a s$ace t!at denies ort!odo* actor dominance(
/ne of t!e ma-or meta$!ors of t!e $ro-ect is t!e sayin' t!at t!ere is no suc! t!in' as !istory& t!ere
are only !istorians& t!at !istory& in effect& is a !i'!ly sub-ective business recorded wit! vested
interests( ,a$oleon could !ave be!aved li+e t!is& or li+e t!is& or li+e t!is( T!at t!is conversation
could !ave been delivered li+e t!is or t!is or t!is( T!at t!is inter$retation of t!e event could !ave
been melodramatic or sentimental& melanc!olic or yet a'ain $at!etic( ConseBuently we !ave tried to
'ive a cinema audience alternatives& certainly in +ee$in' wit! t!e interactivity c!oices laid down in
our ambitions& but also to demonstrate t!at t!ere is no sin'ular verity( 2e !ave often 'iven t!ese
inter$retations simultaneously or overlaid t!em wit! one anot!er in a cubist-li+e $!enomenon&
editin' and layerin' tec!niBues w!ic! could $robably only be ac!ieved wit! t!e !el$ of t!e new
tec!nolo'ies(
Conventional cinema editin' in true cut-and-$aste c!ronolo'y style& 'ives you one event at a time
seBuentially( T!e cinema !as never been 'ood& unli+e t!e t!eatre for e*am$le& at simultaneity( T!e
narratives as a conseBuence often be!ave li+e musical scores& deliberately full of re$eats and
re$rises& variations on a t!eme& returns to e*$lore t!ematic areas furt!er and in 'reater detail& often
usin' different actors to $lay t!e same role& to inter$ret t!e same material( #o muc! is t!is a
c!aracteristic t!at& wit!in t!e dramas t!emselves& t!e actors are often viewed as actors& t!ou'!
stayin' inside t!e film and not outside of it( 2e see t!eir auditions( 2e often s!ow different ta+es
of t!e same action& a c!aracteristic of cinema rarely seen by viewers but e*tremely common$lace to
actors t!emselves and certainly to all t!ose involved in t!e ma+in' of a film( #o alt!ou'!
t!e conventional virtuosity of t!e actor on screen is denied or at least abro'ated to eradicate t!e
tyranny of !is contribution& a res$ect and an ac+nowled'ement for t!e actor7s essential $resence is
certainly c!am$ioned& even e*trava'antly c!am$ioned(
Considerin' t!e tyranny of t!e camera
T!e s$ectrum of visual $ossibilities in t!e manufacture of t!e movin' ima'e is lar'e& and
traditionally t!e feature film only uses a small section of t!at s$ectrum& sufficient to realise an
illusionist drama( Mi*ed visual 'enres in t!e cinema are not common( ) su$$ose t!e combination of
live action and t!e cartoon& noticeably celebrated in a film li+e 2!o 8ramed Do'er Dabbit is an
e*am$le& t!ou'! it was an e*$eriment not over-ent!usiastically co$ied& and it was a drama t!at
afterall $ursued illusionist conce$tions& anot!er window-on t!e world construction& and any Te*
1very self-conscious anarc!ies& any brea+in' of t!e frame tec!niBues& stayed wit!in t!ose
conventions(
T!e days of strict ad!erence to t!e Platonic verities& observin' sin'ular time& sin'ular $lace&
sin'ular treatment and sin'ular sub-ect& are lon' 'one& and eclecticism is le'itimate and !onourable(
)t would be difficult to see !ow it could be ot!erwise in an information a'e wit! encoura'ed
encyclo$aedic t!in+in'(
T!e su$ermar+et of visual and dramatic $ossibilities is !u'e( ) believe cinema s!ould sei%e t!e
o$$ortunity to s!o$ vi'ourously in t!e su$ermar+et(
2atc!in' virtually any four minutes of C,, ,ews demonstrates w!at television !as been doin' for
a lon' time& usin' a w!ole ran'e of communication lan'ua'es simultaneously( T!e introduction of
more and yet more multi$le $ictures& lines of movin' te*t& titles& sub-titles& inter-titles& animated
dia'rams& animated ma$s& insert tal+in' !eads& s$lit screen conversations& !as not noticeably created
a$o$le*y in viewers& and t!ou'! curiously ) sus$ect consciously unaware of t!e 'esture& it is
becomin' common now for t!e screen itself to be self referenced wit! fi*ed com$any lo'os --
w!ic! really do demonstrate to t!e viewer t!at !e is watc!in' a screen& and not merely w!at is
conveyed t!rou'! it(
2e !ave develo$ed !abits of visual selection( Lar'ely we ta+e w!at we want( 2e can i'nore
5n'lis!-lan'ua'e movin' te*t of stoc+ mar+et re$orts in To+yo& w!ilst we focus our attention to
watc! animated dia'rams of !urricanes in 8lorida& t!ou'! $eri$!erally we are aware t!at
communications of t!e world are comin' at us fast and furiously( 2!ilst feature films& .ollywood-
style and art-!ouse style& !ave been $ursin' t!e strai'!t and narrow& television !as been revellin' in
communication s+ills for a lon' time( Godard su''ested t!at @2e loo+ u$ at cinema& but down at
television@& a $ointed reference at anatomical reality& but also at snobbis! slot!( )t is curious t!at
cinema so lon' re'arded as a vul'ar medium by t!e traditional arts !as ado$ted its own snobbisms
in t!e face of com$etition(
)t is a common$lace now t!at $ost-$roduction is e*tremely so$!isticated and $ermeates $ractically
everyt!in' we see on screens -- not -ust t!e ubiBuitous dinosaur t!at is so believable& c!ildren are
convinced t!ey e*ist somew!ere outside Gurassic Par+ and demand to see t!em at t!e %oo& but
clandestinely& $olis!in' u$ $oliticians& se*in'-u$ entertainers& erasin' mista+es& c!an'in' colours&
bri'!tenin' 'loomy days& and of course t!e o$$osite& addin' blood and smo+e& trans$osin' 'rief
and $ain from one location to anot!er to suit $ublic relations and $olitical e*$ediency( Many years
a'o& alt!ou'! admirin' t!e tec!niBue& we were s!oc+ed at t!e way unwanted $oliticians
disa$$eared from official #oviet Politburo $!oto'ra$!s& suc! tec!nical mani$ulations now are
common$lace( T!e et!ics are decidedly $roblematical( 3ut t!e lan'ua'e& almost w!at we could call
an anti-camera lan'ua'e& is e*traordinary(
My fascination and inclination& bein' interested in $rocess and wis!in' to demonstrate t!at $rocess&
as well as to 'ive you end-results& solutions and closures& is to use it( )f ) am ma+in' a $ro-ect
w!ose central meta$!or is @t!ere is no suc! t!in' as !istory& t!ere are only !istorians@& ) need to use
it( 1nd indeed every $ossibility of communication by visual ima'e is used( =rama elaborated&
C!e+ovian& +itc!en-sin+& vaudeville& $antomime& cinema-verite& surveillance& o$eratic& melodrama&
soa$-o$era& stri$$ed down to a blac+ bo*& wor+ed u$ to a =avid Lean e*uberance& $astic!e amateur
t!eatricals& tal+in' !eads& stand-u$ comic( 1nd suc! uses of t!e actor7s trade are inters$liced and
elaborated wit! animated ma$s and dia'rams& cartoon sim$licities and cartoon com$le*ities& static
and animated te*ts& multi$le ty$o'ra$!ies and multi$le calli'ra$!ies( T!is is an anti-=o'me film( )t
e*uberates and celebrates new cinema lan'ua'e(
8inale
Cinema died on t!e "st #e$tember "98 w!en t!e %a$$er or t!e remote control was introduced into
t!e livin'-rooms of t!e world( Cinema as our fat!ers and forefat!ers +new it was a $assive elitist
medium& made e*$ensively for t!e $atronised many by t!e condescendin' few& wit! a distribution
system t!at !as made its own $roduct virtually unviewable( ,ow we can brea+ t!e mono$olies&
really start wit! an art of t!e movin' ima'e wit! viewer $artici$ation t!at can truly em$ower t!e
ima'ination& diversify interminably& cater for all& and not $atronise audiences( 2!at was cinema0
Dows and rows of $eo$le sittin' still Iand w!o in any ot!er !uman occu$ation sits still for "20
minutes0J& all loo+in' in one direction It!e world is all around you - not -ust in front of usJ& in t!e
dar+ Iman is not a nocturnal animalJ( 2it! a cinema wit! c!aracteristics li+e t!is& $er!a$s t!e
sooner dead& t!e better(
Let us rid cinema of t!e four tyrannies of te*t& t!e frame& actors and t!e camera( 3ut w!at are we
tal+in' about anyway0 6ou !aven7t seen any cinema yet& all we !ave seen is "08 years of illustrated
te*t& and& if you !ave been luc+y& $er!a$s a little recorded t!eatre(
,ow a cinema of w!at you t!in+ and not w!at you la%ily see is truly $ossible( Let us sei%e t!at
nettle and be'in t!e art of t!e movin' ima'e all over a'ain( 5very medium needs constant re-
invention(
Let us now re-invent t!at cinema( 2e can( 2e now !ave t!e most ama%in' new tools to do so( ,ow
we need t!e desire and t!e coura'e( 1nd t!is new medium of t!e movin' ima'e will almost
certainly not be e*$erienced in t!ose stran'e !i'!-street $ieces of arc!itecture called cinemas(
#o-called cinema was invented in "89:( )t too+ 29 years& wit! 5isenstein7s @#tri+e@ in "929& to ma+e
t!e first benc!mar+ master$iece of t!is new aest!etic-tec!nolo'y of film( )f a ,ew Movin' )ma'e
aest!etic-tec!nolo'y was ba$tised on "st #e$tember "98& t!en we still !ave a few year7s 'race to
invent its first benc!mar+ master$iece(
2ell-aware of t!e dan'ers of t!e discre$ancies of w!at ) say matc!in' wit! w!at ) ma+e& ) offer
you t!e first toe in t!e water of an ocean of $ossibilities in t!e multi-media& interactive $ro-ect of
@T!e Tulse Lu$er #uitcases@ -- cinema& television& 2eb site& =>=& library -- as a candidate for t!at
benc!mar+ $osition(

Cinema Militans Lecture "988

Tulse Lu$erA Clic+ to >iew List 5ntries(
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.ome

-------------------------
Cinema Militans Lecture
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by Peter Greenaway
#e$tember "988


1(
1 youn' German $aintin'-a$$rentice from 8reibur' is swimmin' in a canal amon' t!e fields
outside =elft on t!e mornin' of /ctober "2t! "E:9( .e is German& !e believes in cold bat!s to !el$
t!e circulation and !e is obeyin' instructions from !is fat!er to +ee$ !imself clean( .e can see t!e
s$ires and buildin's of =elft a'ainst t!e s+y and at "0(": e*actly& !e is sur$rised and !orrified to see
t!e city burst into flame( 8our seconds later& !e is deafened by t!ree loud re$orts and four seconds
after t!at& a s!oc+-wave brus!es over !im - !e can feel its warmt! on !is bare s+in( .e !as become
a witness of t!e Great =elft Gun$owder 5*$losion(
2it!out a$$arent cause or motive& a $owder-ma'asine !as blown u$ and destroyed a t!ird of t!e
town( T!e buildin's and c!urc!es continue to burn for two days( T!ere are many casualties( T!ree
of t!em are $ainters( T!eir names are >an 5ester& 8rans Pec+ and Carel 8abritius( 1t t!e time of t!e
e*$losion& all t!ree of t!em were wor+in' in t!eir studios( >an 5ester was wor+in' on a view of t!e
#in'el Canal& 8rans Pec+ was $aintin' a $ortrait of Marietta& !is wife& readin' a letter and 8abritius
was $aintin' a 'enre-$iece called T!e #+ittle-Game( >an 5ester !ad bot! !is arms blown off& 8rans
Pec+ was blinded& and 8abritius& after ei'!t !ours& dies of res$iratory colla$se - !is lun's burnt out(
1ll t!ree $ainters will not $aint a'ain(
T!e youn' German $aintin'-a$$rentice from 8reibur' - $ullin' on !is clot!es - rus!es off across t!e
fields to =elft to assist in t!e terrible aftermat! of t!e e*$losion - carryin' buc+ets of water&
mannin' t!e water-$um$s& liftin' out t!e wounded& closin' t!e eyes of t!e dead& administerin'
tourniBuets& comfortin' t!e dyin'(
)n a tem$orary !os$ital of tents ri''ed u$ away from t!e burnin' buildin's& !e ma+es t!e
acBuaintance of t!e t!ree $ainters - fetc!in' t!em water& c!an'in' t!eir banda'es& !earin' - in all
t!ree cases - t!eir curiously over- detailed accounts of t!e tra'edy( .e finds out about t!eir last
$aintin's - and& idly at first - t!en wit! 'at!erin' interest - !e $o+es about t!e town7s wrec+a'e and
eventually finds enou'! blac+ened and ra''ed bits of $ainted canvas to ma+e !im t!in+ !e can
reconstruct t!e t!eir last $aintin's( .e is $u%%led and a little an*ious at w!at !e finds( .e as+s
Buestions w!ic! !el$ !im ma+e an inter$retation of w!at t!e $aintin's convey(
.e discovers t!at >an 5ester7s $aintin' of t!e canalside includes t!e fi'ure of a woman ma+in' a
lewd 'rimace as s!e ban's t!e dust out of a ru' - s!e is non ot!er t!an Marietta& 8rans Pec+7s wife
and almost certainly >an 5ester7s mistress( 8abritius7 $aintin' - amon'st ot!er t!in's - de$icts a
man urinatin' a'ainst a w!eelbarrow - @t!e w!eelbarrow@ is >an 5ester7s nic+name on account of
t!e way !e wal+s - $us!in' !is belly before !im( 2!ereas t!e letter bein' read by Marietta in Pec+7s
$aintin' contains a libellous account of 8abritius7s $la'iarism(
T!e youn' German student realises t!at eac! $aintin' demonstrates bot! fierce com$etitive
relations!i$ and a vitriolic $ersonal animosity between t!e $ainters( .e is very ima'inative and
es$ecially interested in see+in' symbolic meanin' - t!at - after - is w!y !e $ersuaded !is fat!er to
let !im come to .olland to study in t!e first $lace - +nowin' full well !ow t!e =utc! secrete so
muc! meta$!orical meanin' into t!eir $aintin'(
8urt!er e*aminin' t!e reconstructed $aintin's - alon' - wit! ot!ers !e !as discovered - !e finds
si'nificance in ima'es of burnin' candles& cons$iratorial meetin's& secret letters& barrels of blac+-
$owder and !e is lead seriously to sus$ect t!at t!e $ainters t!emselves - eac! inde$endently and in
!is own way - were res$onsible for t!e terrible e*$losion and t!at t!e w!ole tra'ic event sadly and
terribly bac+fired(
.owever - t!e remainin' $ainters of =elft - not to miss an o$$ortunity - soon $ull t!emselves
to'et!er and be'in to ma+e 'ood money $aintin' scenes of t!e e*$losion& T!e German student is
a$$alled - es$ecially since !e is constantly bein' as+ed to describe !is eye-witness account( .e
remonstrates and !aran'ues t!e $ainters on t!eir lac+ of com$assion and t!eir re$re!ensible
o$$ortunism - !e be'ins to ma+e accusations t!at t!e e*$losion was a cons$iracy or'anised by t!e
$ainters of =elft to stimulate business(
/ne mornin'& t!e German student7s dead body is found floatin' in a canal in t!e outside =elft(
13C=58G.)G4LM,/PHD#T?>2P6F
2it! an ac+nowled'ement to t!e de$endable& fi*ed and ri'orous c!aracteristics of t!e al$!abet& t!is
address is $edantically or'anised accordin' to its 2E letters - w!ere t!e vowels are t!e substance and
t!e consonants are t!e su$$ortin' comment(
/r maybe it7s t!e ot!er way around(

3(
) am a film-ma+er((( not a film-critic or a film-t!eorist((( and ) muc! $refer to be ma+in' films t!an
tal+in' about t!em and since t!e most satisfyin' and stimulatin' $art of t!e film-ma+in' $rocess for
me& is in t!e conce$tion of a new $ro-ect& to amuse me& and !o$efully to amuse you& as well as
tal+in' about films ) am 'oin' to s$eculate about t!e conce$tion of some new ones - five new ones -
one for eac! of t!e vowels of t!e al$!abet(
Ta+in' full note of t!is $articular location and occasion - ) can still say wit!out any s$ecial $leadin'
- t!at t!ere is considerable evidence in my film-$ro-ects - bot! com$leted and uncom$leted - of a
fascination wit! .olland& =utc! culture and =utc! $aintin'(
5s$ecially =utc! $aintin'( Ta+in' liberties wit! time-sync!ronisation and wit! aut!ors!i$ - it is
=utc! $aintin' of t!e Golden 1'e - t!e "Et! - ";t! and "8t! centuries - t!at is t!e sub-ects& content
and startin' $oint of t!ese five new films(

?"
C(
) am a $ractisin' film-ma+er of a minority $ersuasion w!o !as !ad t!e 'ood fortune - due to a
certain set of circumstances - not least t!e su$$ort of t!e =utc! Producer - 4ees 4asander - w!o is
sittin' amon' you - to ma+e very $ersonal films t!at !ave not been obli'ed to rea$ lar'e financial
rewards or court enormous $o$ular su$$ort( )n t!e eyes of some - t!is may disBualify me from
ma+in' any statement about t!e !ealt! of t!e cinema - or w!at cinema s!ould be - or could be - or
w!ere cinema s!ould 'o(
/n t!e ot!er !and t!ose w!o believe t!at cinema is a 'ame of cost effectiveness in a medium of
$o$ular entertainment(((( and see+ 'reat financial rewards by strainin' and mani$ulatin' to be
$o$ular invariably for me $roduce wor+s t!at are dull or wort!y or worse - usually muc! worse(
.owever you can !ear all t!e time !ow ) Bualify even t!e stron'est statements for ) am only too
aware t!e sub-ects is frau'!t wit! contradictions& ironies and $arado*es - and after all my $ersonal
cinema - $ractice uses contradiction& $arado* and irony as its first ma-or substance(

=(
Dememberin' t!e e*!ortations of Menno ter 3raa+& t!e ins$iration of t!ese lectures& ) would li+e to
s$eculate in $ublic about some of t!e c!aracteristics of a cinema t!at ) $ersonally wis! to see and
wis! to ma+e - and maybe suc! sub-ective as$irations may illuminate more 'eneral areas(
8irst of all ((((
- ) want to see films made wit! t!e freedom t!at a writer or a $ainter !as wit! !is material - w!ic!
Buestions w!et!er it is necessary for t!e cinema - all cinema - to $retend to be t!e $o$ular medium
of entertainment many $eo$le still t!in+ it is(
+ ) want to see films t!at are $re$ared to o$erate as muc! t!rou'! an a$$roac! to t!e intellect as to
an insistent on ma+in' an emotional em$at!y wit! its audience(
l ) want cinema to re'ard t!e audience as an intelli'ent ally and not $atronise it(
m ) want to see a cinema t!at is a cinema from t!e 'round u$ - not a cinema t!at !as first to find life
in a boo+ or a $lay before it can be a film(
n ) want to see films ta+e and ac+nowled'e t!eir ri'!tful and relevant $lace in t!e continuity of
2estern visual culture - and not remain se$arate from it(
$ ) want cinema to be reco'nised as t!e artform it is( )t continues to sur$rise me t!at many - w!o
s!ould +now better - do not do so(
B ) would li+e to see films t!at are desi'ned to !ave a lon'er screen life t!an si* mont!s and can be
infinitely and re$eatedly viewable( ) would li+e to see eac! film seriously invest in its own artistic
future(
r ) want to see a cinema t!at is $re$ared to be e*$erimental and s$eculative and innovative(
s ) want to ma+e and see films t!at ac+nowled'e t!emselves as films and do not attem$t to $retend
to be slices of reality or windows on t!e world - w!ic! are dubious and unobtainable at t!e best of
times(
t ) want to see films made deliberately for t!e bi' screen w!ic! em$loys a different lan'ua'e t!at
t!at em$loyed to succeed best on television(
v ) want to see and ma+e films w!ere t!e form or structure of a movie is 'iven as muc! t!ou'!t as
its ot!er content(
w )t is !as been t!at cinema is t!e bastard offs$rin' of t!e novel and t!e t!eatre - wit! $aintin' as
t!e 'odfat!er - !ave t!ey 'ot t!e $atrimony t!e ri'!t way around0
) want to en-oy a cinema t!at is not $re$ared solely to rest on its $roven laurels as a story-tellin'
ve!icle - for cinema is far too ric! and ca$able a medium to be left merely to t!e storytellers(
)n ma+in' t!ese declarations ) +now t!at ) am $uttin' myself on t!e firin'-line - for bein' a
$ractisin' film-ma+er - t!e as$irations can be directly com$ared wit! t!e films - unli+e t!e film-
critic or t!e film-t!eorist w!o seldom offers a $roduct to demonstrate !is or !er o$inions and
t!erefore often !as $ower wit!out res$onsibility - an envious $osition - and in 5n'land often
abused(((((
) can ta+e some license and $ermission from Ter 3raa+ - w!o 'ently a$$roved of film-ma+ers w!o
could develo$ t!e awareness to +now t!at t!eir creations still often by no means came abreast of
t!eir as$irations - !e +new t!at @consciousness of t!e form $recedes t!e realisations@(
2!ic! brin's us to t!e letter 5 - a vowel(

5
5(
T!e $ainter Cornelius Gooc! $ainted cows( .e was a cow-$ainter( .is fat!er !ad been a !erdsman&
!is sisters were mil+maids and !is wife !ad been a dairymaid( /nly !is brot!er !ad bro+en t!e
mould - !e built boats - rowin'-boats for t!e canal ferrymen(
Gooc! en-oyed cows - !e en-oyed t!eir docility& t!eir smoot!& s!ort-!aired bac+s& t!eir soft
mu%%les& t!e !an' of t!eir swin'in' udders& t!e s!ar$ !orns& t!e mouldin' of t!e cow7s flan+ wit!
t!e indentations of t!e rib-ca'e( .e en-oyed t!e $roblems of $aintin' t!em a'ainst t!e wide s+y and
t!e distant s$ire of =ordrec!t cat!edral( T!ere is - it must be admitted - a certain similarity in all !is
cows as t!ou'! !e was $aintin' from a model( Gooc! was a met!odical $ainter - $er!a$s a rat!er
$edestrian $ainter - and alt!ou'! t!e cows would stand or sit com$aratively still for lon' !ours
c!ewin' t!e cud - Gooc! !ad $roblems because !e was so slow( 1lt!ou'! !e $ic+ed t!e most docile
cows !e could find - t!ey still moved too muc! for !im(
To !el$ !im solve !is $roblem - !e as+ed !is brot!er - w!o was a car$enter and built rowin' boats -
to construct !im a cow( .e built it li+e t!e frame of an u$turned boat and covered it wit! leat!er and
cow-!ide( 8rom close u$ t!e model cow loo+ed Buite convincin' - if a little stiff( )t was !ollow and
li'!t and Gooc! loaded it into a cart and too+ it out to t!e fields eac! day - settin' it down amon'
t!e 'rass( T!e ot!er cows 'rew Buite used to it - t!ou'! t!e bulls remained restless( #ometimes
Gooc! was a little disa$$ointed - on bri'!t days w!en t!e sun s!one strai'!t down at noon wit!out
s!adows - t!e cow model loo+ed a little lifeless( )t was !is wife7s idea to climb inside and animate it
a little( #!e was a lar'e& docile woman wit! swe$tbac+ 'in'er !air& a lar'e bosom and a $ale cream
s+in( T!e wooden frame of t!e model cow was Buite malleable - t!ou'! very warm on summer days
and a ti'!t fit - for Gooc!7s wife was a lar'e woman - s!e sometimes !ad to ta+e a few clot!es off to
ma+e !erself more comfortable(
Gooc! $ros$ered(
.is dealer learnt wit! sur$rise and not a little amusement of Gooc!7s strate'y and $assed details of
it on to !is clients w!o were intri'ued - so muc! so - t!at t!e $rices of Gooc!7s $aintin's t!at
featured t!e wooden cow - $ossibly wit! its occu$ant - fetc!ed !i'!er $rices t!an t!e rest of !is
out$ut( To ma+e sure t!at !is clients stayed intri'ued& Gooc!7s a'ent actually dro$$ed !ints t!at
Gooc! s!ould ma+e !is cows even more wooden( Gooc! com$lied(
#ometimes afterwards !is wife 'ave birt! to a son - t!ou'! none saw it( T!e son was called Mic!ael
and !e s$ent !is w!ole life in an attic-room above Gooc!7s !ouse near t!e cat!edral - a room w!ic!
s!oo+ w!en t!e bells of t!e cat!edral ran' on t!e !our& on t!e Buarter !our& on t!e !alf !our - and
w!enever t!e bell-rin'er could find an e*cuse( )t was su''ested t!at little Mic!ael - not sur$risin'ly
- was deaf - t!at !e could not feed !imself on account of !is unusable !ands - t!at t!e $lasterwor+
of !is room was $itted wit! scratc!-mar+s - t!at !e !ad !orns(
)t was said t!at !e was +e$t in t!e attic-room close to t!e bells to !ide !is dee$ mournful cries and
t!at Madame Gooc! too+ u$ $aintin' s!ee$ to $ay t!e bell-rin'er(((( t!ese and many more
s$eculations were voiced in =ordrec!t for it is a town of muc! ima'inations(

?"P
8(
) am sus$icious of t!ose crusaders in anyt!in' and a$olo'ist& w!o& in t!e 'uise of clamin' to be
disinterested in anyt!in' but t!e 'ood of t!e cinema - insist on solutions and strate'ies as t!ou'! t!e
cinema was one sin'le $!enomenon - w!ereas w!at t!ey are doin' is attem$tin' to -ustify t!eir own
film-ma+in' $ractice (((((
(((( for t!ere are a considerable number of film-ma+in' $ractices - all of t!em valid in t!eir own
li'!ts - a s$ectrum t!at stretc!es from - on left - !ome-movies - to e*$erimental esoteric $ro-ects& to
a cinema of $ersonal statement - often referred to wit! ine*actness as @t!e art-film@ - to middle-
bud'et $o$ular entertainment to e*trava'ant multi-million $ro-ects over !ere on t!e ri'!t ((( left and
ri'!t !ave !ere - for t!e most $art - no $articular $olitical si'nificance (((( ) !ave c!osen to wor+
somew!ere to t!e left of t!e centre of t!at s$ectrum - in a cinema - t!at is defined as e*istin'
between e*$erimental and art cinema(
) would su''est t!at all t!ese different ty$es of cinema !ave actually needed one anot!er - and still
do need one anot!er - for t!eir overall common 'ood( Great commercial talents !ave invariably
started modestly& youn' audiences are often attracted into t!e cinema for t!e first time by
undemandin' material - to become more discriminatin' at a later sta'e - t!e e*am$le of $o$ular
cinema encoura'es $ersonal amateur e*$eriment - t!e $ublic cinema by its $resence and creations
of cinema-'oin' audiences subsidises t!e less obviously financially $rofitable $ro-ects by $rovidin'
t!e w!ole com$licated business of distribution mac!inery - and so t!e cycles 'o round and around
creatin' a total film culture(
.owever - ) cannot resist one observation - ) can believe t!at t!e seed-corn of t!e total film culture
!as always been t!at $art of t!e s$ectrum t!at !as variously be called t!e art-film or t!e inde$endent
film or t!e film of t!e auteur or t!e $ersonal-si'nature film - all t!e titles are unsatisfactory - but )
t!in+ we all +now w!at is intended by t!em(
T!e $o$ular commercial cinema !as been& and is constantly bein' revitalised& by t!eir e*am$le(
.ollywood 'ains from ca$italisin' on t!eir talents& directors& ris+s and ima'ination( T!e lon'
succession of talent to t!e commercial cinema - for t!ose w!o want to e*clusively su$$ort it -
$rovides irrefutable and innumerable e*am$les(
T!erefore - ) believe - t!at t!ey are be!olden to ac+nowled'e and su$$ort t!e $ersonal-si'nature
cinema - t!e art-cinema - for t!eir own continued fruitful e*istence - t!at t!e seed-corn s!ould be
nurtured and encoura'ed - wit! all t!e ris+s and failures it entails(
.owever ) also believe it s!ould be encoura'ed and su$$orted for its own sa+e - for - and !ere
comes t!e fla'rant bias - it is t!e only really $ro'ressive cinema we !ave(
T!at7s t!e end of t!e 'eneral !aran'ue - all else ) !ave to say is muc! more $ersonal and !i'!ly
sub-ective(

G(
)rritated by ill-informed critics w!ose model of cinema is so fi*ed& $assive and conservative - for a
lon' time ) believed t!at t!ey s!ould be obli'ed to declare t!eir credentials& t!eir $edi'ree and t!eir
idea of cinema as a $reface to every $ublic statement t!ey made - t!us $uttin' into some $ers$ective
w!at came after(
#uc! advice s!ould be made a$$licable to me now(
1ccordin'ly& before discussin' eac! of t!ose twelve as$irations for a $ersonal cinema - ) s!ould
ma+e twelve bold declarations - si* of t!ese declarations are !istorical& four social and two
tem$eramental - an obsession wit! numerolo'y s!ould not disturb anyone - numerolo'y&
classification and ta*onomies are my cinema-$ractice7s second ma-or substance(((((
#o ((( ) am 5n'lis! ((( ) am a $roduct of t!e "9E07s& ) !ad a literary education& ) was trained as a
$ainter& ) entered t!e film industry by way of t!e documentary cuttin'-rooms& ) believe t!e 2estern
2orld7s 'reatest t!ousand movies !ave all be made c!ea$ly ((( and made by individuals and not
committees( ) believe t!at all films !ave eBual re$resentation in t!e 'reat cinema in t!e s+y( )
believe cinema is an artform and do not t!in+ t!at cinema is still t!e 'reat $o$ular medium of t!e
twentiet! century( My favourite contem$orary aut!or is 3or'es and my favourite contem$orary
$ainter is D3 4ita-(

.(
) am 5n'lis! and t!erefore allied - and associated - and an !eir to a lon' tradition of interest in
,atural .istory ((( some ecolo'ical res$onsibility and ((( certainly a romantic notion of landsca$e( 1
celebrated 5n'lis! contribution to 5uro$ean landsca$e is @t!e 5n'lis! 'arden@ - w!ereas t!e 8renc!
contrived a 'arden wit! mat!ematical $recision - fran+ and candid in its artificiality - t!e 5n'lis!
'arden - rollin' $ar+land& t!eatrically $laced 'rou$s of trees - rivers dammed to ma+e ornamental
la+es((( was an artificial affair but constructed to loo+ natural - desi'ned wit! studied ne'li'ence to
loo+ real - rat!er li+e t!e tradition of 5n'lis! film-ma+in' - t!e manufacture of artifice arran'ed in
t!e $ursuit of naturalism(
1lt!ou'! it is said t!at t!e 5n'lis! landsca$e !as been more $ainted& drawn - and now filmed - t!an
any ot!er landsca$e in 5uro$e - it is true t!at 5n'lis! culture !as always been - and still is - more
literary t!an $ainterly - on account of w!ic! - maybe - Trauffaut was ri'!t - if a little un'enerous -
in sayin' t!at @5n'lis! cinema is a contradictory term@(
) am 5n'lis! - and t!e 5n'lis! - 'enerally - do not feel comfortable wit! an @intellectual@ a$$roac!
to t!e world ((( maybe t!e @anti-intellectual@ stance would be more easily com$re!ensible if t!e
5n'lis! were not also allied to a tradition of $!le'matic understatement and irony - w!ic! are
decidedly cool attitudes ((( and to a reticence to demonstrate feelin' - but bot! t!e anti-
intellectualism and t!e reticence $robably come to'et!er to e*$lain w!y t!e 5n'lis! are su$$osedly
'ood at 'ames w!ic! conveniently mas+ and conceal demonstrative emotion under rules and
re'ulations ((((((( yet - it is a mar+ of t!eir irony t!at& !avin' invented t!e 'amesmans!i$& t!ey t!en
say t!at w!at7s im$ortant is not winnin' - but ta+in' $art (((( but t!at could a'ain be an attitude t!at
$revents disa$$ointment on losin' (((( anot!er concealment(((
) am a $roduct of t!e "9E07s (((( !istory ma+es t!e decades too tidy - for me t!e si*ties was only five
years lon' - "9E to "9E8( ) !ad discovered 5uro$ean cinema wit! 3er'man7s #event! #eal some
si* years before and ) virtually sto$$ed 'oin' to t!e cinema si* years after - about t!e time w!en
Godard went into self-im$osed ideolo'ical e*ile - but t!e five years of "9E to "9E8 contain )
su$$ose all t!e stron'est influences on my film-ma+in' $ractice - an introduction to t!e music of
Deic! and Glass - and t!e com$oser Mic!ael ,yman - a $ersonal re-discovery of 5n'lis!
landsca$e ((( es$ecially in 2ilts!ire w!ere all my earliest films were made ((( t!e creation of Tulse
Lu$er& t!e influence of Conce$tual 1rt& Land-1rt& t!e discovery of !eroes li+e D3 4ita-& 3or'es (((
t!e $urc!ase of a first camera and seein' .ollis 8ram$ton7s film Forns Lemma and 1lain Desnais7
film Last 6ear at Marienbad(
) !ad an ort!odo* literary education and a muc! lon'er unort!odo* one - wit! all t!e $itfalls( )
wanted to write - my early models were not 5n'lis! but 8renc! - es$ecially and initially Dobbe-
Grillet - w!ic! 'ave way to an ent!usiasm for list-ma+in' and ot!er devices t!at tend to subvert
narrative(((
) was trained as a $ainter& and still - as you may !ave noticed - !ave a !ealt!y res$ect for t!at
occu$ation ((( as a student - ) was accused of bein' too literary( ,ot bein' e*cited at ob-ective
observational e*ercises li+e life-drawin' - bein' im$atient at !avin' to ma+e t!in's loo+ real and
life-li+e - ) c!ose to $aint murals - an indication $er!a$s of wis!in' to create ima'es on a !u'e scale
- as on a !u'e screen - and ) s$ent nearly a year u$ a ladder on scaffold - not a situation of muc!
social $romise( ) am 'rateful t!at every sin'le mural ) $ainted !as now been $ainted out(
) started earnin' a livin' in t!e film industry by accident( T!e Central /ffice of )nformation is a
$eace-time continuation of t!e Crown 8ilm ?nit t!at virtually invented t!e word @documentary@
and s$awned film-ma+ers li+e Gennin's& Gierson and Cavalcanti( ) entered t!e film-industry t!rou'!
its cuttin' rooms - startin' at t!e bottom - em$tyin' t!e film-bins - and eventually became a film-
editor - cuttin' many t!ousand of feet of film a wee+ - ma+in' documentaries about every sub-ect
ima'inable - t!e a$$roac! was little s!ort of manufacturin' $ro$a'anda for t!e 3ritis! way of life
but t!e sub-ect matter was often bi%arre - and so cancelled out t!e -in'oism& renderin' it virtually
!armless and certainly often ma+in' it surreal( 1 fascination for e*otic statistics& non seBuitur
events and elaborate red !errin's started !ere - !owever - ) !ave never t!ou'!t t!at any red !errin'
is com$letely red ((((
) believe t!at t!e 2est7s 'reatest t!ousand movies of all time !ave been made c!ea$ly( T!ou'!
t!ere never could be any substantiation t!at all c!ea$ movies are 'ood - t!ere never !as been a
'uarantee t!at lar'e e*$enditure can ma+e Buality - in fact t!ere is tendency to believe t!at it erodes
it( ) believe t!at t!e most interestin' and valuable and influential films are made by individuals -
lar'e sums of money su''est too muc! relinBuis!in' of control - and t!erefore committee-made
films(
) believe t!at all films !ave eBual re$resentation in t!e 'reat cinema in t!e s+y( )t is not t!e money
or t!e lo'istics or t!e circumstances t!at ma+e t!e movie - but t!e ima'ination& ins$iration& vision
and conviction of t!e ma+er ((((( so it is reasonable to ma+e direct com$arison between t!e movies
of - say - #now& Desnais and #$ielber'( .avin' to $ay su$er-$ri%e money to bi' stars& !avin' to use
"Emm s!ort-ends& !avin' to ma+e a movie in five wee+s instead of five mont!s - are all no s$ecial
ban to bein' entered into a sin'le com$etition as far as Buality is concerned(

)(
)n "EE& t!e youn' sur'eon Mies van Co$t falls in love wit! a $air of +nees( T!ey belon' to a
woman in a $aintin' - @1 2oman 3at!in' in a #tream@ t!at !e sees in a lawyer7s !ouse w!ere it !as
been left as a credit-to+en( T!e youn' sur'eon ma+es an investi'ation and finds t!at t!e woman in
Buestion is t!e !ouse+ee$er of t!e $ainter of t!e $icture( .e finds out !er address and is about to
introduce !imself wit! a reasonable invented $rete*t w!en !e finds t!e $ainter7s front-door is
covered in blac+ cre$e( T!e woman is dead( #!e died suddenly( .er name was .endric+-e #toffels
and s!e was t!e mistress of a $ainter called Dembrandt van Di-n( T!e sur'eon is distrau'!t& !e
contrives to 'et !er body to a mor'ue on t!e assum$tion t!at !e will conduct an auto$sy(
Mies van Co$t is lavis!in' attention on t!e +nees and ot!er $arts of t!e anatomy of .endric+-e
#toffels w!en !e is interru$ted by Dembrandt w!o !as come to insist on bein' $resent at t!e
auto$sy( Tremblin' - t!e youn' man brin's !imself to brin' t!e +nife to t!e body& des$isin' bot!
!imself and Dembrandt for doin' so( .e is full of retros$ective -ealousy and !e !atc!es a $lot to
accuse Dembrandt of $oisonin' !is mistress( .e ma+es out a 'ood case t!at s!e was $oisoned by
bein' $ersuaded to swallow constituents of Dembrandt7s colours - es$ecially fla+e w!ite and burnt
umber( >an Co$t e*$eriments wit! t!e $i'ments - 'ivin' t!em to cats& do's and rats - t!ere are
accidents - !is sister7s c!ild falls ill(
T!e sur'eon - !el$ed by !is lawyer-friend - $resents !is case - it is acce$ted by t!e #tate
$rosecution(
/n t!e followin' day& w!ilst t!e sur'eon writes u$ !is notes in a room close to t!e mor'ue -
Dembrandt s+etc!es !im t!rou'! an o$en window( 1$$arently bearin' !im no ill will& Dembrandt
en'a'es t!e sur'eon in conversation - $er$le*in' and embarrassin' !im wit! !is friendliness(
T!e case 'oes a!ead( )n t!e court!ouse& Dembrandt is sombre and $!le'maticC !e s$ends !is time
drawin' t!e -ury( T!e -urors are deli'!ted( T!ere is not enou'! evidence to convict( Cleared of
sus$icion& Dembrandt returns !ome to nurse !is $rivate 'rief(
T!e miserable sur'eon is filled wit! remorse( .e decides to commit suicide( .e drin+s a concoction
of t!e $oisonous $i'ments and 'oes to t!e mor'ue w!ere !e lays !imself down tidily amon' t!e
cor$ses for t!e followin' day7s anatomy-lessons - a s!eet over !is !ead - !is toes tic+eted( T!e ne*t
day Dembrandt is $resent at t!e cuttin' u$ of !is body at a noisy anatomy-class(

4(
) want to see and ma+e films t!at are $re$ared to o$erate as muc! t!rou'! an a$$roac! to t!e
intellect as to an insistence on ma+in' emotional em$at!y wit! its audience(
T!e ma-ority tradition of 1merican - and 5n'lis! - and 5uro$ean cinema !as - by and lar'e - been
based on t!e ability and desire to tell a strai'!t story well( T!e core of t!is story-tellin' is t!e late
nineteen and twentiet! century novel wit! c!aracters o$eratin' on reco'nisable $syc!olo'ical
$atterns wit! an overall concern for morality - a morality t!at varies little from a resolution towards
'oodness( T!e 'enres of t!is cinema are lar'ely well-defined and t!e movin' force is $ractically
always ac!ieved t!rou'! emotional em$at!y(
2!ilst t!is !as been 'oin' on for some ei'!ty years& t!e ot!er arts of t!e 2est - !ave been
$ro'ressin' wit! ot!er t!in's - e*$lorin'& e*$andin'& bein' innovative& re'ardin' t!e moral
obli'ations of art from a !undred different an'les& brea+in' away from t!e old 'enres& inventin'
new ones - en'a'in' in Buestions of style& revitalisin' t!e various lan'ua'es - literary and non-
literary(
=ominant cinema $ersist in t!e idea& lar'ely ens!rined by t!e si'nificance of t!e system of actors
and actin' - t!at emotional identification is a necessary formula( Peo$le want - in t!e conventional
wisdom - to be @moved@ w!en t!ey 'o to t!e cinema - w!at do t!ey 'et0 - well - for t!e most $art -
t!ey 'et t!e familiar mani$ulative emotional cinema - t!ey 'et sentiment masBueradin' as emotion -
t!ey 'et well-!oned situations t!at massa'e $re-udices& t!at comfort by re$eatin' w!at is familiar -
$rovidin' t!e same reassurin' emotional e*$eriences by t!e same reco'nisable met!ods(((
1re t!ere alternatives0 /f course t!ere are( 2!at about a cinema t!at does not start wit!
@c!aracters@& t!at does not start wit! $lot - t!at does not brand itself in advance as a @wee$ie@ or a
comedy or a !orror-$icture or a t!riller0 )nstead of an e*clusive mass-a$$eal to emotional cat!arsis
- w!at about a cinema t!at ma+es an a$$eal to some rationality& some deli'!t in ideas& some
alternatives to feelin' everyt!in' - to t!in+in' somet!in'0 Cinema is not -ust a ve!icle for t!e
$erformance of actors - it is so muc! more t!an t!at - it o$erates as a total wor+ w!ere t!e
$erformance of actors and t!e $ossibility of emotional em$at!y are only a $art of t!e $attern of
t!in's(
)f t!ey believe t!at cinema is only a ve!icle for actors $retendin' to be real $eo$le in so-called real-
life situations - t!en ) believe t!at film-ma+ers and film-audiences settle for too little - t!ey are too
easily satisfied( Per!a$s t!eir e*$ectations would be better realised in t!e t!eatre( Cinema is not t!e
t!eatre - t!e t!eatre may e*clusively be t!e actor7s medium - t!e cinema is not - t!e cinema is a
'reat deal more t!an t!e sum of actor7s $erformances( 1ll $aintin' is not -ust $ortraiture(

L(
) want cinema to re'ard t!e audience as an intelli'ent ally and not $atronise it(
) was never very +een on t!ose t!eatre-e*$eriments w!ere t!e audience is su$$osed to $artici$ate Q
) am not very +een on t!ose t!eatre-in-t!e-round -obs w!ere $art of audience can loo+ at anot!er
$art of t!e audience - ) don7t $articularly li+e it w!en a film !as an interval and t!e li'!ts 'o u$( )
li+e to 'o to a cinema and sit in t!e seat one second before t!e film be'ins(((( and if it were $ossible
) would instantly leave t!e cinema t!e moment t!e film ended(
2!ic! is all to say t!at ) !ave no t!ou'!t of es$ecial camaraderie wit! an audience to t!e e*tent of
$rovo+in' it into any sort of discussion& ar'ument or debate( ) would li+e to res$ect t!e audience7s
ri'!t to t!eir own deliberation on t!e sub-ect(
T!e $ur$ose - my $ur$ose - is not didactic or educative - as some may t!in+ w!en a cinema of ideas
is mentioned( T!e cinema t!at ) en-oy to watc! and to ma+e - often wor+s on a sort of basis w!ic!
says - w!at !a$$ens if you $ut t!is idea wit! t!at one - consider t!e im$lications of t!is
$!enomenon wit! t!is attitude( .ow would t!is turn out if you did it li+e t!is0( /n one sort of level
- it is not unli+e a conversation - or in literary terms - a ruminative essay on a 'iven sub-ect wra$$ed
around a narrative - w!ic! !o$efully - entertains( 1nd entertains on all t!e cinematic levels
$ossible(
)n t!at sense& ) would li+e to re'ard an audience as an ally - a conversational ally - t!at is not
obli'ed to be @moved@& or mani$ulated or tric+ed or coerced into anyw!ere !e or s!e doesn7t want to
'o - t!at can retain some detac!ment from events - and can find evidence of a tone w!ic! says -
loo+ t!is is a film - a fabrication - w!ic! embraces all sorts of information a sub-ect for your
en-oyment( 2!at )7d $articularly li+e you to en-oy is visual& sensuous ima'es made u$ of li'!t -
w!ic! is t!e only true cinematic c!aracteristic - t!at is not i'norin' w!at ot!ers !ave said or
su''ested or done - in a world t!at is constantly fascinatin' and bi%arre ((((((((((( a'ainst t!is
bac+'round - !ere is a narrative - an artificial construct t!at !olds all t!e information to'et!er - not
so you s!ould only want to +now w!at !a$$ens - but be -ust as interested in !ow it !a$$ens (((((((((((
.owever - suc! a model for cinema is not too familiar(
) !ave watc!ed $eo$le leave t!e cinema w!en a film of mine is bein' s!own ((( and ) !ave observed
t!at t!ere are often t!ree se$arate audiences in one - t!e first $art of t!e audience - usually small -
leave very Buic+ly - maybe wit!in t!e first ten minutes - sometimes sooner - ) 'et t!e im$ression
t!at t!ey 'o strai'!t to t!e bo*-office and as+ for t!eir money bac+ - ) $resume - no doubt to
comfort my discomfort - t!at t!ey !ave some!ow been misinformed and !ave come into t!e wron'
cinema e*$ectin' somet!in' else(((
T!e second $art of t!e audience leave around 90 minute mar+ - about a t!ird of t!e way t!rou'! t!e
film - t!is must be around ten o7cloc+ on an evenin' $erformance - so ) comfort myself by
$resumin' t!at t!ey !ave a train to catc! or t!e baby-sitter won7t stay after "" o7cloc+ - w!ic! is
unli+ely because most audiences don7t need baby-sitters because t!ey !aven7t 'ot babies - because
t!ey are under 2: (((( t!is second 'rou$ is lar'er t!an t!e first lot and muc! more worryin' because
t!ey !ave obviously 'iven me t!e benefit of t!e doubt - and found t!e film seriously wantin' ((((
t!ey stayed until t!ey could obviously stay no lon'er( ) am convinced t!at t!ey are t!e most
dan'erous - because t!ey leave determined to tell everyone !ow bad t!e movie was and !ow t!ey
wal+ed out of it
T!e t!ird $art of t!e audience stay( 3ut by and lar'e ) still don7t +now !ow t!ey t!in+( ) remember
'oin' to a film w!ere t!e audience roc+ed wit! a$$reciative lau'!ter from start to finis! yet si*ty
$er cent of t!em returned a Buestionnaire sayin' t!at t!e movie was indifferent and t!ey would
$robably !ave for'otten it wit!in 29 !ours (((

M(
2!ere does t!e idea for a film come from0 T!e !istory of t!e cinema su''est t!at most of t!e ideas
come from ot!er art-forms - from t!e t!eatre - from t!e novel - from ot!er literary sources - diaries&
television ada$tations - even from o$era( T!e second lar'e cate'ory would be from bio'ra$!y -
fait!ful& unfait!ful or fictionalised( T!en from so-called real-life events (((( and t!en ((((
(((( and at a very small $ercenta'e of t!e total film s$ectrum - can t!ere be said to be ideas t!at are
conceived and fas!ioned entirely for t!e cinema( =oes t!is matter0 1fter all it is difficult to accredit
#!a+es$eare wit! an ori'inal $lot( ) t!in+ it does matter(
8irst of all it su''est t!at cinema continues to be a bastard art - unable to conceive its own material&
to 'ive birt! to its own c!ildren( #econdly& usin' material from ot!er art-forms unconsciously tends
to im$rint t!e cinema $roduct wit! aims& format and function of t!e ori'inal literary form - t!at is
w!y t!e ma-ority of cinema is constructed around t!e tellin' of a story t!rou'! $syc!olo'ically-
motivated c!aracters t!at is lifted w!ole!eartedly from t!e late "9t! century and early 20t! century
novel( =ominant 2estern cinema can be said to be t!e !istory of t!e illustrated& dramatised novel(
T!irdly - it is common wisdom t!at a 'ood boo+ rarely ma+es a 'ood film - so t!at a 'ood wor+ -
and if it is a 'ood wor+ t!en it must !ave de$ended on its success on its marria'e of form to content
to lan'ua'e and structure - is deconstructed from t!ose $arts it was 'ood in - it does not seem to me
a wort!w!ile -ob to do t!is - destroy t!e very reasons for its creative success - and it may Buite
$ossibly destroy t!e boo+7s value even furt!er - !ow muc! evidence is t!ere t!at a bad or indifferent
film can destroy t!e readers!i$ of a 'ood boo+0
T!e sim$lest answer as to w!y cinema is arran'ed li+e t!is - is mainly to do wit! minimisin' ris+s
on a +nown and calculable $ro-ect or ca$italisin' on a $roduct t!at already !as ac!ieved success( )f
t!is wasn7t demoralisin' enou'! for cinema((( muc! more disa$$ointin' is t!e fact t!at writers do
not seem to want to write directly for t!e cinema - or if t!ey do - t!ey do so in an attitude of some
$atrona'e - sim$ly and often cynically to ma+e money( T!ere is also a curious anta'onism - more
t!en once ) !ave !eard a screen-writer com$lain wit! some ve!emence t!at !is screen-$lay was
badly or indifferently filmed - and it was t!e last time !e was 'oin' to write for someone else to
direct - t!e result - t!e writer 'oes bac+ to t!e novel - sells t!e novel-ri'!ts to ma+e a film and film
is $oorer and be!olden a'ain to literature(
=oes cinema !ave to start wit! t!e written word at all0 =oes t!e cinema need writers0 Godard
su''ested t!at scri$ts were only 'ood for $roducers to raise money( 5m$loyin' a writer - certainly
ma+es a film-director a different animal - $er!a$s only an animal w!o inter$rets - and not a $rimary
creator - a conductor and not a com$oser(

,(
T!e cinema !as been around for some ninety-odd years and - certainly in t!e 2est - s!ows many
si'ns of decay( ,inety-odd years is a 'ood s$an of time for an art-form - about t!e len't! of "9t!
century fresco $aintin' - about t!e len't! of t!e Golden 1'e of =utc! easel $aintin' - bot! of w!ic!
relate intimately to a $olitical and social success of a certain +ind - w!en t!e !istory of cinema is
written - will it too been seen to be lin+ed to a $olitical and social success of a certain +ind(
1rt-movements seem to obey - li+e everyt!in' else - t!e ort!odo* laws - conce$tions& birt!&
adolescence& maturity& senility and deat! - and t!e si'ns of decay are always similar( T!ere are
always certain common c!aracteristics( T!in+in' $rimarily of t!e visual arts includin' arc!itecture -
t!e c!aracteristics are - t!e mass de$arture of $o$ular interest& a 'eneral com$lacency at t!e centre
of t!in's& a s!rill and often bad-tem$ered nostal'ia& a re$etition of motifs and a tendency to
decorate and embellis! rat!er t!an invent& costlier and more costlier $roductions as tou'! to
com$ensate for invention& entrenc!ed anta'onism to new ways of t!in+in'& a movement towards
'rosser and 'rosser forms& a $eculiar $aroc!ialism at t!e centre of t!in's so t!at more $ower is !eld
by less so$!isticated $ersonalities& no new tec!nical innovations - restrictive $ractices and
Ludditism to $rotect w!at7s already t!ere& financial losses sustained by diversification and 'rowt! of
$arasites - 'rowin' bodies of critics and t!eorists and do'matist on t!e increase - turnin' t!e art into
$olitics& settin' u$ $olarised cam$s& ma+in' t!in's res$ectable& inventin' $rivate lan'ua'es& settin'
u$ academic bodies (((
((( many of t!ese si'ns are $resent in contem$orary film culture - it would be entertainin' to t!in+
t!em all t!rou'! wit! e*am$les - li+e .ollywood s$endin' vast sums of money in t!e belief t!at
costlier movies are 'ood e*!ibitions ventures - li+e t!e ceilin' of Doman 3aroBue c!urc!es in t!e
last t!roes of t!e Counter-Deformation - swirlin' wit! twenty t!ousand e*tras in a strained attem$t
to convince t!e world it +nows best (((((
T!ree c!aracteristics are s$ecially relevant and interestin' - t!e e*odus of t!e $o$ular vote& a new
tec!nolo'y and t!e 'rowt! of t!e $arasites ((( t!e last is t!e least im$ortant and t!e most ironical -
and t!e one we can be most amused by ((((
)n 3ritain t!ere now e*ists more film festivals t!an t!ere !as ever been before& more educational
centres for film& more newly-invented film-studies curriculums for official state e*aminations - suc!
t!at fourteen-year olds can study in de$t! - movies t!at you would !ave to be "8 to see in t!e
cinema ((( and a move to ens!ine t!e dyin' film-culture in t!e buildin' of museums - li+e t!e
recently-o$ened London Museum of t!e Movin' )ma'e for e*am$le - $er!a$s a sure si'n of t!e
$arasites arran'in' t!emselves around a deat!bed(
T!e $roliferation of film festivals in t!e 2est - wit! an almost $ro$ortional decrease in cinemas (((
is an e*traordinary and $eculiar $!enomenon - and not -ust a little cynical - w!ere towns and cities
and ban+s and institutions are usin' film as an ad-unct to t!eir tourist activities - it7s now $ossible
for a film-director wit! a tolerably 'ood festival-film to travel t!e world - wit! all e*$enses $aid -
from festival to festival wit!out ever touc!in' !ome-'round (((( discussin' !is film - wit! !el$ of
translators - in t!irty different lan'ua'es - meetin' mayors and aldermen and Ministers of Culture
and arts-administrators and $olice-c!iefs and $oliticians - even $rime Ministers - w!o couldn7t tell a
Godard from a 8ellini (((( but always - always - accom$anied by t!e same travellin' circus of
international film-critics and film-e*$erts and film--ournalists and film-culture $arasites ((((((
3ut t!e connection between t!e e*odus of t!e $o$ular vote and t!e new tec!nolo'y is t!e crucial
centre of t!e $!enomenon - to'et!er t!ey are not actively stabbin' t!e $atient but -ust $re$arin' to
let !im waste away t!rou'! starvation ((( but does it matter0 ) would say $erversely - and loudly - in
t!e lon' run - ,o - it does not( ) certainly want to continue to create movin' ima'es t!at are bi''er
t!an !uman scale - t!at are a wra$-around $!enomenon in t!e dar+ - minor s$ectacles t!at en'ulf
you wit! ima'e and sound - but w!at is im$ortant is not t!e details or t!e met!od of t!e tec!nolo'y
- w!at is im$ortant is t!e inventive and innovative desire to ma+e ima'es t!at inter$ret t!e world in
some fas!ion( T!is activity will inevitably continue - and t!e c!ances are t!at t!e vocabulary to do
t!is will increase( T!e vocabulary !as been increasin' since Lauscau* - ) see no reason now w!y it
s!ould 'o into reverse because t!e cinema is dyin' ((((
((((( w!ic! is all to say - t!at cinema is no more - and no less - t!an $art of t!e develo$ment of t!e
lon' $ursuit of $!iloso$!ic s$eculation of t!e world t!rou'! visual means ((( and t!at it must ta+e its
$lace in t!at continuity - so t!at we can consider its best $roducts as furt!er e*am$les in t!at
tradition - so t!at - for e*am$le - we can feel easy about ma+in' Bualitative com$arisons between
Dembrandt7s ,i'!twatc! and 5isenstein7s )van t!e Terrible(
?;
/(
1 ric! and fat =utc! merc!ant dealin' in s$ices& a$!rodisiacs& bulbs& saffron and sil+ is fascinated
by t!e small animals t!at return accidentally wit! !is car'o marmosets& $arrots& toads& butterflies(
.e +ee$s t!em on board& loo+in' after t!em wit! 'reat dili'ence and affection& a$$re!ensive t!at
t!e $ort aut!orities will as+ t!at t!ey be destroyed( T!e merc!ant !as a demandin' wife w!o waits
im$atiently for t!e car'oes to come in and ta+es t!e best sil+s and furs as soon as t!e s!i$ doc+sC it
is lar'ely t!rou'! !er money and !er dowry t!at t!e merc!ant !as $ros$ered - !e is fearful t!at s!e
will scorn !is small mena'erie(
T!e merc!ant secretly $ays and encoura'es !is subordinates to brin' !im bac+ more animals -
w!ic! !e tem$orarily $uts in a Buayside loc+-u$ until !e can s$irit t!em away to !is !idden %oo
outside .aarlem( .e is c!eated and e*tortionately fleeced by t!e car'o-masters - but !e is so
en'rossed - !e eit!er doesn7t notice - or !e doesn7t care(
8rom collectin' !armless e*otics !e ta+es to collectin' lar'er mon+eys and t!en $rimates( /n one
return of car'o - t!ere is a s$ecial s$ecimen awaitin' !im - !e warily a$$roac!es its ca'e in t!e !old
of an old and lea+y s!i$ Q itRs a $y'my( .e is fascinated - !e be'ins to s$end lar'e sums of money
on $erilous adventures to collect furt!er s$ecimens - e*otic natives - 'iraffe-nec+ed women - obese
3antu( .e soon !as a considerable collection in ca'es - a re$re!ensible activity - but in !is own
li'!ts - !e treats t!em wit! 'reat care and 'entleness( )n !is credulity !e is $resented wit! fa+e
@wildmen@ - va'rants blac+ened wit! $itc! and tannin'-oil( =es$ite all !is $recautions - !is
lascivious& 'reedy wife discovers !is collection - and ta+es an un!ealt!y interest(
T!e merc!ant becomes !o$elessly entan'led - $ayin' blac+mails to various $eo$le for fear of
discovery( #ome of !is animals are t!reatened and several are stolen and drowned( .is wife 'ets
mauled and is affected wit! a com$romisin' disease t!at +ee$s !er in noisy misery(
/ne day in des$air - !is funds almost de$leted - wit! t!e last $ossibility of stayin' solvent in !is
'ras$ - a silent s!i$ comes in - wit! a small crew - t!e car'o is for !im - !e $arts wit! !is last
mort'a'e-$ossibility - t!ere is not!in' in t!e s!i$ (((( !e searc!es - convinced !e !as been c!eated(
1t t!e bac+ of t!e !old - !e finds a unicorn s!inin' in t!e dar+( .e watc!es it - a rare animal - so
rare one !as never been cau'!t before(
)n t!e mornin'& t!e merc!ant is 'one - a !u'e !ole !as been bro+en t!rou'! t!e side timbers of t!e
s!i$( )n t!e dawn sunli'!t - t!e fat merc!ant is seen ridin' away across t!e water on t!e unicorn(

P(
T!ere are still t!ose w!o say cinema is -ust an entertainment medium devised to w!ile away leisure
time( T!ere are ot!er w!o say cinema is an art - but t!en says it7s $retentious w!en it attem$ts to
tac+le somet!in' t!ey would be $erfectly !a$$y to $ay attention to in t!e t!eatre(
Cinema is always $retentious - a film is never real - but a 'ame of $retence t!at t!e audience !as
a'reed to $lay w!en it willin'ly e*c!an'es money for a tic+et for a seat(
) would feel !a$$ier wit! t!e $re-udices of t!e first cate'ory t!an wit! t!e slo$$y-t!in+in' of t!e
second(
Menno ter 3raa+ said t!at - @t!e sim$lest t!in's !ave to be said in an embarrassin'ly loud manner@(
Per!a$s a better t!in' to do - is not to s!out - since t!at $robably eit!er fri'!tens or anta'onises -
but to +ee$ re$eatin' t!e sim$lest t!in's - @Cinema is an art@ - and $ersistently $rove t!is truism by
ma+in' 'ood e*am$les(

H(
) want to see films t!at are desi'ned to !ave a lon'er screen life t!an si* mont!s and can be
infinitely and re$eatedly viewable wit! $rofit(
1 $roducer !as said t!at if an audience cannot com$letely understand a movie t!e first time round -
t!en t!e movie !as failed( ) am not for movies t!at deliberately mystify for t!e sa+e of bein'
difficult but ) am intri'ued by films t!at 'ive t!eir meanin' u$ slowly(
T!e cinema - once u$on a time - used to be arran'ed so t!at you could sit in your seat all evenin'
and watc! t!e film 'o around t!ree times - ) sometimes antici$ated wit! 'reat deli'!t t!e $ros$ect
of doin' -ust t!at( )7d li+e to ma+e a movie w!ere an audience would be $leased to stay and watc!
t!ree times over in one sittin'(
De$eated listenin' is im$ortant - even necessary - for t!e success of muc! music( Poetry is desi'ned
for multi$le re-readin's( ,ovels are reread( T!e second and t!e t!ird and maybe t!e fourt! time of
readin' a boo+ or viewin' a film are not necessarily t!e same e*$eriences( To watc! a film from t!e
start - !avin' already seen it all t!e way t!rou'! - is a different e*$erience t!at seein' it t!rou'! t!e
first time(
T!e sim$le advice 'iven of course - is buy or rent t!e video - and t!en reviewin' is $ainless and
unlimited - but ) t!in+ if a film is desi'ned for t!e bi'-screen - t!at t!at is t!e $lace w!ere it s!ould
be seen(

D(
1s a w!ole cinema ta+es few ris+s - it could be described as a conservative medium( 2!en t!e ris+s
are ta+en - t!ey almost certainly are in content - never in structure& rarely in style - t!e
$syc!olo'ical story-tellin' mode - event followed by investi'ation into cause or c!aracters
e*amined to find motive - is ever $resent - von 4leist is not a favourite aut!or - and t!e style is
realism - wit! maybe t!ree de'rees of e*$eriment $ermitted on eit!er side - in dominant cinema -
le'itimate stylism is $ermitted wit! music only ((((
- t!e ris+ in content - a little more se* - a little blas$!emy a new social issue $reviously taboo - !ave
$robably be t!orou'!ly e*$lored years before - $robably in t!e novel or t!e $lay t!at t!e films
s$rin's from in t!e first $lace - !ordes of t!e ri'!teous would never $ic+et t!e boo+s!o$s li+e t!ey7d
$ic+et t!e cinemaA Cinema will normally only ta+e t!e ris+ after t!e ris+ !as been ta+en for t!em (((
) !ave found t!at television - 3ritis! television - and not only C!annel four - !ave ta+en far more
ris+s t!an t!e cinema is $re$ared to - and ris+s in style and structure - )ronically of course - t!e
$roduct of t!ose ris+s $robably reac!es a far lar'er audience t!an $roduct in t!e cinema - so a'ain
w!y s!ould cinema ta+e t!e ris+s - if television will ta+e t!em for t!em - anot!er e*am$le of !ow
t!e bitin' ed'e !as been ta+en away from cinema ((((

#(
T!e cinema - more t!an any ot!er art - is an artifice& a tric+& an artificial affair& a slei'!t-of-!and& an
illusory activity ((( and t!e mec!anics of t!at illusion - unless you are very innocent or unobservant -
are $atently obvious( 1s you sit in t!e cinema you can see !ow t!at illusion is manufactured - as
t!at beam of li'!t travels above your !ead and !its t!e screen(
Com$ared to t!is tric+ery - t!e t!eatre or t!e ballet or t!e o$era will always 'ive you at t!e very
centre of t!e wor+ - fles! and blood - com$lete wit! !uman dimensions t!at are reco'nisable and
$al$able and frail( Paintin'& scul$ture& literature will always 'ive you finite ob-ects to touc!& !old
and !old on to - to $review at your own $ace and in your own time(
1nd yet t!e collusion between t!e tric+s of li'!t in a dar+ened s$ace and t!e $artici$ation of an
audience is $robably never 'reater in any ot!er art form( 1 lar'e 'rou$ of $eo$le - often t!ousands
stron' - a'ree to sus$end disbelief and $lay t!e 'ame - a 'ame now learnt over 92 years and 9: days
if we count from Lumiere7s first s!owin' of t!at railway locomotive on t!e 28t! =ecember "89: (((
so t!at collectively as an audience we +now t!e rules - and t!e collection of rules are very& very
so$!isticated( 2e do not move to 'et out of t!e way of Lumiere7s train as t!at first audience is
su$$osed to !ave done& we do not worry for e*am$le& t!at wit!in !alf a second a woman can be a
Buarter of a mile a way and t!en so close you couldn7t !ide !er mout! wit! a double-dec+er bus (((
or worry t!at a woman wit! an face t!at bi' would be ei'!ty metres away from !er feet(
1'reein' to sit in t!e dar+ and face in one direction for anyt!in' u$ to two !ours are t!e t!ree
sim$lest rules in t!e 'ame of cinema - t!e screed of necessary re'ulations and conventions and rules
to obey and observe after t!at - would fill a rule boo+ as lar'e as a tele$!one directory(
2it! suc! artifice at sta+e and suc! a so$!isticated 'ame to be $layed - w!y $ut it at t!e service of
reality w!en you can e*$erience reality by touc!in' t!e man or t!e woman in t!e seat beside you or
by sim$ly wal+in' out of t!e cinema into t!e street0
) en-oy t!ose films ((( and wis! to manufacture t!ose films ((( t!at are w!olly film wor+s ((( films
t!at ac+nowled'e t!eir own artifice ((( t!at self refle*ively demonstrate t!eir artificiality - t!at do
not $retend to be a window-on-t!e-world or a slice-of-life but ac+nowled'e and acce$t t!at w!at
t!ey are is only a film and not!in' more t!an a film ((( t!at $lays w!ole!eartedly t!e 'ame of
cinema( T!is sort of film !as 'reat self-+nowled'e and obeys t!e #o$!oclean in-unction to @+now
t!yself@( To do t!at is to $lay t!e audience t!e bi''est com$liment $ossible(

T(
) remember bein' very irritated and disa$$ointed w!en ) first saw a feature film of mine on
broadcast television( T!e film !ad been devised and constructed and manufactured very e*$licity
for t!e cinema and t!e television screen did not at all serve it well(
=es$ite careful and sym$at!etic transference of t!e film to video ta$e for television transmission -
muc! was inevitable lost( #tylistic use of symmetry was disturbed& careful colour-codin' was
coarsened( ,i'!t-scenes disa$$eared into a blue-'rey 'loom& blac+s became 'rey( T!e overall
deliberate static Buality of t!e s!ots became unsatisfactory since w!at was t!ere to be loo+ed at and
e*amined and s$eculated on - was basically invisible(
.owever - to com$lain is to waste everyone7s time - and t!e lesson in some ways is now understood
- t!ere is not!in' to be 'ained from ab!orrin' t!e differences between t!e two media( ) believed at
t!at time t!at if t!e cinema !ad t!e full use of t!e w!ole ran'e of t!e al$!abet - all t!e consonants
and all t!e vowels - t!e television was only allowed t!e vowels - ) !ave since understood t!is to be a
very unsatisfactory analo'y - because t!e two media !ave different sets of vocabularies& almost
different synta*es and certainly a different 'rammar(
T!e television screen - and t!is must mean t!e avera'e domestic television screen sittin' in t!e
corner of t!e livin'-room wit!out stereo-sound - $refers t!e close-u$& is uneasy about dee$ blac+&
doesn7t li+e bri'!t reds& cannot co$e wit! movin' bri'!t li'!ts a'ainst blac+ness& is very
sym$at!etic to camera movement& cannot 'uarantee symmetry& cannot readily convey really
com$le* sound-trac+s - is not 'ood at !oldin' to'et!er sudden e*tremes of colour and tonal
contrast(
T!e ma-ority of films are now - sooner or later - seen on television - television $ays for t!eir
manufacture - directly or indirectly(
ConseBuently it is no sur$rise t!at many film-ma+ers now ma+e t!e cinema $roduct wit! an eye to
its a$$earance on t!e T> screen - t!e com$ositions are arran'ed to always fill t!e centre of t!e
screen - a television safe cut-off area is mar+ed out on t!e camera view-finder - a restless camera is
$referred to a static one - bri'!tly-lit close-u$s are carefully modelled a'ainst contrastin'
bac+'rounds - t!ere is t!e strictest minimum of wide-s!ots - ni'!t-scenes are invariably
e*trava'antly overlit - e*trava'ant amounts of detailin' is curtailed( 1 new s$ecial lan'ua'e is
develo$in' for drama on T> - it is curiously li+e a s!ort!and(
1 com$etition is !eld every year for t!e most successful renderin' of Dembrandt7s $aintin' of t!e
,i'!twatc! as a live tableau( 1ny 'rou$ of $eo$le can enter - and mostly t!ey are amateur t!eatrical
clubs& yout!-or'anisations& city-'uilds and art-a$$reciation societies( T!e rules are severe and t!e
-ud'es are very strict - as befits t!e live reconstruction of a national asset( T!e $ri%e is modest - t!e
+udos of winnin' is t!e main benefit( T!e aim of t!e com$etition is to re$roduce wit! its twenty-
five-odd c!aracters as e*actly as $ossible - w!ic! is not necessarily t!at easy - since t!ere are many
dar+ and ambi'uous areas in t!e $aintin' and some ima'ination is reBuired to fill t!em
sym$at!etically( T!e final tableau !as to be !eld for t!ree minutes and it is not enou'! -ust to 'et
t!e $oses& costumes and accessories correct - but to ac!ieve t!e s$irit of t!e $iece& its li'!tin' and
its mood( 1not!er added conundrum was t!at t!e $aintin' !as been cut down from its ori'inal si%e
and two narrow stri$s of canvas !ave been lost or destroyed( Mar+s are added to t!e score for t!e
tableau w!ic! most sym$at!etically recreates t!e two narrow side-stri$s(
1ll +inds of $ersonal academic animosities& t!eatrical bitc!iness& t!ievin' of $ro$s& artistic traumas
- are usual c!aracteristics of t!e com$etition( /ne year - amon'st four ot!er entries& t!ree
a''ressively com$etin' t!eatrical 'rou$s clas! dramatically - t!ere are fi'!ts and bloody noses( /n
t!e day of t!e com$etition - durin' t!e silent t!ree-minute sta'in' of all t!e 'rou$s in t!e 'reat !all
- t!ere is a $istol-s!ot and one of t!e com$etitors - in t!e tableau t!at most deserves to win - lies
dyin'(
1n investi'ation at once ta+es $lace and it soon becomes a$$arent t!at it is far from an easy
mystery to solve( ,ot only are t!ere many $eo$le im$ersonatin' t!e same c!aracters from t!e
$aintin' - but an e*amination of t!e various life-!istories of t!e !istorical fi'ures of t!e $aintin'
becomes necessary( 5ventually t!e murderer is narrowed down to one of t!e fi'ures in t!e missin'
side-$anels - but it becomes clear t!at no-one can be convicted because t!e essential evidence of t!e
ori'inal missin' side-$anels is necessary and t!ey !ave been lost years a'o( 1nd yet ((((

>(
) first started ma+in' films at a time w!en many inde$endent film-ma+ers in ,ort!ern 5uro$e and
1merica and Canada were concerned wit! creatin' a non-narrative cinema - most of w!om
incidentally were in some way su$$orted or indebted to t!e activities of t!e late GacBues Ledou* of
t!e 3el'ian Cinemat!eBue(
#ome would say t!at t!e !istory of 5uro$ean culture in t!e 20t! century !as been an e*$eriment in
denyin' t!e art forms t!eir life-blood - music wit!out !armony& $aintin' wit!out fi'uration - t!e
non-narrative cinema of t!e early si*ties was $er!a$s now tryin' to do t!e same - cinema wit!out
narrative( )t was doin' t!is - for $ositive reasons - it was reactin' a'ainst t!e two dominant
c!aracteristics of cinema - t!e buildin' of a film around t!e actor and around t!e $lot(
To t!row t!e narrative out was to t!row away t!e cement& t!e bindin'- structure t!at !olds t!e
material to'et!er - so some ot!er device or structure !ad to be found to re$lace it( #ome film-
ma+ers turned to music w!ic! seemed a c!eat since t!e structure would t!en be someone else7s -
some loo+ed for more universal structures - frame counts& time counts - eBuations between film-
time and real-time followin' Godard7s 8 2 T T 8 8 # dictum t!at 8ilm 2as Trut! Twenty-8our
8rames a #econd - t!ere7s a metronomic structure based on some .oly 2rit of cinema( ((((
) - alon' wit! ot!ers - used number counts& re$etitive cycles& sim$le eBuations& various symmetries&
and of course - wryly - t!e al$!abet( T!e al$!abet !as become t!e structurin' device of 2estern
academic& $olitical& social and bureaucratic life( 2e are all $laced in t!e universal order of
civilisation accordin' to t!e initials of our surname(
) soon realised t!at ) !ad limited use for a non-narrative universe - even if it could be constructed -
w!ic! ) doubt - since anyt!in' t!at moves t!rou'! time could be said to !ave a narrative(
.owever - t!ese e*$eriments in neutral structural form stayed wit! me and are im$ortant to me still
- because t!at way ) need not be e*clusively in t!e t!rall of narrative w!ic! ) !ave always found to
be an e$!emeral t!in' anyway - ca$able of ta+in' you anyw!ere wit!out desi'n - w!y !ave t!ree
c!aracters w!en you can !ave four 0 - w!y +ee$ t!e !ero alive w!en you can +ill !im0
T!e abstract neutral structures are li+e tem$lates for a 'rand desi'n - on w!ic! li+e 'ra$!-lines
c!arted on a 'rid - we can $resent any life& information or $ro$osition(
) en-oy t!ose art-wor+s w!ere t!e marria'e between content and form are demonstrably s!own to be
in balance - w!ere t!e form is in evidence s!owin' t!rou'! t!e bones of t!e content - li+e t!e rib-
ca'e of t!e cow t!at !olds and s!a$es t!e animal but does not e*clude your attention to it - ) en-oy
t!at ri'our ((( and am irritated and disa$$ointed by t!e subservience of so muc! film to slo$$y&
amblin'& amor$!ous structure(
22
2(
1s you may !ave 'uessed - ) ta+e a 'reat deli'!t in $aintin'( )t re$resents for me - amon' muc! else
- an enormous fund& as 'ood as bein' in e*!austible - of $roblems and solution( 5very sort of
$roblem and every sou'!t of solution( 1dmittedly t!ere is no sound - or at least t!ere wasn7t until
Dausc!enber' introduced a transistor-radio in to a $aintin' in "9:9 - a rare e*$eriment and not on
t!e w!ole $ursued(
T!e $roblems embrace every branc! of e*$erience - and eac! $roblem $osed !as been solved in
some way - ot!erwise you wouldn7t !ave t!e $aintin'( T!is activity !as been carried out by
individuals wor+in' alone and for t!e most $art in unc!arted waters( 6ou may say t!at t!ere !ave
been e*am$les of more t!an one $ainter wor+in' on a sin'le canvas - but t!ey are almost as rare -
com$aratively - as Dausc!enber'7s transistor-radio(
3y and lar'e it is t!e most successful solutions t!at !ave survived for $aintin' !as Buite strict
disci$lines( Paintin's - unli+e arc!itecture or literature - are easily dis$osed of $!ysically - and if
t!ey do not in some measure solve t!e solution t!ey set t!emselves - in t!e end and before very lon'
- t!ey 'et lost& t!ey disa$$ear - t!ou'! - li+e small coins and !air$ins - no one may consciously see
t!em 'o (((((
T!e $roblems t!at a $ainter is set or sets !imself can be social ((( $olitical& reli'ious& educational (((
or $ersonal - cat!artic& erotic& narcissistic (((( tec!nical - Buestions of re$resentation& accuracy and
lo'istics (((( aest!etic ((((
T!ere is at least two t!ousand years of evidence of findin' solutions of !ow to boost a monarc!7s
status& de$ict a reli'ious e*$erience& ma+e a wors!i$able icon& stimulate $atriotic t!ou'!ts& ma+e a
fat man t!inner& a small town taller& a wealt!y man res$onsible and a be''ar di'nified& !ow to fi*
an e$!emeral landsca$e or a flower or a face& !ow to stimulate se*ual a$$etite or cool it& !ow to
s!ow distance& e$itomise 'eometry& e*$lain 'eo'ra$!y& !ow to sit ei'!t $eo$le around a dinin'-
table so t!at every face can be seen - !ow to (((((((
((((( and all t!ese solutions are immediately tan'ible as ob-ects - t!ey are $!ysical and visible - t!ey
can be !eld and touc! and t!e viewer can c!oose !is or !er own time in w!ic! to view t!em ( (
1lt!ou'! of course often t!e lan'ua'e needs studyin' - t!ey are never com$letely incom$re!ensible
li+e #ans+rit #even& /ld 3abylonian& .artilease Linea 3 or Tasmanian or for t!at matter - li+e
=utc! to an 5n'lis!man t!at !asn7t learnt =utc! - =utc! $aintin's are readily com$re!ensible to
5n'lis!men(
2!at is $articularly e*itin' is t!at very& very few $aintin's by t!eir nature are linear - t!at is to say
Q very& very few $aintin's are not tellin' t!e viewer many t!in's at one and t!e same time(

P(
) am aware - as ) am sure t!at you are too - t!at t!e sort of cinema under descri$tion is riddled wit!
$arado*es and c!aracteristics t!at seem scarcely reconcilable(
T!e first $arado*( ) believe t!ere is muc! evidence to su''est t!at t!e cinema is dyin' - yet ) want
to continue to ma+e films for t!e cinema( .ow do ) reconcile t!at0
T!e second $arado*( T!e cinema t!at will su$$ort smaller and more - inde$endent movie-ma+in' is
financed very lar'ely t!rou'! television - indirectly t!rou'! t!e current state of t!e film-distribution
system w!ic! needs forei'n television transmission finance - and very directly t!rou'! direct
television fundin' su$$ort( 1lt!ou'! t!ere are $ro-ects t!at ) am ma+in' and would li+e to continue
to ma+e e*clusively for t!e small screen - ) do not want to ma+e feature films t!at are made&
com$osed and scaled e*clusively for t!e small screen(
1 t!ird $arado*( ) want to ma+e a $ersonal-si'nature cinema w!ic! !as no 'uaranteed res$onse at
t!e bo*-office - but ) want to ma+e it wit! all t!e $rofessionalism and e*$ertise and vocabulary t!at
can be e*$ected of t!e fully funded dominant cinema ((( and in a basically conservative medium t!at
believes t!e cinema is a ve!icle for $syc!olo'ical drama and linear narrative& ) want to ta+e all
manner of ris+s - in content& in structure& in style& in $rovocation& in s$eculation(
.ow can t!ese $arado*es be reconciled0
1n interru$tion for a vowel - t!e letter 6(
66
6(
1 reli'ious melodrama(
/n t!e ni'!t of a comet w!en t!e wells are miraculously full of sweet water& assisted by t!ree
su$erstitious $easant midwives& a son is born wit!out effort to a saddler7s wife in t!e u$$er rooms of
a town !ouse in #c!innen( T!e afterbirt! is s$ec+led wit! 'old(
T!e birt! of suc! a beautiful& !ealt!y c!ild to a 9;-year old& $lain women wit! a lar'e $ur$le
birt!mar+ on !er face is seen as somet!in' of a miracle( Gossi$ su''ests t!at s!e is not t!e mot!er
of t!e c!ild at all(
T!e woman !as t!ree dau'!ters of "8& ": and " w!o at once idolise t!eir baby brot!er - and t!e
fat!er - only modestly successful as a saddle-manufacturer is feted for t!is a$$arent fecundity( 1
wet nurse is em$loyed for t!e c!ild because t!e mot!er is unable to feed it(
T!e $roud sisters and t!e fat!er and t!e midwives - a'ainst t!e mot!er7s wis!es - $arade t!e
beautiful baby in t!e streets as a talisman of fecundity( Gullible $easants touc! t!e baby and
sBuabble over $ossessin' its urine-soa+ed swaddlin'(
T!e success and $o$ularity of t!e event 'ives ideas to t!e eldest sister - and s!e $lans to e*$loit t!e
situation - es$ecially w!en s!e is 'iven money by a wealt!y c!ildless women to collect a $!ial of
t!e c!ild7s s$ittle( #!e conseBuently rents t!e c!ild out to bless !ouses wit! fecundity( #oon t!e
c!ild is in demand at weddin's and conce$tions& by t!e a$ot!ecary for a$!rodisiacs& by t!e maimed
to be blessed( =ressed in elaborate clot!in' and sat on a t!rone in t!e local cat!edral& t!e c!ild is
$araded around t!e outlayin' villa'es by t!e "8-year old w!o now wears fine clot!es and loo+s -
Buite consciously - li+e an ima'e of t!e >ir'in Mary( T!e c!ild blesses orc!ards and nut-'roves&
fields& stables& $i'-yards& new roads& windmills& dy+es - even c!ic+en-runs( T!e local c!urc! is
sce$tical - es$ecially so in t!e $erson of a $riest and !is ille'itimate neurotic son w!o is trainin' for
t!e $riest!ood(
T!e "8-year old sister is so successful s!e be'ins to claim t!at t!e c!ild is !ers - s!e almost
com$letely convinces !erself( T!en s!e be'ins to ma+e claims for a vir'in-birt! for w!ic! s!e is
ridiculed( #!e $ermits a $ublic e*amination of !erself to enforce !er claim w!ic! is !alf-believed by
t!e credulous - and after failin' to bribe t!e wet-nurse to 'o alon' wit! !er $lans& s!e intimidates
!er& +ee$in' !er under loc+ and +ey( T!e wet nurse is now t!e only $erson w!o !as t!e c!ild7s true
welfare at !eart(
T!e "8-year old sister arro'antly taunts and ar'ues wit! t!e conceited and sce$tical $riest7s son and
t!en 'radually falls in love wit! !im( #!e dreams of some ima'e of .oly married but carnal bliss -
wit! !im as Gose$!( 3ut s!e is in a Buandary - because !e does not believe !er story of vir'in-birt!
and could not consider marryin' a deflowered vir'in(
T!e 'irl is now ric! - t!e t!ree sisters $arade in fine clot!es causin' -ealousy and enmity( T!e "8-
year old be!aves li+e a Bueen - but to 'et t!e $riest7s son to marry !er - s!e finally tells !im t!at t!e
c!ild is not !er mot!er7s - ta+in' !im to see !er mot!er in w!at by now is virtual im$risonment( T!e
mot!er - fallen into a decline and old $assed !er years is unconvincin' $roof( T!e $riest7s son now
believes t!e c!ild is t!e sister7s but t!at s!e must !ave w!ored to conceive it - conseBuently !e treats
!er li+e one - wit! t!e c!ild as silent witness( #oon after !e is 'ored by a cow in labour - an ironical
deat! not missed by t!e sce$tical( T!e "8-year old is distrau'!t - t!e c!urc! t!in+s t!at s!e is a
witc! - t!e villa'es t!in+ s!e is e*$loitin' t!e c!ild - and t!e c!ild is ta+en from !er and $laced in
t!e care of t!e wet-nurse under t!e 'uidance of t!e c!urc!(
T!e c!urc! be'ins to ca$italise on its asset - sellin' t!e babyRs bodily fluids for e*orbitant amounts(
T!e sister - envious of t!e wealt!& and seriously disturbed by !er 'rief for !er lover - cree$s into t!e
cat!edral one ni'!t and smot!ers t!e c!ild on t!e altar-ste$s( #!e is arrested( #!e claims vir'inity
a'ain because a local edict declares t!at a vir'in cannot be e*ecuted( To find a way out of t!e le'al
$roblem - t!e $riest arran'es for t!e 'irl to be loc+ed u$ in t!e local 'uard-!ouse wit! t!e visitin'
militia w!o obli'e t!e le'al reBuirements - and t!e 'irl dies of e*!austion(
.er mot!er is !un' and t!e fat!er commits suicide& t!e two sisters are ta+en into $rostitution( T!e
baby lies in state in t!e cat!edral until rival towns$eo$le stri$ t!e cor$se and dismember it for
tro$!ies(
2it!in wee+s& t!e town wit!ers& t!e wells dry u$& t!e cro$s burn& t!e stee$le falls +illin' t!e $riest&
t!e militia die of c!olera( 1nd t!e wet-nurse retires to a nunnery(
FF
F(
)t !as been said t!at $!oto'ra$!y was t!e best t!in' t!at could !ave !a$$ened to $aintin' because it
cleared t!e 'round to allow $aintin' to 'et on wit! w!at it did best - it is no accident t!at t!e 'rowt!
in t!e $o$ularity and si'nificance of $!oto'ra$!y coincided wit! t!e 5uro$ean move towards non-
fi'urative e*$eriments w!ic! !ave 'one on in $aintin' t!rou'!out t!e w!ole of t!is century - and
t!erefore 'one on in desi'n and t!erefore entered into every sin'le $art of our lives (((( $er!a$s
television& by t!e same or similar means& can clear t!e 'round to allow and encoura'e cinema to do
w!at it is best at( 2!ic! means t!at by no lon'er s!oulderin' t!e res$onsibilities of bein' a $o$ular
medium& cinema can become investi'ative and vi'orous a'ain - 'oin' $laces w!ere it !as never
been before& e*$lorin' new 'round& ret!in+in' t!e w!ole relations!i$s of ima'e to sound to
narrative(
.owever& ) t!in+ t!at t!e world7s $ublic will not 'ive u$ t!e sensation of a bi' screen in t!e dar+
very willin'ly - t!ou'! you mi'!t not !ave to leave your !ome to e*$erience it - and w!at ) loo+
forward to - already it is be'innin' to !a$$en - is t!e ma+in' of a marria'e - not a fi*ed financial
marria'e of convenience - but a true tec!nolo'ical - and for me - most im$ortantly - an aest!etic
marria'e - between t!e bi' screen and television - usin' bot! lan'ua'es and visions to create
somet!in' entirely new& ric! and stran'e( )t was a brand-new tec!nolo'y t!at created t!e cinema in
t!e first $lace(
)t is im$ossible to reserve tec!nolo'ical c!an'e allied to social !abit - t!e nostal'ics are wastin'
t!eir time - but t!e demise of t!e cinema doesn7t matter in t!e end - w!at matters is t!e lon'
continuity of t!e desire for t!e visual e*$ression of ideas and dreams and visions - and nobody is
'oin' to su$$ress& destroy or lose t!at( )t is always 'oin' to leave evidence(

Cinema Militans Lecture 200