Rites of realism : essays on corporeal cinema

362 Pages·2003·1.62 MB·English

by  Margulies, Ivone

Ritesof Realism

R I T E S O F R E A L I S M
Essays on Corporeal Cinema
Edited by I VONE MARGULI ES
DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS DurhamandLondon2003
Thefollowingarereprintedbypermission:‘‘Lamorttouslesaprèsmidi,’’byAndré
Bazin, Qu’est-ce que le Cinéma? vol.1, Paris, Editions du Cerf,1958, © Cahiers du
Cinéma, Editions de l’Étoile; ‘‘L’Ecran du fantasme (Bazin et les bêtes),’’ by Serge
Daney,LaRampe©1983,EditionsGallimard;‘‘HistoryoftheImage,ImageofHis-
tory:SubjectandOntologyinBazin,’’byPhilipRosen,WideAngle9:4(winter1987–
88):7–34,©OhioUniversity,Athens,CenterforFilmandVideo,reprintedbyper-
missionofJohnsHopkinsUniversityPress;‘‘InSearchoftheRealCity:Cinematic
RepresentationsofBeijingandthePoliticsofVision,’’byXiaobingTang,inChinese
Modern©DukeUniversityPress,2000;‘‘PasolinionTerraSancta:TowardsaTheology
ofFilm,’’byNoaSteimatsky,YaleJournalofCriticism,2:1(1998):239–58,©1998,Yale
UniversityPressandJohnsHopkinsUniversityPress;‘‘WhyIsThisAbsurdPicture
Here?Ethnology/Equivocation/Buñuel,’’byJamesLastra,October89(summer1999):
51–68,©1999October,reprintedbypermission;‘‘Dreyer’sTextualRealism,’’byJames
Schamus,©1988,MuseumofModernArt,NewYork,reprintedbypermission.
©2002DukeUniversityPress.Allrightsreserved.PrintedintheUnitedStatesof
Americaonacid-freepaper:.TypesetinBembobyTsengInformationSystemsInc.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataappearonthelastprintedpage
ofthisbook.
ForMarkCohen

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
BodiesTooMuch IvoneMargulies 1
BazinianContingencies
DeathEveryAfternoon AndréBazin
TranslatedbyMarkA.Cohen 27
TheScreenofFantasy(BazinandAnimals) SergeDaney
TranslatedbyMarkA.Cohen 32
HistoryofImage,ImageofHistory:SubjectandOntology
inBazin PhilipRosen 42
TheObjectofTheory MaryAnnDoane 80
CulturalIndices
NoLongerAbsolute:PortraitureinAmericanAvant-Garde
andDocumentaryFilmsoftheSixties PaulArthur 93
InSearchoftheRealCity:CinematicRepresentationsof
BeijingandthePoliticsofVision XiaobingTang 119
PrivateReality:HaraKazuo’sFilms AbéMarkNornes 144
MikeLeigh’sModernistRealism RichardPorton 164
WhyIsThisAbsurdPictureHere?Ethnology/Heterology/Buñuel
JamesF.Lastra 185
Retracings
ExemplaryBodies:ReenactmentinLoveintheCity,Sons,
andCloseUp IvoneMargulies 217
PasolinionTerraSancta:TowardsaTheologyofFilm
NoaSteimatsky 245
EcstaticEthnography:MayaDerenandtheFilmingofPossession
Rituals CatherineRussell 270
FilmicTableauVivant:Vermeer,Intermediality,andtheReal
BrigittePeucker 294
Dreyer’sTextualRealism JamesSchamus 315
SelectedBibliography 325
Contributors 333
Index 337
Acknowledgments
Alongthewayinthisanthologymanydeservethanks.
MarkCohen,myclosestreader,askedtherightquestions,pointedout
the missing links, and made me sure of the project’s worth. His love,
warmth, and support are, as always, essential.Talks with Noa Steimatsky
oftengotmeclosertomyowninterests,evenwhenthegrandambitionsof
atopicsuchasrealismandcinemathreatenedtoscatterthemorepointed
focus of this anthology. Catherine Russell’s readings of the introduction
and the essayon reenactment helped me enormously,with a last push to
finish.TimCorriganwas,asusual,asharpreader,andhiscommentswere
especially helpful in shaping the book’s introduction. My thanks also to
MichaelGitlin,whowasincrediblyhelpfulinthepreparationof illustra-
tionsforthebook.
I would like to thank Elaine Charnov, David James, David Desser, Bill
Nichols,SteveFagin,TomGunning,PaulArthur,andRichardPorton,who
suggestedcontributorsforthisanthology’smanyshiftingguises.Iamalso
thankful for Ella Shohat’s friendship and advice over so many years. She
hasmademefeelathomeinNewYork.
RichardPeñaattheFilmSocietyof LincolnCenterfacilitatedmycon-