Benjamin's Ideas In Austin Powers

Walter Benjamin makes some interesting points regarding actors in his essay, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.”  Benjamin states that when watching a film, one cannot truly observe the performance of an integral whole. This means that a lot can be going on that the audience cannot see on stage. This point seems as if it were always a negative aspect and a loss of authenticity. However, in the case of the clip I chose, I believe it actually enhances the viewing experience. Mike Myers is performing the role of three characters in one scene. Benjamin also states, “the audience takes the position of the camera.” This is the reason we are able to view this clip as we do. The audience of Austin Powers: Goldmember would not be able to enjoy the wonderful humor provided to us by Mr. Myers if it were not for film. Yes, perhaps with film we do lose some of the authenticity of the performance, but without film directors would have a hard time producing the type of advanced aspects they do.

Another point that Benjamin makes in his essay is the fact that when critics review a film, they are just simply reviewing a recording, not the actual live performance. This actually is a more consistent way of reviewing, because the performance does not change from nigh to night. Again, although some authenticity may be lost with film because of the fact that stage actors can interact with the audience, it helps interested people have a better basis to decide whether or not they want to see the film.

In conclusion, Walter Benjamin essay has withstood the test of time for the most part. His ideas on the loss of authenticity with film and the fact that viewers actually do observe through the lens of a camera are still accurate. However, some of the uses of camera actually enhance the audiences viewing experience.

 

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nixR6wVa4HY