The Emergence of Cinematic Time MODERNITY, CONTINGENCY, THE ARCHIVE Mary Ann Doane Cambridge, Nasochsets, and London, England» 2002oh 208 ys ade elo of ars Cae ol Uri io vaya Caer Calo ain Dats "icc men aie an ted bhp recs ania ‘SbcecoTana hppa) SSN DE TACO ph ae ae) For Philand HannahAcknowledgments ‘This book hat changed form several ime sine is inception quite x fw ars ogo. Vhave many people t hack for ther ppt guidance, and en ouragement a various stage a wel for their ater tence Lam grate faltothe John Simon Guggenheim Foundation fo afellowship that allowed te time to thnk through the raison of «projet propor tht ary visle in the Site product Brown Univrity provided reach support and ie ss wel a timulaing let! mea i which est my Wes, My student, with their enthsiasm for ides and thir une ‘rained imaginaions have been an energising and inprtional presen. thank the Engsh Department ofthe Univer of Chicago epi Mi jam Hansen, for invting me a share ny work in progres a Predrc es CrpenerVistng Profesor. am gate forthe animated conestons bd tere an for hell avie and encouragerent rom il ron, ames as, Tom Mitchel and Mark Sandberg. “om Gunning end ah anonymous rade ave the manuscript x rigorous, ci, and insight ending am dxpy indeed to the or hi pe tie rics md wite mgqetons, The rms of « Frinistreeing up here at Browe—Suan Berns, Cristina Crosby, Caraine Dean, Coppa Kaba, Karen Newnan, and Elen Rooney—seud several haps nd offered shileging and provocative ctr aswel a ppt. Ia very patel to my Hardworking rexarch susitatx, Nine nae ed Rabe Coleworty, whose diigence and call math those ofthe oe esoned of scholars and who id wae nabs, ‘An eater version of Chapter 2 was publ in Ctl Igui 22, 0.2 (ater 1986) © 196 by The Unters of Chicago: and in Ende Nghe Cinema and Pychoonabsi, Paral Hines, edited by Janet Bergstrom“a Aednosledgmenss (ners of Cloris Pes, 198) A eae an highly condensed ver Son of Chepter 5 appened in Language Machina Tolpis of Liter tnd Calta Proucion,eited by Jey Mase, Petr Saba, and ‘Naney Vickers (London: Rod, 1957). Sections of Chapter 3 began pata very diferentes, "Technology's Bod: Gina ison in Mo~ ‘eit fees 5 no 2 (Samer 1993). Lam etl sheers for eran wo eprint ds material ere woul lo ke to thank my eto t Harvard Univesity Pes, Lindy water for his patience, intlignce, an commitment 0 the poet | ‘elas his cade strest widm1m rtf as wl Ann Hatorme for er dient and seshve copyediting. Richard Manaing har bis cctensve knowledge of fie ad vei avaabity and assed inthe re Prodocton of ail, & number of people have offered mati support, trenchant advice, acumen, citi, nd wisdom Katherine Hares, Maca Brau, fel Snyder Dudley Andrew, Mee Wigner, Anne Friedberg is CCreight Edward Neil, Chale Muse Kosten Whisel, Mak Coope, Jonathan Sechsbaum,Ezbeth Wed, Soran MeNl, nd Lia Heber, “Tis bok is dediaed to Phil Rose, ho is ays there and has un anny knowledge of exacywhen to withld adic as wells when 0 gv icant to Hannah Doane Roe whose tion 1 ie em Contents 1 The Representability of Time 2 ‘Termpoaliy, Storage, Legit: Freud, Marey, and the Cinema 13 The Afterimage the Index, ad the Accessibility ofthe Present “Temporal Ireveriility and th Logic of Saistics Dead Time or the Concept ofthe Event ‘Zeno’ Paradox: The Emergence of Cinematic Time “The stan and the Archive Notes Bibliography Index » 108 uo m 206 as 261‘The Emergence of Cinematic Time1 ‘The Representability of Time “Te gh anda he ar ee hy hae For tug he rants ofthe tune om hich enn dpe they hemp resto ep ime ht ue wo era Aoagh ie not puto te oto kee be igen te phgaph ila see ‘atone woud nt atl out ee ng ae tne wea cent imgeo for fem tn December 1895 the same month a that of he Bt publ screening of fins ofthe Lame Cintnstogzaphe, «ory ied “The Kineocope of Time” appeared ia Srier’ Mapes) The sory conveys something ofthe cannes ofthe new tshnaogy’s apparent ait transcend time orupion by paradoxical Bing if and movement, proving thee im nutabl record eons many ofthe Feas, desires annie, an pl Sore ached go the es ofthe mechani eresentabilty of ie At he besinning of "The Kineosope of Tne” the uonamed protagonist nds Fimslfinan unrecognizable nd eeingh paces place, bar frished and surounded by ls wily draped in velvet The only farnishings ae four narrow sande wih eye-pies” athe top, which hough unnamed, ae dearly Kneoropen, the advil viewing emchieslaveteé by ‘Thomas Editon and preceding the cinema. A message projected on the cr ‘sins invites the protagonist to ook trough the eeplees inorder 1 view "tucson of sang dances” He des so and proceeds to dvrbe ss ‘es f scenes hat unfld nln the sory of Slo, a scene fom The ‘Soles Lse, and 2 ee fron Une Ton' Cabin in which Topsy anes) Wien thse cet, the captivated spectator i invited to move to another nerscope to view sees of combat 4s “memorabl” as those of theances Here he witnesses scene fom the Hid, Dow Quite Fast an te {Ctr maser? When the proton resis pes fer this seis bebe ‘ones ava that he isn Tonger alae; # mysterious but éisingihe Tooking mile-aed mani uddely preset This man apper 0 eee grat age y suggesting tat he himself wae preset a, among ote, he ned scenes ofS an the lad But when the protagonist ass if hei “Time himsl the figure nuh ad dees The mysterious man pro ‘ceeds to llr him two mote vewings—one ofthe protagonist’ ava Past, the other of if, incading the manne of yur end" but his ine at ‘pice “The wson of fe mast be pid far a fe ts For every en yar ofthe oar which may nl bef ou Be you mat asign me 8 ea ‘of your lie—twehe month—to do witha 1 wil The protagonist refses ‘his Fausan contact and i haughty mised by the Knetosope’ ro cor, Aer making his way with dfulty though a dark and winding funnel the young man fds himself inthe "open ai” was in broad sie, and over my head an els ight soddenty red out and white ‘wae the pavement amy fe. A the comme in ofthe eated rai row uth by with + eterng roar nd a waling plume of white steam. "Then a cale-carcanged pst wth incessant bangs opon its gong That was tht cae ck tothe world fst” But within this "woHd of 2 Toate protagonist cicoversina hop window an engraving ofthe man hes just met His costme dle tothe protagonist that he ied inthe st century and egend bow the engrving ident im at Man ser le Comte de Caos? The protagonist viewing of thee med records of eb tnes and other ices ocr in places sd tel space that semble in many was fits darkness and eterna tothe word outset nonin) the sna theater of mich Ie period. And in the werd tat He young fpectatr returs t,normaly i signified by the ecologies of moder nity—sleteightng, elevated ins cable curs—and the eres of shocks sociated wth hen. Thestory coos many ofthe motif aodated eh the emerging coe and is shnologil promise eapte ime imo tai te denial ofthe rail ite ofthe human body, acs 0 oer tempore, and the sue of the archiva of time The sais, okie the space of thei projection, ae ll fain, and they renseribe the eo ‘able rope feriettia ii, and imperil eset othe nie The Repsol Tine ; ‘eenth-century colonialist irnperatve o congue othe time, ther spc Inthe stor of Sloe the arator- protagonist claims that "the decorations were Eastern in ther loving prgeousnes” and that i he East women sipen young" Inthe eee om Uncle Tons Cabin, Tapy wa one ofthe backs of er race and “ber blk eyes gered with 2 hind of wicked oly Cater lat sting thee Indians were ring with ent ae i thi ee” we the white sire were “valiant and dean a meting tee fae. These ae the recorded umes, the other tempat hat Allow he protagonist disavow, fo while, his owe temporality of ater. ‘ng tine and clanging cable ae The “kncloeope of tine” conte, a MieklFoucaul’s terms both a heterotopia a heterochon offering ite spectator animnersion i other space snd tine, withthe surance Of « se retun his or er own, What the ne chnologles of vsonallw one to etea read of tine ‘The sory sugges tat the mysterious propricor ofthe kneosope is contaminated bythe tutes of hie machine —spectcly is ability to acces ther times (th protgoniss pas hi fue) and the desi of| monly (the propor dace not know det). shetoic echoes tht which scaampanid the reception ofthe ery cinema, with its hyperbolic recourse othe gues of if, eth, immortal, ed init. The cinema would be capable of recording permanentyaeeting moment, the duration fan ephemeral unde or lance It would preserve theifike moveeats of loved ones afer hei death nd eansitt elf a3 grand archive of ie ‘As Ande Bain would ate pin ot photographic technology “baie ime, escung i simply from its proper coruption”* Bur beta tine corr prope” is ined representation alo pose a thes, duces sestheicand epistemological ance "The Kinetoacope of Tie ef ies this theta tbe comply of the machine withthe demonic ence ‘the protagonist look "This bok ie about the representbility of time inthe ate nineteenth and ely twentieth centuries. Photographie nd cinematic technologies played a cota ole here preisly becuse they were 50 eri thinking that representable? Although popular scount tended endow the cinema ‘vith determinant ageneytht i, Sema technology made possible a ne a8 time ors "perf representation in ft the emerging cin ema participated in a moe genera cultural imperative, the seuetrng oftime an contingency in eal moder Moh te ue nto seen or has een TRutcpasiy phono. the nema crc 0 modes 1 career in a ne dis epee, Ase change Ng eeepc onpray nd hance ey eid te ‘Runetotem the entry The erations ‘Tbr Se il pep toa nthe continual cnjunction of Te Shopes neuen fen and th chai of Rlasandes Hoes pons oo. eine fee ico ie sere Armen of empolity nou care Fi levis, koe tegen by thee need mei inc ates Dsunin te with ope Bade ot ais nu nin tpl ie become pales he (oahu he snow war ot lain tee ose ne’ Onc oa ge mre py tte tof i Be Sein ate dlr wayon sete o mad “nny aed with oe enol of epcseiaion wos poopy) Te was ine as a weight sa sor of dara presing problem of epreentn, Nodeaity Te Regus por demind Tor the nt of either winse epi ion of pet wth ithe oer porto. ‘Fu anes hsarin far Lamp noted the inporatin of 2 ion Tress Conan pout f abot s2 ion nthe 68 In 193 TEESE tate te pen of be money ono he pen Sed heuer ils of poser wth Same seed {RES Shanon with enor actos he ght tempo snd SETELANiice Stacnoe stimu” tan Ths se eh ie eetneopan es mimail ita he tos petal ne Tabet tes and mtr stn it Sable nd impo ae the” Modernity wes Csaceied by be input eine ae the bly te wrth cme sind of posts de tysrehing te apache body orn, The eno Tec jease iy hit siege fom be ete of wo eh Sounds machin clue made pose by developmen’ in moder Se Muah ana and eens ree fh Ss Le Pikeman (be law oe egedeedo coepalton of Phe Repay of Tine time athe tighnes of ditto, an nerrable and reverse ety In the lt inetenth and ely went cet, tine Deane incre singly reed standardized, abled and rationale “This tionalizaton of time found i let elation in = world ta aritin that took te pets from the devdopment of ral tee snd wegrptn, The standarietion of tie was original feted by he Talod companies themsches, which found i extraordinary itil to rnin comprehen schedes i he fice of sare af ering acl times! In England, London time wa for nites head of ine in Ret tng sven minutes and thiy seconds ahead of Cirencester time, and four tee minis hea of Bridgewater tie. Raion ime became general an ard time England in 180. Geen in 1893 fo 184 an international ‘conference on tine standards held in Washington, DC, dvded the word inv twenty-four tne zones, esublsed Greenwich a6 the zero mein sd the exact length of dy In 1913 the Fst requting ime sgn transite sound the world wa et roms the Efe Tower. As Stephen ern pont out, "The independence floats began to colapse once the famewor of a lobal ectronie network waterbed” The shee ‘peed of transportation and communication worked #9 anmiste the iquenes sd oation ofthe oc Much ofthe saadardation and stonlzaton of ine cn be tink to changes in india organization and perceptions of an any between the Body ofthe worker andthe machine In 1895 an arte in Sine ‘Ameren festared x machin that stamped employes card ith te te ‘hey repored to work andthe ne they lta punch- "isso nnn op ith tn fein bay ecg ne eel popes Banh he tmaraves cut tne ako ine shen western isco sre calibro pu let 2 ei Neogene nthe aang ued rn nga dor ped nu teeter sc mtb cst! een of ph wa) bare oe rp ane ied he penny ih encanto te mete A Sn hare tc hej es hm Sore norte or on prin a pect ‘Shes whayerfomot or Guise orn ‘ae only dro, Wears of hom oy mee wey mea egy oe ae Erin tans eon ee Te yer ‘Seyi ui met on rer talons eerie eto en Sita come sense se ‘thease The drat he mapa ey bw Snes hess iene pee orn eo thew af cnodi Nons te ommesyosn e e ‘ne of fa ammeter pene fhe ‘ro ig cig Th pe ey Sears mannose nti oT iStamaar n cp bce oe Sie pes ‘eve ef ony? ro ery 1 dnson of iter snd itn tambien nes ‘ott arsogen ce ht eon ged wk extensive diffusion of pocket watches.” : a Thom itl ined fon wach nd cect ovad het mat we inal on de ‘ind gee ovine breccia eae ‘Borcorlng Tieton ‘etek onion apa cy or oe yen ity I en ch ing or sefig com Ate ‘econ ie evo ined ae oe i aeuta compensa tied abou” Thompson inks hist the e- pone toa preted neces located in the emer of herman smi ‘yo sents weather tides, the biologi ryt of animals (sings Jembing, and 1 on, The second ditfereee would bein he reatve ck of tdtincion beeen “wrk” and “HE ig torent commits, Work nd the soil re tetringled efforts and theres ret confit be free ahor and ne’ “wr ne, Tied, dhs form of work appt Be ‘Tf and lacking in urgency to thse whose bor sted by the cock though it is rll wo avoid a nova for What appears to be & more ural tonto tn, es nportat to eengnize the dilerenes be ‘se theo modalities One would be he insistence of thet a 0 Sy asoitd with industalizdtne: "Those who are emploed expe cea tinction betwen their employe’ ime and thei‘ tine, And the cnployer must as the Hine of abou, and seis not wasted: aot the tak bu the ale of ine when reduced to money i dominsp. Times fw outeneyit snot psd But spent Both time and money canbe thn ated spent and hoarded. More crucially both exemplify a proces tf dematerlation and abstraction tat fos ails anon ‘etn Devore let ging share the log ofthe monet 5 tem loge of pte diferetaton, quanta nd aration ito ‘dace wits The capital bea ceran quantity othe borers time a ‘onder to produce saps vale. That time must be messrabe and therefor ‘Sie. Snare te worlwide tandardzation of ime reuires the ge Crazed aceptnes of minimal uitsf tie or clan, 1 he tris ae fo run on time, there mast be only one time—the homogeneous empty te of Benjamin's prog” Bu the eationalzation and abstraction of tie geerly recognized as impestve to eaptalsm pose certain prob lems that make thir tolerable assured. The notion of tne a a strc diferentaton of homogeneous bse eminent dvisbl for purpoes of eulaton cases withthe longstanding psophia and Fenorologia sumption that imei, + Cares Sanders Pie as puri th continuum pr eelens through the pecaces of which wee haps every other contin” Re dvs iia think Asin “The incon of Tine” time becomes uncanny, ante srange—Po Tonge ‘epercned but ready lated or Benji the dock factor carer {ine of modernity puaranes tha impesions do ot “ener experience ‘The Repro Tine : (stout en on inte hrf tin hori oe le (Genin Tine vase, exerts Hence, ih ‘heme ijt nt cel stent pes ong sma {eure Tenn tne praesent Pr cate to gnarl ppc ais ‘sep byte wk of Hen erp, nis dam ase of ‘npr contin as eco ra Tit Anne of dct ad ony becomes te este loi cnindn ha rots th tsa epee of Sethe tf he cnt promt Bene as ry oe ton bree epic iin (ich rvs ominous cad af Une and cenepoingpy (hh tg moc eed nd pre ume aan dnt) The eran in he ph ph of Catan oem sctung ondcton pede by ale bon wernt ine one lnc fon nator inde where ss hing on an a Snel ran ‘Sot Sgmind ed cote te Sem y tig inet en try difien se (he oosrd nconow) maig Sie i asin a pte pr, por yl tee se, le othe tion otis aaceing seo The pre of okt the pbic prandhecae senting mien hat pies hein ely tn am, produces dace enon ttre my re ee ‘Sito mit lnm al Fin a ne es tern tin nef hen red po dhe dso ote tne td seen He te steno a ua tenga ‘phe impudent sn chan: ene enclyoa owen mami ef ae Te sui a onaorting deg, or mpetng Ze’ cin, te ‘aim of ploy te they oh aesnage ich suppor te an cathepsin a cing dese he clan re person of mea ncn pw te pst aon of Poet men with he ersten ingen iheenc pry pte ret or hl ae of te a re nd tia ond Sina Be ae an apa on ass bees a math eigen as th ofa eel and prone roto aoa er aii wigs ney a tan ier Yn etc ca ec lg tbe own of el ai ae etn eel Hanan ent aon A ee ranch of he rer ENE a ee ay then oso ex he ot, aaa ect an pupae bcs i ey barmotenty a sng aie ha st pecan hep cnet co nen. ie doa ogi meni Seen cutest note meaning aoc cnt odes peel mn el mt im etd sie” Impress stn ae real atbecmced ang fea one PE a eee And eee ef rromion AOE a ena ali th org ne a ae er Fee Calas orp be ciation ee yoann be ps sea he he a pyre he sg heise oi: aid wk 4s eta he aie sen ag amon To eo nn er eth emureon of ete resto Le nga tee te dems He ie 2 sa ican gerry lace 20 en New oe esa topes 8 Cay sof nds the ts of ed The ech pe coinge vee wut poamnzton andi tem ete dernyaberecinratontaon econ ane ed ee ‘The Repay of Time lable Do they spl represen to dierent modaies or atiades oper lng independently uring the same ine period cach andre by the csr Tis the waar ofthis book that pou to dennstate te Profound connection ther nterdpendence and allance in the strucing tf ermporaty in modernity. What at stake she representabilty of time foc x subject whose identity is more and more gh uted to abstract scrctars of temporal. The theory of rationalization ds not allow for the vicstder ofthe afte, forthe aubjecsive play of dese, ansey, pleasure, uma, aprchesion. Pure ratioaition exudes the subject ‘howe callin Iscucl othe wstenance of capitalist sytem the fe ‘the acti of time, ts tanformation int he dcr the mews thle, the locus of vale, chance and the contingent ae assigned co impor fant Meolgicsle—they Become the highly tected iter ofboth pl ‘sean anity. Contingency appeatsto offer var reser of Fearn tnd fie ply vb to theater tracing of “sure tine” “Wht tea ithe production of contingency and ephemeris grasp she representable, but nevertheless asystamatc iste argument of his ‘book thatthe ealonaton of tne chaacteraing induration and the expansion of cpt vas aconipanied by 2 structuring of ean ey and temporality throsgh emerging teeholope of eprseatation—e fictrng tht stented to eure the zsdence ouside strctre, 9 tae tleile an incest ettonalizton, Sacha sag isnot designed ‘ply ode with he eae ot by-prodt of rtionalirton titra ‘uly scesty to the ideologies of eptalit modernization Contingency, however, emerges ae 2 form of resitance to aionaiation sebich asta ith ambivalences res hat of esance isl re tiaance to sytem, to suc, 1 meaning, Contingacy presto the tubjt the appetrance of abioate freedom, immediacy directness. Time ‘becomes etrogencous and unpredictable and harbors the post of perpetual nents, difeence, the mais of moderty slr Accident and ‘hance Become productive, Neverthe, theese tributes ae alo po telly testening. Their danger rss in thei alhance wih mening lene even nonsense, The vs continue ofa nonherachiable con Yngeney cn aventhel. Bauebie, o is confit conoatason wih ‘node, ed that in the abvenc of cteores uch athe etn and ‘he immutsbe, feedom weuld become anarchy, and a “tot of deta!would previ" For Geor akin invent tu of naturalism and Tetons "Marte or Desribe’chane abd contingency ze smulaneoshy pecs and Lasucient ‘The key question is whit is meant by “chan” infin? Without ‘hance ail nation dead and absact. No writer can pray fe if bees the frtitlons, On the ofr hand in his representation tf ie he mt obeys ess aside an elevate chance to he ine ibe Contingency introduers the element of fe and the concrete, bat 9 much eotingncy thetens the eruci represenrations) conspt of tea ‘wholes, Depo ea capitation othe vast and woconsolbe and ‘himatly meanings en ofthe contingent tial with the isl (0 etre’) and with the contemporeneos ("one describes what one Sei the opal present cones tenor presen” on men 4 objets) ‘Notion om he other han, ba ap stiate elation with he ps (“re uns) and is therefore able to testify 0 acesity and ineiabty. The sent moment contingency and temporality asindexminate te hazard Seed Krcauer share thi antipathy woward 4 comtingeney whose dominance becomes met evident io photography. th eschewing sini car ells of ie Tied int proper tory in favor of slavish a ‘erences a apt oe tempore consinsu, potogapy ats “a mere frfce chereee Its los becomes that of bistorcsm—sheraecmula- ‘Don coverage the saturation of etal evi f the coberent meaning a0 ‘ihe wit baton tel Photography simply caperes moment a pei ‘nfierton in tine and space which ks neces. Any moment wil do, intone and theachiveaton of he hotoraph tend to reveal 0 unmask thot ack of necesita the elements within the configration disintegrate Nec Kraaue ote Lac, seer the photographic iserption of ont iene a the "gofor broke game” of history: Photography rows» con onto withthe meaningless f contemporary sce tis sete oma the eapislst mode of production” Jus as capa is Bauted by Uhlir ot own sl destruction, photography is capabl of aunsing the Topco worl deprived of meabing and thereby insipting 2 ne org ation of knowledge ‘The Represeabiiy of Time s [Ris within the context of ¢ modety defined by rapid industisizaton| snd the diffusion of new technologies a well the rp change f urban He thatcotingeney emerges a site of re and fea, consttated s both Tar and thet sures that ofthe passing moment, the fascination ofthe ephemeral but Waker Bejamin delietes the dak underside of sch r= lason to antngency a shock or rama. The concept of shock ie esd 4 yet deal fatentio in contemporary theory, hich ha inked it the ‘arious Bows and asaults upon the sje ode wit urban ie and ‘modern technoloie—tafic ralwy travel, lect lighting, newspaper vertsing. Tis i abstained by Benjamins own explanation ofthe “comple kind of nig” to which technology ba “abject the human seciovin” But in Bejamis lengthy appeal to Fred to dinate the py Chie mechani ofthe distinction betwee the shock experience sc sted wh mechani reprodetion and the sti experience atsocited with eadional at forms t become lear that shock ial, and perhape ‘mos imporan away of conceptaling coaingenc a moder readin Bkjod he Pesare Prine cis tat “consciousness nsw f memorytace” and therfore tha he to eens oso be lasted, memory agent ae “often mos powefel and mos rng when te incident which et them beiad was one st never entered onscouses In Poutan terms ths means tht the involuntary mem ry composed of contents that were neve experienced conscious hey tomehow managed wo bypass the level of conciousness. Consiosnes or Freud oes nt remember Is most important Fenton irate 0 poset ‘he organism apn excessive stimall to at a tls shin opera ion agit exermal energies. According to Benjamin, “Te tet fom these energies one of socks. The mare rai coneowsnets riers these shodks, the sal ate they wo ave a taut efit “Thi ime shit wo ofcourse, be tough, nore penetra, in 2 highly deloped technological soi Benjamin epuent, ach a sodiey regu 2 heightened eanaciounes to pany the shock eft of tuban exeace. The human eras increasingly becomes src, For Rexjamin, what are sin his procs are memory races andthe fll expe sec ofthe event exemplified by sorytlinge