THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE FREE

It remains a potent and at times exhilarating critique of contemporary society and of the power of the image untethered from its original context. THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE can be viewed simply as an artifact of a particular moment in French and Western modern history in the aftermath of May 1968. Few works of political and cultural theory have been as enduringly provocative as Guy Debords The Society of the Spectacle. Of course, a film itself is a spectacle, but Debord, with the manner of his delivery and irreverent pacing, seems determined to both undercut viewers’ expectations while simultaneously drawing them in. It uses found footage and dtournement in a radical Marxist critique of mass marketing and its role in the alienation of modern society. 1 It was Debord's first feature-length film. In the nearly five decades since it was released, the issues raised in THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE have become more entrenched. La Socit du Spectacle ( Society of the Spectacle) is a black-and-white 1974 film by the Situationist Guy Debord, based on his 1967 book of the same name. He accompanies these images with his critique of life both mediated and sustained by the spectacular, as the central pillar of a capitalist alienation so all-encompassing, even revolution may seem futile. The result is a kind of organized chaos that nonetheless manages to provide a sharp commentary on a world dominated by image and power.ĭebord casts a wide net, drawing in footage of topless women, manufacturing, fashion shoots, Hollywood movies, and scenes of wars, uprisings, and protests being crushed by police. From its publication amid the social upheavals of the 1960s to the present, the volatile theses of this book have decisively transformed debates on the shape of modernity. Using the classic Situationist technique of “détournement” (think pre-digital remixing), Debord overlays a dizzying array of still and film images with text from the book. Few works of political and cultural theory have been as enduringly provocative as Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle. Translated from the French and annotated by Ken Knabb.

THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE FREE

Screen/Society screenings are free and open to the public.Six years after the publication of his Situationist classic The Society of the Spectacle, Guy Debord released this semi-experimental, essay-film adaptation. The Society of the Spectacle: Annotated Edition Literary Nonfiction. Everybody acknowledge we live in the society of spectacle, but either dont believe its rules apply to them or adopt a defeatist attitude towards it. Made possible by generous support from FACE Foundation. The spectacle is a concept thats very swanky to talk about in dinner parties like George Orwells 1984, but it is often simplified and, ironically enough, objectified by its debaters. Developing the concept of The Spectacle, he describes the gaze of contemporary society. The power in these ideas lies in their ability to question, identify, and name the common assumptions of the present.

Sponsored by the Duke Center for French & Francophone Studies. Debord describes and critiques the way we live. The result is a kind of organized chaos that nonetheless manages to provide a potent commentary on a world dominated by image and power. The Society of the Spectacle Few works of political and cultural theory have been as enduringly provocative as Guy Debords The Society of the Spectacle. Using the classic Situationist technique of “détournement” (think pre-digital remixing), Debord overlays a dizzying array of still and film images with text from the book. Debord describes and critiques the way we live. Six years after the publication of his Situationist classic The Society of the Spectacle, Guy Debord released this semi-experimental, essay-film adaptation. Read 'The Society of the Spectacle' by Guy Debord available from Rakuten Kobo.

(Guy Debord, 1974, 90 min, France, French with English subtitles, B&W, Digital) Brilliant but autocratic, Debord helped both unify situationist praxis and destroy its. (Masking required.) More Info Venueįilm Theater at the Rubenstein Arts Center Few works of political and cultural theory have been as enduringly provocative as Guy Debords Society of the Spectacle. Self-proclaimed leader of the Situationist International, Guy Debord was certainly responsible for the longevity and high profile of Situationist ideas, although the equation of the SI with Guy Debord would be misleading. + Add to Google Calendar + Export to Calendar (Outlook) Admissionįree and open to the public.

The society of the spectacle