За и против кинематографа: Теория, критика, сценарии

by Guy Debord, Степан Михайленко (Editor)

Guy Debord (1931–1994) was the most influential member of the Situationist International, the avant-garde group that triggered the May 1968 revolt in France.

While Debord's written work (including The Society of the Spectacle) is some of the most notorious in the world of political and cultural radicality, deemed "the cornerstone cliche of postmodernism," his films have until now remained tantalizingly inaccessible.

Ken Knabb's translation of Debord's Complete Cinematic Works accompanies the long-awaited English versions of these films, which will be coming soon to the United States. The scripts are illustrated with 62 stills, and Debord's own annotations help elucidate the subtleties of these astonishing works, unparalleled in cinematic history.

Genres: Film, Art, Theory

340 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1977

About the author

Guy Ernest Debord was a French theorist, writer, filmmaker, hypergraphist and founding member of the groups Lettrist International and Situationist International. In broad terms, Debord's theories attempted to account for the spiritually debilitating modernization of the private and public spheres of everyday life by economic forces during the post-WWII modernization of Europe. Alienation, Debord postulated, could be accounted for by the invasive forces of the 'spectacle'—"a social relation between people that is mediated by images." Central to this school of thought was the claim that alienation is more than an emotive description or an aspect of individual psychology; rather, it is a consequence of the mercantile form of social organization which has reached its climax in capitalism. Debord committed suicide, shooting himself in the heart at his property on November 30, 1994.

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hopefully one day this work will come out to the open, where one doesn't have to know someone to see the films of Guy Debord. But then again, that is why Guy Debord is sort of fun.

But his writings and films are pretty essential for the modern boy or girl in this disaster that we call the 21st Century. For those who don't know Debord's films, he uses old film footage from Hollywood as well as other sources. And with that one gets a talk or lecture on the soundtrack from M. Debord. It's pretty great.

The next best thing to seeing the actual films is to own and read this book. Fully illustrated with film stills from the film plus the script.

[Lance Grabmiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating but I think I'd rather watch the films. What does make this volume pretty great though are the extensive notes and additional materials.

[Tentatively, Convenience · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hhmm.. Debord, the Situationists. Being a neoist I occassionally read somewhere that NEOISM has followed in the footsteps of FLUXUS & SITUATIONISM. There's a slight case to be made for this, but not, IMO, that strong of one - esp regarding the latter. It's seems noteworthy that I read something written by a Situationist somewhere long ago that there is no such thing as Situationism - that there are only Situationists. That one statement resonantes profoundly w/ me since I don't think that there's exactly anything called NEOISM - that there're only neoists. Nonetheless, both 'movements' have been oversimplified for historical purposes - in the case of neoism by someone who cd make his career off such oversimplifications. Oh well..

Back to this bk (well, sortof): I've seen some of these movies thanks to my friend Keith Sanborn who subtitles them in English & then releases video copies. He & I teamed up to give what must've been a fairly early English-subtitled screening of "The Society of the Spectacle" in Buffalo in 1995. I like his work but, in a way, it leaves me feeling the way much Andre Breton does: a bit stultified rather than liberated. I wish Debord had made MORE movies b/c having absorbed somewhat what little I've had access to, I feel like it's sortof 'closed' to me now. Still, Debord occupies a fairly unique place in film history - "The Society of the Spectacle" alone is one of the most incisive critiques of capitalism ever made.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

unfortunately, I haven't seen the films. this is the next best thing. brilliant.