School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Research Publications

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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Paul Verhoeven and his hollow men

NDALIANIS, A (La Trobe University, 2001)
The frenzy of the visible: spectacle and motion in the era of the digital

NDALIANIS, ANGELA ( 2000-02)

During my first viewing of The Matrix (Wachowski Brothers, 1999) I found my vision bombarded by imagery and sensations more akin to theme park rides like the Spiderman attraction at Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure in Florida. My visual and aural faculties were plunged into a state of disorientation that constituted a physical assault on my senses. Not only was an array of framing effects and camera movements employed - from high velocity pans, tracks and fast paced edits, to 360° camera somersaults - but there was motion and there was lots of it! Bodies, cameras, sound and visual effects - everything moved and it moved fast, even when 'bullet-time' speed was visualised through slow motion techniques. Here's a film that's dictated above all by the speed of the image: within the filmic space (with its economically ordered narrative and fast paced action); within the production space (with its special effects and high velocity stylistic techniques); and within the audience's space (in the capacity the film has in affecting us on a highly charged sensory level).
The Wonder of Digital Worlds

NDALIANIS, A (RMIT University, 2004)