Kracauer presents an interesting case when he coins the term "Mass Ornament," such that his meaning focuses on the spectacles on both sides of the silver screen. On one hand he explains the uniformity produced by these films acts as a distraction to the “masses.” He defines the masses as the community that forgets its own individuality. This loss of character then allows the masses to blindly follow and believe the lives and stories depicted in the films (or as he wittily calls them “distraction houses”). So we have the masses blindly following and being distracted. This gives rise to questions about the origin of “ornament,” what does it refer to? Kracauer explains that the ornament stands for the surreal ideas that are propagated from these stories. The stories are so close to their own middle/lower class lives that they believe the story’s sincerity and (more importantly) the underlying ideas associated with them. Thus, the mass ornament is really nothing more than a vehicle for subtly indoctrinating the population who wish to escape from the doldrums of work. But, I found it particularly interesting that he also applies this theory to the physicality of the theater as well. The fact that the movie theater rows and stadium seats all reinforce the mass ornament is a wonderful symbol of the overwhelming sense of uniformity.
Kracauer presents an interesting case when he coins the term "Mass Ornament," such that his meaning focuses on the spectacles on both sides of the silver screen. On one hand he explains the uniformity produced by these films acts as a distraction to the “masses.” He defines the masses as the community that forgets its own individuality. This loss of character then allows the masses to blindly follow and believe the lives and stories depicted in the films (or as he wittily calls them “distraction houses”). So we have the masses blindly following and being distracted. This gives rise to questions about the origin of “ornament,” what does it refer to? Kracauer explains that the ornament stands for the surreal ideas that are propagated from these stories. The stories are so close to their own middle/lower class lives that they believe the story’s sincerity and (more importantly) the underlying ideas associated with them. Thus, the mass ornament is really nothing more than a vehicle for subtly indoctrinating the population who wish to escape from the doldrums of work. But, I found it particularly interesting that he also applies this theory to the physicality of the theater as well. The fact that the movie theater rows and stadium seats all reinforce the mass ornament is a wonderful symbol of the overwhelming sense of uniformity.
ReplyDelete