The evolution from analogue to digital cinema has sparked ongoing debates about the relationship between film and reality – particularly around the concept of indexicality. Analogue cameras work by capturing an object through physical-chemical reactions of light on celluloid at a specific time. Because this process in a way leaves remnants of that object, analogue images are perceived as an ‘index of reality’ (Brown, 2013: p20). Because of this, film theorists such as Bazin leaned heavily on the idea that cinema should work to be as close to reality as possible. (Brown, 2013, p21). After the advent of digital cinema, many critics, such as D. N. Rodowick, have argued that because the camera now digitally captures the image, it is no longer indexical anymore and therefore not in relation to reality (2009). He even goes as far as to say it is ‘without substance’ (2009: p7).

However, film has never been consistently true to reality. For instance, George Méliès experimented with superimposition in 1900, where he filmed himself playing instruments multiple times and then layered the different film strips to make it look like there were multiple versions of him playing in a band. Variations of this technique have been widely used, such as in Nosferatu (1922), The Wizard of Oz (1939) and The Godfather (1972) to give the illusion of objects appearing and disappearing, or for transitional effect. Although superimposition often doesn’t represent ‘reality’ as it was captured, why would this have been used so often if it was not enhancing the viewer’s experience?

Now, in the digital age, there are even more special effects available. For example, in Medusa Deluxe (2022), a woman accidentally sets her wig on fire. The camera zooms into the heart of the flames, seemingly engulfing itself. Getting inside the ‘flames’ couldn’t be done without special effects, and modern technology allows them to look extremely realistic. Another example is Interstellar (2014), where digital effects – developed with input from scientific research to ensure accuracy (Thapa, 2023) – immerse viewers in the world of space, planets, and black holes.

Ultimately, cinema has always manipulated reality through editing techniques, and although digital cinema is not indexical, it can help bring reality to viewers in different ways.

Written by Maisie Kelly 33752521

Bibliography

Brown, W. (2013) Supercinema: film-philosophy for the digital age. New York: Berghahn.

Rodowick, D.N. (2009) The Virtual Life of Film. 1st edn. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674042834.

Thapa, S. (2023) ‘The Science Of Interstellar: How Accurate Is Christopher Nolan’s Movie?’, ScreenRant, 4 October. Available at: https://screenrant.com/the-science-of-interstellar-explained-accuracy/ (Accessed: 26 November 2024).

Filmography

Interstellar (2014) Directed by C. Nolan. [Feature film]. United States: Paramount Pictures

Medusa Deluxe (2022) Directed by T. Hardimann. [Feature film]. United Kingdom: Mubi.

Nosferatu (1922) Directed by F. W. Murnau. [Feature film]. Germany: Film Arts Guild.

The Godfather (1972) Directed by F. Coppola [Feature film]. United States: Paramount Pictures

The One Man Band (1900) Directed by G. Méliès. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zez8zihidA (Accessed: 26 November 2024).

The Wizard of Oz (1939) Directed by V. Fleming [Feature film]. United States: Loew’s Inc.