Posthegemonic Comments
I haven't seen this film, but it sounds interesting.
Nonetheless, there is something which seems a little troubling to me about trying to "restore" temporality to an image - and particularly Las Meninas - to attempt to place it "back into the flow of time" in this manner.
Las Meninas plays so much on the unspoken possibilities of what may be happening before and after the 'snapshot' is taken (who is disappearing out the back door? as an obvious example). So is not the exploration of one possible answer to the question already cutting off the multiplicity of answers left open by the painting in itself? Is not Velazquez employing the form of a stationary snapshot picture to precisely this effect? And an attempt to place it 'back in to context' seems to me to rather miss the point of this – but perhaps I have not completely understood.
I hear what you're saying, but I don't think (in this case at least) there's any attempt to suggest that this is an authoritative answer to the question of before and after.
The film opens up the multiplicity of possibilities, rather than shutting them down. It's interesting too that the film is almost mute: we hear some footfalls and rustling of dresses, for instance, but have no idea exactly what characters are whispering to each other. It sparks further questions, in other words, about narrative and time.
Anyhow, I recommend it.
Wow, I stopped into the Museum café over the weekend and wondered what was on at the art museum, as the line was out the door and people anxious to get into the exhibit. Sounds like something I ought not miss. Thanks for the review!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T...h?v=TywJ-
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Commenting by HaloScan
